Serbian Orthodox Church Can't Give It a Rest.

HH Stefan

By David Edenden

While the Serbs are looking around the world for allies in the fight to keep Kosovo part of Serbia, The Serbian Orthodox Church takes time out of its busy schedule to spit on the culture and heritage of the Macedonian people. Nice!


HH Stefan: SPC lacks sincere intentions for dialogue with MPC
MRT.com.mk
Tuesday, 10 July 2007

According to Pontiff of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC) HH Stefan, the naming of another Serbian bishop for Macedonia by the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) clearly shows that despite their declarative acceptance of the Macedonian proposal for resumption of talks, there is a lack of sincerity in the intentions to find a legal and just solution. "Talks with SPC are currently in a state of rest, while conditions for dialogue have been significantly burdened by the persistence in the attempts for installment of a parallel church eparchy. It is more than obvious that the problem's essence is complex and not just related to the church. As a matter of a fact, the dispute is least a church one, because if it had been, it would have been resolved in a church manner by now", says Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia HH Stefan in an interview with MIA.

Referring to the ties with other Orthodox churches, he stresses they are kept within legal grounds, adding that relations are nurtured with archbishops from other sisterly churches at an academic or faculty level, but sometimes among parishes.

Pertaining to the draft-Law on Religious Communities, the MPC Pontiff says it is acceptable, responding to the needs of Macedonian believers, which is a position shared by MPC, Islamic Religious Community, the Catholic Church, Evangelist-Methodist Church and the Jewish Community.

"The permanent call that religious communities in Macedonia are against the liberalization of the Law on Religious Communities is a paradox", says HH Stefan, adding that the draft-law is more democratic than laws in other countries that regulate same or similar topic.

According to him, MPC should not be ready to make compromises, because the suggestions that lead to problematic solutions, presented on behalf of the so-called liberalization, lead towards deceitful anarchy.

Regarding the 40th anniversary from the restoration of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, HH Stefan states that MPC has never differed from other sisterly churches.

"Our belief, as well as the teaching and tradition of our church, is based on the same sources, the same canons and dogmas that are recognized and used by all Orthodox churches. We do not ask for another principle than the one according to which SPC and other Orthodox churches had been recognized", underlines MPC Pontiff HH Stefan in the interview with MIA.