Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric
| Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric | |
|---|---|
| Founder | Dositej |
| Independence | 1967 from the Serbian Orthodox Church (unrecognized) |
| Recognition |
|
| Primate | Stefan Veljanovski |
| Headquarters | Skopje and Ohrid |
| Territory |
 Macedonia
|
| Possessions |
 United States Canada Australia Croatia France Sweden Switzerland Slovenia
|
| Language | Church Slavonic and Macedonian |
| Members | approx. 2,000,000+ |
| Website | mpc.org.mk/ |
The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric (abbreviated: MOC-OA) or simply the Macedonian Orthodox Church (Macedonian: Македонска Православна Црква - Охридска Архиепископија; transliteration: Makedonska Pravoslavna Crkva - Ohridska Arhiepiskopija) is the body of Christians who are united under the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, exercising jurisdiction over Macedonian Orthodox Christians in the Republic of Macedonia and in exarchates in the Macedonian diaspora.
In 1959, the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church afforded autonomy to the Orthodox Church in the-then Socialist Republic of Macedonia as the restoration of the historic Archbishopric of Ohrid, and it remained in canonical unity with the Serbian Church under their Patriarch. In 1967, on the bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the Archbishopric of Ohrid, the Macedonian Church unilaterally announced its and independence from the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Serbian Holy Synod denounced the decision and condemned the clergy as schismatic. Thenceforth, the Macedonian Church has remained unrecognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and all the other canonical Orthodox churches in defense of Serbian opposition.
After the fall of the First Bulgarian Empire, Byzantine Emperor Basil II acknowledged the autocephalous status of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and by virtue of special imperial decrees set up its boundaries, dioceses, property and other privileges. The Archibishopric was seated in Ohrid in the Byzantine theme of Bulgaria and was established in AD 1019 by lowering the rank of the autocephalous Bulgarian Patriarchate and its subjugation to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In 1767 the Archbishopric was abolished by the Ottoman authorities and annexed to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Efforts were made throughout the nineteenth and the first part of the twentieth centuries to restore the Archdiocese, and in 1874 it became part of the newly established Bulgarian Exarchate. The Christian population of the bishoprics of Skopje and Ohrid voted in 1874 overwhelmingly in favour of joining the Exarchate, and the Bulgarian Exarchate became in control of most of the Macedonian region.
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