The Holy Synod of the Ohrid Archdiocese has launched a process to create a Committee that will look into the Ukrainian church issue. They also plan to solve the “problem” of name in relation to Greek-speaking Churches.
According to local press reports, the Holy Synod, which met recently, raised the issue of the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, signaling a potential change in the Ohrid Archdiocese’s position in this regard.
In an official statement, the Synod emphasized its commitment to carefully study through the committee the status of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, “to which the Ecumenical Patriarchate has granted autocephaly.”
Metropolitan Hilarion was appointed chairman of the Committee, and Bishop Joakim was appointed deputy chairman.
According to the message of the Holy Synod, this committee aims to consider the issue of “the name of its Holy Church in relation to the Greek-speaking Churches.”
It should be recalled that almost two years ago (in May 2022), the Ecumenical Patriarchate removed the Ohrid archdiocese from isilation and it was accepted for Eucharistic communication with “the hierarchy, clergy and people of this Church under the leadership of Archbishop Stephan”.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized “Ohrid” as the name of the Church (with jurisdiction limited to the territory of the country, i.e. the state of North Macedonia). This recognition came with the exclusion of terms such as “Macedonian” or their derivatives, following written assurances from Archbishop Stephan to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Since then, there have been attempts by both the Serbian and Russian Orthodox churches to influence the Ohrid Archdiocese and its superior. For example, the Serbs provided the “Tomos of Autocephaly” to the Ohrid Archdiocese, and the Russians insisted on the quick recognition of its “autocephaly”. But the Church and the government in Skopje seem to be waiting for the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Churches that recognized the new church formation in the Balkan country (Georgia, Romania, the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, with the exception of Bulgaria, which is awaiting a pan-Orthodox decision on the name), do not refer to the “Archdiocese of Ohrid” when talking about the Church of the country, on the contrary, use other names, including the name “Macedonia”.
The Spiritual Front of Ukraine previously reported that the dependence of the Ohrid Archdiocese on political games prevents it from obtaining autocephaly.
