The Macedonian Orthodox Church understands the intention of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to rename it and call it the Ohrid Archdiocese. On July 25, 2022, Archbishop Stefan of Macedonia and Ohrid stated this in an interview with the Serbian publication Politika, writes Pravlife.

“We are aware of the delicacy of the issue of our name for the so-called Greek bloc of Orthodox Churches. So let’s not ask them to call us by a name they don’t like. Since we are the heirs of the famous Archdiocese of Ohrid, there is no problem for us that we are addressed in this way. However, I am convinced that the brother bishops and all the faithful of the Greek Churches will understand that we cannot call ourselves otherwise than Macedonians, and that for us our Church is just as Macedonian as it is Ohrid. Here, undoubtedly, there will be issues that will have to be resolved, but faith and love can move mountains. If both sides show that they act with the love of Christ, an agreement will be easily reached between the Greek Churches and ours, the Macedonian one,” said the Primate.

Answering the question of who made the greatest contribution to the decision to return the MOC-OA to canonical unity with world Orthodoxy, Archbishop Stefan revealed why he turned to Patriarch Bartholomew for help.

“I must say that, unfortunately, in the past few years, our letters addressed to the Church in Belgrade seemed not to be given due attention. If I’m wrong, please forgive me. That is why we resorted to the request for the mediation of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. His consent to consider our petition played a huge role in our meeting at the same table with the brothers-bishops of the SOC and in solving our problem. With the election of the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Porfiry, a new page has been opened in relations between our Churches, for which we are immensely grateful, both as a people and as a Church,” noted the Primate of the MOC-OA.

He clarified that the Patriarchate of Constantinople accepted the MOC-OA into canonical unity “with the entire Orthodox ecumene”, but the MOC-OA is still waiting for an official document on the registration of the Local Church in the diptych of autocephalous Churches in the MOC-OA and hopes to receive it “in the foreseeable future.”

Recall that on June 5, 2022, Patriarch Porfiry of Serbia presented the Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid and Macedonia with the Tomos of the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – the Archdiocese of Ohrid. At the same time, the MPC-OA stated that they want to receive the “generally recognized Tomos” from the Phanar. Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople handed over to Archbishop Stefan the Patriarchal and Synodal Act on the acceptance of the Church of North Macedonia into liturgical and canonical unity on June 9, 2022 in Istanbul. The document notes that the name of the Church will be Ohrid, “referring to the area of ​​​​its possession within the state of North Macedonia.”