Patriarch Bartholomew Receives North Macedonia Leader

On 13 January 2013,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received the Acting Prime Minister of North Macedonia,Oliver Spasovski,along with former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev,at the Fanar,the Patriarchal compound in Constantinople.They were seeking the Patriarch's advice on resolving the ecclesiastical problem in North Macedonia,namely,that the country's Orthodox Church,the Archbishopric of Ohrid,is not recognised by the other autocephalous Orthodox Churches.*
In a statement,the Ecumenical Patriarchate said the meeting covered the history of the problem,leading up to the current request for the canonical reinstatement of the Archbishopric of Ohrid,upon appeal to the Mother Church,Constantinople.It was agreed that a delegation from the Church of Serbia be invited to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to meet with a delegation from the Archbishopric of Ohrid for consultation leading to a mutually agreed solution.*
The atmosphere of today's talks was described as having been warm and sincere.The North Macedonia leaders had previously expressed their respect and admiration for the Mother Church.*
Among those attending the meeting from the Ecumenical Patriarchate side were His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France;His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Silivria;His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilochios of Adrianople;the Very Rev. Archimandrite Joakim,chief secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod;and Archon Mr.Konstantinos Delikostandis,Professor Emeritus of the University of Athens.