ROC Spokesman: Phanar’s actions are a stab in the back of Serbian Church

Vladimir Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Department of the Russian Orthodox Church for the Relations of the Church with Society and the Media. Photo: kerpc.ru

On January 14, 2020, the Head Synodal Department of the Russian Orthodox Church for Relations of the Church with Society and the Media, Vladimir Legoyda, commented on his Telegram channel the intention expressed by Patriarch Bartholomew to resolve the issue of autocephaly of the non-canonical Macedonian Church.

Speaking about Phanar’s plans to support and accept the appeal procedure of the unrecognized Macedonian Orthodox Church, thus legalizing another split, the ROC spokesman writes that the Patriarch of Constantinople “apparently decided to take the service of political elites, who use religion in their games, to the assembly line.”

“In fact, this is nothing more than a stab in the back of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which is already threatened with persecution in Montenegro. You haven’t got the Tomos yet? Then we are going to you ...” wrote Vladimir Legoyda.

As reported by the UOJ, according to Macedonian media, Patriarch Bartholomew intends to resolve the issue of autocephaly of the Macedonian Church, which is not recognized in World Orthodoxy. According to journalists, Phanar officially confirmed it had not given up its desire to resolve the issue of autocephaly of the unrecognized Macedonian Orthodox Church, "despite the opposition of the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches."

In July 2019, the prime minister announced that the Macedonian government was already working with Patriarch Bartholomew on the issue of receiving autocephaly, and he was ready to "make a cash donation" to the head of Phanar for the Tomos for the Macedonian Church.

Recall that currently, in the territory of the state of Northern Macedonia, there is canonical Ohrid Archdiocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which broke away from it.

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