The Serbian and North-Macedonian Orthodox Primates and hierarchs concelebrated on Thursday at “St. Sava” Cathedral in Belgrade to mark the end of a 55-year liturgical and canonical separation.
Patriarch Porfirije concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Archbishop Stephen of Ochrid, the Primate of the Orthodox Church from Northern Macedonia.
“The Lord, who created everything, reminded us people and commanded that ‘all be one’”, said the Patriarch of Serbia during the service.
„And, in order to be one, people must be one with each other. They must be a community of love based on the Word of God, based on God himself, on the living Christ. Then everyone will be one! That is what God wants from us! If we humans are one, then everything is one, then there is One Church, and One is because the Lord is One as the Head of the Church.”
Patriarch Porfirije added that breaking communion with the Archdiocese of Ochrid was a deep and aching wound and healing it has been a miracle unfolding under our eyes through God’s working.
“Just as there is nothing that we humans can heal by ourselves, as well as by ourselves, so especially in the Body of Christ, the wound cannot be healed only by our strength and powers. That is why I say that the wound was healed, and that it is a miracle – a miracle of God. It is a gift of God, brothers and sisters!”
His Beatitude affirmed the wound was a pedagogical opportunity. “We understood that the wound was inflicted by our actions, so we turned to the Lord, Saint Sava and all the saints of our Church to do what we cannot do. And the moment we just thought, such a miracle happened unexpectedly!”
“Blessed are you, brothers archbishops, brothers and sisters, our joy today is immeasurable, abundant, because it is the joy of God’s love, because it is the joy of God’s grace! We are one in Christ, one in the Church!” added the Patriarch of Serbia.
Archbishop Stephen of Ochrid said: “This today’s act, which confirmed the necessary love for unity in the Church, the condescending decisions of the two beloved sister Churches, is an irreplaceable medicine that heals the wound on the body of the Church, because when one limb suffers, all limbs suffer with it”.
“we thank God that, not by our merit, but by His help, we have been honored to be both unanimous and brotherly, and to be participants in the work that we believe is pleasing to God and will be recorded in the history of the Church,” added the Primate of the Orthodox Church from Northern Macedonia.
“The established unity between our two Churches, and thus with all local Orthodox Churches, is an event that St. Clement of Ohrid and St. Sava of Serbia and all the saints of God rejoice in, because they see how we rejoice, how we perfect and comfort each other, how we think the same and live in peace and love,” further stated Archbishop Stephen of Ochrid.
The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church announced on Monday the decision to re-establish eucharistical communion with the Archdiocese of Ochrid, which is the Orthodox Church from the Republic of Northern Macedonia.
The Synod of the Serbian Church transmitted they would consult with the other Autocephalous Orthodox Churches in order to establish the final status and name of the Orthodox Church from the Republic of Northern Macedonia.
Photo credit: Serbian Patriarchate
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