ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC

From the regular February session of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric

The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, at its regular monthly proceeding, the first one after the release from custody of the Prelate of the Holy Synod, His Eminence the Metropolitan of Veles and Povardarje and Exarch of Ohrid kyr kyr John, has decided to express in writing its gratitude to His Holiness the Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovac and Serbian Patriarch kyr kyr Pavle, as well as to the Prelates of the local Orthodox Churches who requested from the state authorities in the R. Macedonia and the international governmental and nongovernmental organizations the immediate release from custody of the Metropolitan John, whose only “guilt” is to use his own freedom of confession, guaranteed by international conventions, as well as by the Constitution of R. Macedonia.

The Synod has decided to inform, once again, the international civilized public about the uncivilized pressure from all the three authorities in the R. Macedonia, the legislative, executive and judicial, over the members of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric. For this purpose, a protest will be addressed to the Government and the Parliament of R. Macedonia, on occasion the endorsement of the “Declaration for support of the autocephaly of the MOC”, passed by the Assembly of the R. Macedonia on 23 January 2004, as well as to the Republic Court Council and to the Supreme Court of the R. Macedonia for taking part in the political persecution of the members of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric. The information given by the abbots David and Maxim, regarding their meeting with the President of the Commission for Relations with the Religious Communities, was taken into consideration and the Synod took into knowledge that the abovementioned has no intentions whatsoever to respond to the request for his opinion on the registration of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric. As a result to this, it was decided to send in a new request and that, as soon as possible, the Prelate of the Holy Synod of Bishops, the Metropolitan John, should meet with him and request a registration of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric. The Synod regretfully concludes that because of seven schismatic bishops who have managed to persuade the authorities to protect their skin, the R. Macedonia is losing much of its international reputation, especially now, when a decision on its of its acceptance into the European Union is to be made. By supporting the seven schismatic bishops, who do not enjoy the support of the Orthodox Christians, the authorities are exposing themselves to the risk of losing the acceptance into the Union, for due to the repression and disregard for the human rights being executed by the authorities over the members of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, but also over the foreign citizens of orthodox confession, who wish to enter or transit through the R. Macedonia, but are forbidden to do so as a result of the interference from the abovementioned schismatics, the acceptance of the R. Macedonia into the European civilization and European institutions seems hardly possible.

The Holy Synod of Bishops has also examined the letter sent by the common Assembly of the Holy Mount Athos, in which an undoubted support is given to the activities of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric for the unity of the Church and there is also an approval of the manner of testimony of its members. The same letter says that the “the Metropolitan Nahum, who dwells in schism” is falsely presenting himself to have any connection with the Holy Mount Athos and the Monastery Grigoriou. The same, fled from the monastery without a blessing from his abbot, received the rank of a priest in Romania, and then he was ordained into a bishop by the schisms in Macedonia. On several occasions he requested a meeting with the abbot George Kapsanis, but he refused to see him until Nahum publicly repents for his schismatic activities.

20/7 Feb. 2004.
Monastery St. John Chrysostom

From the office of the
Holy Synod of Bishops of the
Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric