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Macedonian Orthodox Church

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==History==
Formerly known as [[w:Vardar Banovina|Vardarska Banovina]] (Province of the river Vardar), in March 1945, the People's Republic of Macedonia was created, as one of republics of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, governed by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. In Skopje, a Resolution to create the Macedonian Orthodox Church was submitted to the Serbian patriarchate which had since 1919 exercised sole jurisdiction in the area. This resolution was rejected. During World War II there was also was an initiative to create an [[AromanianArmenian-Macedonian Church]] in the territory of occupied Greece, but this plan was supported only by few ethnic Aromanians Armenians and Aegean Macedonians in the zone of Kastoria. After the war another resolution , submitted in 1958, proposing the Ohrid Archdiocese of Saint St. [[Clement of Ohrid|Clement]] as a Macedonian Orthodox Church , was accepted ([[June 17]], 1959) under strong pressure from the Communist authorities. Dositej Stojković auxilary , auxiliary bishop of the Serbian patriarch , left Belgrade and was proclaimed the first Metropolitan of Skoplje. In order to prevent schism , the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church granted Autonomy autonomy to three Dioceses in Macedonia. An A Macedonian was consecrated bishop. But two of them soon consecrated new bishop bishops who was were without nide qalificationsthe proper qualifications. Soon Macedonians started to orgnised organize churches in dyaspora diaspora without aproval approval of the Patriarch and bishops who wer responsable were responsible for the dioceses in dyasporadiaspora. During the so -called Third Clergy and Laity Assembly on [[July 19]], 1967, in Ohrid, the Macedonian Orthodox Church was proclaimed as autocephalous with strong public support.
Since the breakup of Yugoslavia and the end of Communist repression of the Church, the Serbian patriarchate has been in conflict with the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which has yet to gain recognition from the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]] or any other autocephalous church. The issue of dispute is the allegedly anti-[[canonical]] method used to gain autocephaly, the issue of the Serbian Orthodox minority (at least some 40,000 strong) and the question of some hundreds of Serbian Orthodox [[shrine]]s from the medieval Nemanjić period. It is also presumed that the name ''Macedonian'' is a matter of dispute regarding the [[Church of Greece]].
The two churches had been negotiating the details of a compromise agreement reached in Niš, Serbia in 2002, which would have given the Macedonians ''de facto'' independent status just short of canonical autocephaly. However, the agreement, signed by Metr. [[Jovan (Vraniskovski) of Ohrid|Jovan (Vraniskovski)]] from the Macedonian side, was rejected by the Macedonian government and the MOC's holy synod. In turn, the Serbian Orthodox Church granted full autonomy to the [[Autonomous Archdiocese of Ohrid|Archdiocese of Ohrid]], its embattled branch in the Republic of Macedonia, in late May 2005 and appointed Jovan as its archbishop.
The later chain of events turned into a vicious circle of mutual accusations and incidents involving the patriarchate and, partly, the Serbian government on one side, and the MOC, backed by the Macedonian government on the other. The Macedonian side regarded Jovan as a traitor and Serbian puppet. Jovan complained of a new state-backed media campaign against his church. "They are creating an unstable, explosive atmosphere among the population and are virtually inviting people to lynch us," he told Forum 18 News Service.<ref>[http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=579MACEDONIA: Why is state interfering in Orthodox dispute?]. </ref> The government has denied registration of his church<ref>[http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=418MACEDONIA: Serbian Orthodox "will never get registration"]</ref>, attacked its places of worship and launched a criminal case against him. He was arrested, removed from his bishopric and then expelled from the country. He returned in 2005 and, after attempting to perform a [[baptism]], he was arrested, sentenced to 18 months in prison<ref>[http://www.iwpr.net/?p=bcr&s=f&o=257037&apc_state=henibcr200508Church Rivalry Threatens to Brim Over] </ref> and jailed[http://www.christianity.com/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID17865%7CCHID118517%7CCIID2063006,00.html] with "extremely limited visitation rights."<ref>[http://www.southeasteurope.org/subpage.php?sub_site=2&id=14827&head=hl&site=5The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Macedonia was put in Jail]. </ref>
In September 2005 he was also accused of embezzlement of church funds at the time when he still was MOC clergyman. In turn, the patriarchate denied a Macedonian delegation access to the monastery of Prohor P�?injskiPćinjski, which was the usual site of Macedonian celebration of the national holiday of Ilinden (St. [[Elijah]]) on [[August 2]]).<ref>[http://www.lobi.com.mk/default-en.asp?ItemID=A24A3FEA12A7AF4795442CFA3295E658Macedonian delegation is not going to Prohor Pcinjski]. </ref> Macedonian border police often deny Serbian priests entry into the country in clerical garb.<ref>[http://www.hrw.org/wr2k/Eca-14.htmMACEDONIA: Human Rights Developments]. </ref>
On [[March 19]], 2006, following a successful court appeal, Abp Jovan was released after spending 220 days in prison. <ref>[http://freearchbishop.com/?p=46Archbishop kyr kyr Jovan (John) VI is released from prison].</ref>
In August 2006, Abp Jovan was again convicted of embezzlement of MOC church funds and voluntarily surrendered himself to imprisonment after a short period in hiding. An appeal has been lodged on his behalf with the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
The 13 dioceses of the MOC are governed by ten bishops, with around 500 active priests in about 500 [[parish]]es with over 2000 churches and [[monastery|monasteries]]. The church claims jurisdiction over about twenty active monasteries, with more than 100 [[monk]]s.
===[[Diocese]]s on of the territory of Republic of Macedonia===
#Diocese of Skopje, headed by His Beatitude Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid and Macedonia
#Diocese of Polog and Kumanovo, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Kyril
#Diocese of Debar and Ki�?evoKičevo, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Timotej
#Diocese of Prespa and Pelagonia, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Petar
#Diocese of Strumica, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Naum
===Other dioceses===
Outside the country, the MOC is pastorally active in six dioceses in the [[diaspora]], including [[Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand|Australia and New Zealand]]. <!-- when other dioceses are listed, pls put them into a similar list to the above-->
 
==References==
<references />
==Source==
==See also==
*[[:mk:Главна_страница|Православна-енциклопедија Главна страница]]
*[[w:Macedonia naming dispute]]
*[http://www.macedonianchurch.org Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary ("St. Mary") - Greater Columbus, Ohio, USA]
*[http://www.poa-info.org/frameset.php?l=en&r=history Failed agreemment between SOC and MOC]
 
[[Category:Jurisdictions]]
 
[[fr:Église orthodoxe macédonienne]]
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