MACEDONIA: Selective refusal to register Serbian Orthodox Church

[SouthSerb99]

The article speaks for itself.

It may have been previously posted.  If so, I apologize for the duplication.

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=505

[cizinec]

The stipulation that "only citizens of Macedonia can organise a religious group" appears to be applied only to the Ohrid Archbishopric of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Although the Catholic Church in Macedonia is subject to Vatican jurisdiction, it has not complained that the authorities have obstructed the exercise of this oversight from abroad. The secretary of the Methodist church in Macedonia, Sofija Trajkovski, told Forum 18 on 4 February that their superintendent is an Austrian citizen Wilhelm Nausner and that the church has not faced any problems because of this. Their bishop is from Switzerland and he regularly visits Macedonia, preaches and leads meetings, she added.

Yeah, but Serbs are bad.  Really bad.  So it's okay to abuse them.

[SouthSerb99]

Cizinec,

I've heard rumors (at this point completely unsubstantiated) that so called Bishops of FYROM might be the next group of "Uniates".

Considering the politicians in Skopje are willing to allow EVERY religious denomination flourish inside FYROM except Canonical Orthodoxy says a lot to me.  It really would not suprise me if they the FYROMians became the next Uniates.

[Ntinos]

They wish to call themselves Macedonias, and now they wish to estamblish anything else other than canonical Orthodoxy in their lands... Awful.

Tell me your opinion, why would they not want an autocephalous Church (with an Archbishop as their head) under the Patriarchate of Serbia, Bulgaria, or the Ecumenical Patriarchate? What motivations are there behind?

[SouthSerb99]

Ntinos,

    Here is the problem that I think they (the so called bishops of the "Macedonian" Orthodox Church) have created for themselves.

      As I'm sure you are aware, they have indoctrinated their people in the belief that they are the descendants of the throne of Alexander.  As such, they believe they are "Macedonian" and will not accept anything but being called the "Macedonian Orthodox Church".

      Originally the agreement in Nis with the SOC, was to restore the original name the Ohrid Archbishopric (which has since been restored see here http://www.poa-info.org/index.php?l=en).  The schismatic Bishops of the MOC originally agreed to return to "autonomous" status but later reneged on their agreement when they realized that the populace would not accept the "Ohrid Archbishopric" in lieu of the MOC. 

      In essence, their own propoganda came back to bite them in their collective a$$es.

      Check out the website I posted (Ohrid Archbishopric) it has a ton of info on this stuff.  Two articles I found particularly interesting are here

http://www.poa-info.org/cont.php?l=en&r=history&p=contents&d=../prelate/correspondence/20040730.html  (from our Patriarch to the leader of FYROM)

and here... http://www.poa-info.org/cont.php?l=en&r=questions&p=comments&d=comments/panic.html  a response letter to one of the schismatic Bishops. I was shocked to find out that the MOC has married Bishops.

Fixed links. John

[Ntinos]

There can be solution: The Archdiocese in Greece is called "Archdiocese of Athens & all of Greece". In a similar manner, the Archdiocese could be called by the name of the capital city (or wherever they like). JUST the name of the city.

[cizinec]

I don't think they'll join with Rome for the simple fact that they have married bishops. I also think Rome wouldn't do it because of the reaction from the Orthodox world.

I can see the attraction, though. It would give Rome another group of followers in the Balkans to oppose the Serbs and the MOC would get serious political support.

If anything, I can see the MOC asking for it and Rome saying no.

[Ntinos]

And then they would probably be forced to accept canonical Orthodoxy in their lands.

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