Patriarch Porfirije Handed Tomos to Macedonian Orthodox Church — Official Recognition of Autocephaly
Today at the Cathedral Church, Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church handed to Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid and Macedonia the tomos officially recognizing the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
The Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia served a liturgy at the Cathedral Church in Belgrade, followed by the handover of the tomos.
Prior to handing over the tomos, the Patriarch Porfirije said that conditions have been created for the Ohrid Archbishopric to be an independent church, but that this is not an act of dividing the church, but an act of growing together in love and unity.
“When the Church multiplies itself, we must know that it is in the spirit of the Gospel of Christ and His Word, that the it is not divided but multiplied and growing in love, multiplying in love. The Church is not divided into its constituent parts in the universal unity of the Church of Christ and the commandments of Christ in order to close itself in and nurture something with a singularly earthly goal, but it is multiplied and organized so that what is earthly, what is a gift from God, is multiplied and growing in the best way,” pointed out Patriarch Porfirije in his sermon at the Cathedral Church in Belgrade, reports TV Hram.
At the same time, the Serbian Patriarch expressed his satisfaction with the fact that, as he said, both Serbs and Macedonians in North Macedonia are looking forward to the autocephaly. He also recommended that the Macedonian Orthodox Church now find a suitable name, reported RTS.
The Archbishop Stefan said that the Patriarch Pofririje and the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church have made “a historically significant step for the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the entire Orthodox faith,” reported Beta.
“With your actions you have shown how much you love peace and unity among brothers, as well as the entire Orthodox Church,” said Archbishop Stefan.
As a reminder, the Serbian Orthodox Church recognized the Macedonian Orthodox Church as autocephalous in late May.
