Former Yugoslav Republic Takes First Step to NATO Membership

There were smiles all round at NATO's  new headquarters in Brussels,Belgium today,18 October 2018,as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia began Accession Talks with NATO,the first formal step in the process of applying for Alliance membership.The talks will run for two days.*
FYROM uses the name Macedonia,which is also the name of a province in Northern Greece.FYROM not only claims the name,but also the same heritage as the Greeks in that province,tracing it back to the Greek king Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire.This posture angers many Greeks,who see it as a threat to Greek sovereignty.
Nonetheless,the Greek SYRIZA party now in power,led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras,considers the dispute a hindrance to the development of both FYROM and Greece,as well as a danger to European stability.Thus the Greek government  entered into successful negotiations with FYROM and they reached agreement on a new name in June 2018:North Macedonia.*
The Brussels talks are headed by FYROM's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska-Jankouska and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Alejandro Alvargonzalez.They include detailed discussion of the political,legal and military requirements for NATO membership.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained:
Once all the constitutional changes on the new name are completed,we can sign the Accession Protocol.

Patriarch Bartholomew Makes Statement on Ukraine and Macedonia Issues - delegation consults Antioch and Serbia

 On 11 June 2018,His All- Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople made remarks in the Patriarchal Church of St.George in Constantinople concerning the Patriarchate's responsibilities toward the uncanonical Orthodox Churches in Ukraine and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM):
The existence of a schism is not an argument in favour of leaving a whole nation outside the bounds of the Church's truth and canonicity with a pure conscience,denying our responsibility before God and history;but is rather an incentive for finding salvific and unifying solutions.When the Mother Church explores the paths of salvation for our brothers from Ukraine and Skopje (FYROM),it fulfills the apostolic duty.Our duty and responsibility is to bring these nations back to the truth and canonicity of the Church.Therefore what the Ecumenical Patriarchate has,it has for the benefit of the whole world,and offers it to all peoples without exception.Within this framework,inter-Christian dialogue is established,which carries out its work "in love and truth."*
Having visited the Church of Greece,as recounted in an earlier post by this blog,a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate continued its consultations with other autocephalous (independent) Orthodox Churches on the state of affairs in Ukraine and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).On 5 June 2018,the delegation consisting of His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and His Eminence Metropolitan Bartholomew of Smyrna (Izmir,Turkey) were received by His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia in Belgrade.According to the Serbian Orthodox Church,His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel thanked the Patriarch for the cordial audience,during which a conversation about the current relations of the Local Orthodox Churches was held.
For his part,Patriarch Irinej expressed his gratitude to Metropolitan Emmanuel for the visit and his efforts to establish close ties between the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate.*
Also attending the audience from the Serbian Orthodox Church were His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa and Father Deacon Aleksandar Prascevic,Head of the Office of the Patriarch.*
On 14 June 2018,His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East received Metropolitans Emmanuel and Bartholomew at the Patriarchate's Lebanon headquarters.Also attending the audience were His Eminence Metropolitan Basilios (Mansour) of Akkar and Dependencies and His Eminence Metropolitan Ephraim (Kyriakos) of Tripoli,al-Koura and Dependencies.
The audience addressed General Orthodox affairs and the Ukraine case,the Patriarchate of Antioch said.

Bulletin:Ecumenical Patriarchate Takes Up Another Request from Eastern Europe

Recently the Ecumenical Patriarchate agreed to consider a request from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,backed by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the Ukrainian Parliament,the Verkhovna Rada,to grant the autocephaly,or independence,of said Church.Now a similar request has been received from another Eastern European nation.
On 30 May 2018,the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate met under the Presidency of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.It subsequently issued a communique regarding a request from the Schismatic Church of Skopje,Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,which was supported by a letter from the Prime Minister of FYROM,His Excellency Mr.Zoran Zaev.The Schismatic Church of Skopje asked the Ecumenical Patriarchate to take the initiative of returning this Church to canonical status under the name Archdiocese of Ohrid.*
The Holy and Sacred Synod has decided to seize this initiative and do what is necessary under the intangible conditions of the historic canonical powers and prerogatives of the primatial throne of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.*
Analysis:The Ecumenical Patriarchate under Patriarch Bartholomew is showing a great deal of strength in taking up these controversial issues at this time,putting itself on the line for troubled Orthodox Churches in need of legitimacy.It is making clear by deeds that it will not shy away from its pastoral obligations and canonical prerogatives,but will instead live up to its title,the Great Church of Christ.

Patriarch Bartholomew Hosts Many Balkan Visitors,Making Candid Remarks on Recent Controversies

Between 10-11 April 2018,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople received a series of visitors from the Balkans.On 10 April arrived the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina,His Excellency Mladen Ivanic.Mr.Ivanic and Patriarch Bartholomew reviewed the issues of the day for about thirty minutes.
This session was followed about an hour later by a private meeting between His All-Holiness and the President of FYROM,the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Gjeorge Ivanov,along with his wife and son,as well as  some of his colleagues and the FYROM Ambassador to Turkey.As before,many important issues were gone over;while,at the same time,there was an exchange of Paschal greetings and gifts.
At both meetings with the Balkan leaders,Patriarch Bartholomew was joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima,a well-known theologian;His Eminence Metropolitan Elpidoforos of Bursa,Turkey;and the Very Rev.Archimandrite Joachim (Billis),Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod.*
On 11 April,His All-Holiness addressed a number of professors and students from the St.Clement of Ohrid Theological Seminary in Skopje,FYROM,who were on a visit to Constantinople and Thessaloniki,Greece.Deploring the Church of Bulgaria's recent effort to grant autocephaly to the Macedonian Orthodox Church,which no other autocephalous Orthodox Church recognises,Patriarch Bartholomew admitted:
I am thinking about this because I want to be perfectly honest with you.This action of the sister Church of Bulgaria was wrong.It does not help.It complicates things.The Mother Church of all the Balkan peoples is Constantinople.That is what the true history says.What is being discussed is a fictitious mother.And Bulgaria cannot introduce you to canonicity,or normal relations with the other Churches.There must be direct,honest and sincere inter-Orthodox relations.
Every time a Synaxis of Orthodox Primates is convened either here or in Chambesy,the Ecumenical Patriarchate's attempt is to put all subjects on the table and to discuss them with honesty and sincerity.*
The Patriarch made an open invitation to the FYROM theological educators and students:
Know that we love you,and come whenever you want in this beautiful and historic City,where are the Courtyards of the Mother Church,from which you,and all the Balkan peoples,received baptism and the light of Christianity.Therefore,every time you come here to us in Istanbul,you do not have to feel that you are strangers,that you are guests;but that you are at home.
We have high hopes for you and for your ministry in the Church in the future.These are true despite the fact that there are currently problems between your country and Greece,and between your Church and all other Orthodox Churches.Precisely,we count on the new generation of theologians and clergy,which can help strengthen relations of neighbouring peoples and between the Orthodox Churches.Today,our generation,the older generation,will do everything we can to improve the situation,especially our Ecumenical Patriarchate,which has the coordinating role in the transcendental things-and after our generation,you will take over and you will continue,cultivate and augment these good relations between our peoples and our Churches.*
Following his moving address,His All-Holiness distributed with his blessing to the FYROM pilgrims books on the history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the official texts of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in Crete in 2016;Easter eggs and holy keepsakes.They were also invited to dine with the Patriarch in the Patriarchal refectory.

Metropolitan Chrysostomos Concerned About Church Participation in Greek Rally

One of the most highly respected churchmen in Greece,His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia,who,in addition to his pastoral leadership,is an author and professor of theology in the University of Athens,has expressed misgivings about Church participation in the big rally planned for 4 February 2018 on the issue of current negotiations by the Greek government with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.The negotiations seek to resolve outstanding disagreements between the neighbouring nations,particularly the use of the name "Macedonia" itself,which is also used by a province of Northern Greece.Here are some of his recent remarks on the subject:
Recently,on the occasion of the resurgence of diplomacy to resolve the bilateral disputes between Greece and the FYROM (irredentism,naming,erga omnes,and others that are equally serious and perhaps not public),there is also a lot of discussion about the organisation of rallies and the position of the Church of Greece against them.The storm of statements,suggestions,incitements,ecclesiastical turbulence suggests,or rather confirms,that-unfortunately-and despite any clarifying approaches of the Holy and Sacred Synod of 26 January,we move to the dangerous limit of secularism and its devotion to our ecclesiastical ethos.And I will be more specific:
The Church of Greece,indeed,has in the past organised rallies and invasions,and although one could argue that at that time both the reason and the way of their organisation gave it some justification,however,they "redeemed" them several decades later,as being too expensive.It is not unjust to the historical accuracy if I assert that the reward "benefit" was fairly low in relation to the "struggle" and the damage quite high in relation to its aspirations.
In the current circumstances,however,the organisation of rallies is completely different and alien to the whole institution of the Church.Their organisation is moving in a turbulent environment,exploiting the indisputable and immovable position of the Greek people on the non-use of the name "Macedonia" for the neighbouring state of Skopje.That is why I dare to raise some questions and concerns in good faith:
Who are the "unscheduled" organisers of rallies?Presidents of organisations and groups who obviously represent a portion of the people.Is it allowed,therefore,to stand by the Church as a "therapist" next to them?Do we forget that the Church expresses the whole and not the part,with which it cannot be identified?
Who are the "unknown" co-organisers,who seek to use the institutional Church and "grab" it for the satisfaction of their own political desires,alibis and aspirations?*
I think,as everyone else,I respect the desire of every Greek citizen to participate in any rally to express in the most dynamic way the popular will for the specific issue of naming.But should the institution of the Church be sought,and indeed with the presence of its bishops?Such an expression is purely a secular perception of the functioning of the ecclesiastical body itself with the "things of this world" when this secularisation even entails,albeit inconspicuous for some,the protestantising of our ecclesiastical morality,so that we risk being eclipsed and degenerating into a "therapist" of various groups,often of unknown ideology,placement and principles,but also intended purposes.*
I therefore consider that any enthusiastic tendencies should be limited in order to preserve the institutional role of the Church in society.*
Let us take a little more thought and consider the future of the institution,not the evolution and satisfaction of our personal aspirations and visions!!
Messinia Chrysostomos +