Archbishop of Ohrid explained

The Archbishop of Ohrid is a historic title given to the primate of the Archbishopric of Ohrid. The whole original title of the primate was Archbishop of Justiniana Prima and all Bulgaria (ἀρχιεπίσκοπὴ τῆς Πρώτης Ἰουστινιανῆς καὶ πάσης Βουλγαρίας).

The archbishopric was established in 1018 by lowering of the rank of the autocephalous Bulgarian Patriarchate to the rank of archbishopric. The autocephaly of the Ohrid Archbishopric remained respected during the periods of Byzantine, Bulgarian, Serbian and Ottoman rule and continued to exist until its abolition in 1767.

Today, the primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church is claimant to the title of Archbishop of Ohrid.

According to the statutes of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the current Bulgarian Patriarchate is the successor of the Ohrid Archbishopric.[1]

Archbishopric of Ohrid, 1018–1767

width=142pxNamewidth=100pxReignwidth=105pxBirth Namewidth=350px Title
John I of Debar1018–1037Archbishop of Ohrid
Leo1037–1056Archbishop of Ohrid
Theodulus I1056–1065Archbishop of Ohrid
John II Lampinos1065–1078Archbishop of Ohrid
John III 1078–1079Archbishop of Ohrid
Theophylact1084–1107Archbishop of Ohrid
Leo II Mung1108–1120Archbishop of Ohrid
Michael Maximos1120Archbishop of Ohrid
John IV1139/43–1160Adrianos KomnenosArchbishop of Ohrid
Constantine I1160Archbishop of Ohrid
John V Kamateros1183–1216Archbishop of Ohrid
Demetrios Chomatianos1216–1234Archbishop of Ohrid
JoanniciusArchbishop of Ohrid
SergiusArchbishop of Ohrid
Constantine II Kabasilasbefore 1255–after 1259Archbishop of Ohrid
Jacob Proarchius1275–1285Archbishop of Ohrid
HadrianArchbishop of Ohrid
GennadiusArchbishop of Ohrid
MacariusArchbishop of Ohrid
Anthimos Metochites1341–1346Archbishop of Ohrid
Nicholas I1346Archbishop of Ohrid
Gregory II1364/65Archbishop of Ohrid
Matthew1408Archbishop of Ohrid
Nicodemus1452Archbishop of Ohrid
Dositheos IArchbishop of Ohrid
Dorotheos1466Archbishop of Ohrid
Mark Xylokaravis1466Archbishop of Ohrid
Nicholas IIArchbishop of Ohrid
Zacharius1486Archbishop of Ohrid
Prochorus1528–1550Archbishop of Ohrid
Simeon1550–1557Archbishop of Ohrid
Nicanor1557–1565Archbishop of Ohrid
Paisius1565Archbishop of Ohrid
Parthenius IArchbishop of Ohrid
Sophronius1567–1572Archbishop of Ohrid
Gabriel1572–1588Archbishop of Ohrid
Theodulus II1588–1590Archbishop of Ohrid
Gregory III1590–1593Archbishop of Ohrid
Joachim1593–1596Archbishop of Ohrid
Athanasius I1596–1598Archbishop of Ohrid
Varlaam1598Archbishop of Ohrid
Nectarius I1598–1613Archbishop of Ohrid
Metrophanes1614–1616Archbishop of Ohrid
Nectarius II1616–1624Archbishop of Ohrid
Porphyrios Palaiologos1624–1627Archbishop of Ohrid
George1627–1628Archbishop of Ohrid
Joasaph1628–1629Archbishop of Ohrid
Abraham Mesaps1629–1637Archbishop of Ohrid
Meletius I1637–1643Archbishop of Ohrid
Chariton1643–1650Archbishop of Ohrid
Daniel1650–1652Archbishop of Ohrid
Dionysius I1652–1653Archbishop of Ohrid
Athanasius II1653Archbishop of Ohrid
PaphnutiusArchbishop of Ohrid
Ignatius I1660–1663Archbishop of Ohrid
Arsenius I1663Archbishop of Ohrid
Zosimus1663–1670Archbishop of Ohrid
Panaretus1671–1673Archbishop of Ohrid
Nectarius III1673–1676Archbishop of Ohrid
Ignatius II1676Archbishop of Ohrid
Teophanes1676Archbishop of Ohrid
Meletius II1676–1677Archbishop of Ohrid
Parthenius II1677–1683Archbishop of Ohrid
Gregory IV1683–1688Archbishop of Ohrid
Germanus1688–1691Archbishop of Ohrid
Gregory V1691–1693Archbishop of Ohrid
Ignatius III1693–1695
1703–1706		Archbishop of Ohrid
Zosimus II1695–1699
1707–1708		Archbishop of Ohrid
Raphael1699–1702Archbishop of Ohrid
Germanus II1702Archbishop of Ohrid
Dionysius II1706
1709–1714		Archbishop of Ohrid
Methodius I1708Archbishop of Ohrid
Philotheus1714–1718Archbishop of Ohrid
Joasaph II1719–1745Archbishop of Ohrid
Joseph1746–1752Archbishop of Ohrid
Dionysius III1752–1756Archbishop of Ohrid
Methodius II1757–1758Archbishop of Ohrid
Cyril1759–1762Archbishop of Ohrid
Jeremy1763Archbishop of Ohrid
Ananias1763Archbishop of Ohrid
Arsenius II1763–1767Archbishop of Ohrid

Macedonian Orthodox Church

Autonomous, 1958–1967

On 4 October 1958, the Macedonian Orthodox Church was declared as the restoration of the Archbishopric of Ohrid.[2] Archbishop Dositej II was enthroned as Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, continuing in the lineage of the Archbishops of Ohrid. The declaration was retroactively accepted by the Bishops' Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church on 19 June 1959, and was celebrated in a common liturgy by Archbishop Dositej II and Serbian Patriarch German in Skopje.

In 1962, Serbian Patriarch German and Russian Patriarch Alexy I visited the Macedonian Orthodox Church on the feast of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Ohrid. The two patriarchs and the Macedonian archbishop celebrated Holy Liturgy, marking the first occasion where the leader of the Macedonian church met with heads of other Eastern Orthodox Churches.

width=142pxNamewidth=60pxPortraitwidth=100pxReignwidth=105pxBirth Namewidth=350px Title
Dositej II1958–1967Dimitrije Stojković[3] Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia

Autocephalous, since 1967

See main article: List of heads of the Macedonian Orthodox Church and Macedonian Orthodox Church. On 19 July 1967, in Ohrid, the Macedonian Orthodox Church declared autocephaly from the Serbian Orthodox Church, a move which was not acknowledged by the Serbian church and other Eastern Orthodox Churches.

width=142pxNamewidth=60pxPortraitwidth=100pxReignwidth=105pxBirth Namewidth=350px Title
Dositej II1967–1981Dimitrije StojkovićArchbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia
1981–1986Cvetko KrsteskiArchbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia
1986–1993Ǵorǵi MiloševArchbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia
Mihail1993–1999Metodi GogovArchbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia
Stefan1999–presentStojan VeljanovskiArchbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia

In 2022, the disagreement between the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church over the self-proclaimed autocephaly of the former ended.[4] [5] The Macedonian Orthodox Church was recognized as autocephalous by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and some other Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Serbian Orthodox Church

Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric (autonomous), 2005–2023

See main article: Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric.

The Serbian Orthodox Church had a disagreement with the Macedonian Orthodox Church after its separation and declaration of autocephaly in 1967 and did not recognize it, along with all of the other Eastern Orthodox churches. After the negotiations between the two churches were suspended, the Macedonian church had withdrawn from the 2002 agreement where the Macedonian church would enjoy recognition as autonomous under the control of the Serbian church, the Serbian church officially recognized the group led by Jovan Vraniškovski, a former bishop of the Macedonian church, as leaders of the Archbishopric of Ohrid under the tutelage of the Serbian Patriarchate in 2005. The Serbian church recognized his group as the restoration of the Archbishopric of Ohrid and gave him the title of Jovan VI, Archbishop of Ohrid.

In 2023, after the reconciliation of the Serbian church and the Macedonian church, the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric was integrated into the Macedonian church.[6] On 28 June 2023, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric made an official announcement, stating that it has fulfilled its mission, and noting that its hierarchs have collectively joined the Macedonian church.[7]

width=142pxNamewidth=60pxPortraitwidth=100pxReignwidth=105pxBirth Namewidth=350px Title
Jovan VI2005–2023Zoran VraniškovskiArchbishop of Ohrid

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ще се превърне ли Охридската архиепископия в ябълка на раздора за православието? . 2023-06-07 . bnr.bg . bg.
  2. Web site: YUGOSLAVS AVOID CHURCH DIVISION; Macedonians Restore Old Diocese, but Recognize Serbian Patriarch. The New York Times. 6 October 1958. 26 May 2022.
  3. Web site: Čairović. Ivica. 2018-08-01. The role of vicar bishop Dositej (Stojković) at the beginning of the church schism in Macedonia in 1958. 2021-01-12. Istorija 20. Veka. en.
  4. Web site: BREAKING: Patriarch Porfirije announces autocephaly of Macedonian Church (+VIDEO) . 2022-05-24 . OrthoChristian.Com.
  5. Web site: 24 May 2022 . Patriarchate of Serbia recognizes the autocephaly of Archdiocese of Ohrid . 2022-05-24 . Orthodox Times . en-US.
  6. https://www.poa-info.org/vesti OOA: News (June 2023)
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20230630123544/https://www.poa-info.org/sinod/soopstenija/20230628.html OOA (2023): Communique of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric (mk)

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