The decision for the MOC was the most frantic and best, both for them, and for us, for all, said Serbian Patriarch Porphyrius

The Macedonian schism, thanks to God’s love and providence, is healed, so now we have brothers and sisters in the full sense of the word, Serbian Patriarch Porfirius said in an interview with the Russian Theological Portal The Theologian.

Referring to the overcoming misunderstandings and recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Porphyrius points out that the decision in the SOC was made unanimously, with the fullness of the Council, guided by the church ethos, not the earthly interests, exclusively for the salvation of the people living and on the territory of Macedonia.

– Many people cannot understand this, so one of our church says: « You have made a compromise, you have betrayed the interests of the Serbian Church, the Serbian people, you sold Serbian countries, » and so on. However, historically, even in the canonical sense of the word, the church territories, the dioceses of the area of ​​present -day Northern Macedonia, belonged to the jurisdiction of our church only from 1920 to 1966/67. And, in all other historical periods, even in the time of St. Sava, the dioceses, in the church sense of that word, from the territory of present -day Northern Macedonia, did not belong to the Serbian Orthodox Church. So, even to look at the context that does not actually exist for us, let’s say it is « legitimate », even in that sense we have not done anything that is contrary to the ‘interests of the Serbian Orthodox Church’. Another thing is that in the political sense of that word, those territories once belonged to rulers of Serbian states. Sometimes Serbian rulers had their own territories deep in Greece, some even had ambitions and were so powerful to become kings of the Byzantine Empire. However, as church people we must never confuse political parameters and contexts in the church contexts, but not even that is essential to the Church. The Church is essentially the care of the salvation of the particular man. The Church has all the possibilities, right and obligation, thinking about the salvation of every person, to make decisions that serve that salvation in this particular case, as is the case in principle when talking about the manner of decision -making and the structure and nature of the Orthodox Church – the Serbian patriarch said.

He emphasizes that the SOC of the Council decides the cathedral and no decision is one decision, even if he is a patriarch.

– In our country the Church works according to the principle of catholicity, where the first is the first among the equals of itself – the Primus inter pares, not the first to have no equal among its brothers. This decision in our Church was made unanimously, with the fullness of the Council, precisely because, thanks to God, with God’s grace and His providence, all the fathers of the Council were thinking prayerfully, exclusively for the salvation of the people who live and in the territory of Northern Macedonia and made the decision and the decision of them.

For divisions and misunderstandings in the Orthodox Church, he says such temptations have always existed throughout history when human logic and individualistic consciousness dominated, not catholic interest.

– Today, when we have some misunderstandings and crises in our Orthodox Church, I see them as opportunities and call – each of us before Christ to examine ourselves, our heart and our reasons. I am sure that, so let’s say, the crisis in which we are at this moment as an Orthodox Church, will eventually be the reason for the triumph of unity, of love, of mutual understanding, and the testimony of the Church as one, the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, which is a gift, and we have a great gift for us, More important than the other – says Serbian Patriarch Porphirir in an interview with the Theologian.ru, which reports « Liturgy.mk ».