Prague, 15 February 2023 (MIA) – The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia decided last week to “recognize the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of North Macedonia,” reports Orthodox Times, a website specializing in issues related to the Orthodox churches.

“The Holy Synod of the Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia was informed about the letters of the Ecumenical Patriarch Batholomew regarding the restoration of Eucharistic communion with the dioceses of North Macedonia, as well as the letters of Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia about the reintegration of the Church in North Macedonia into the canonical structure of the Orthodox Church of Serbia, and for the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in North Macedonia with the Patriarchal and Synod Tomos on May 20, 2022,” said the Orthodox Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in a press release.

Orthodox Times notes that the announcement of the Holy Synod of the Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia did not refer to the Macedonian Church as “Ohrid Archbishopric”, the name under which it was granted canonical unity with the other Orthodox churches by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on May 9, 2022.

“After the unexpected recognition of the ‘autocephaly’ granted by the Patriarchate of Serbia to the Church of North Macedonia by the Patriarchate of Romania a few days ago, the Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia also recognized the uncanonical move of the Serbian Patriarchate regarding the status of the Church of the Balkan country,” adds the website.

Orthodox Times reminds that “the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate announced on May 9 that it accepts the hierarchy, the clergy, and the people of this Church (Archdiocese of Ohrid) under Archbishop Stefan in Eucharistic communion.”