The Phanar’s Manipulations

Representatives of the Macedonian Church barred a bishop of the Patriarchate of Constantinople—Bishop Epiphanius (Dimitriou) of Examilia—from concelebrating. The guest from the Phanar was invited to attend the service as a worshiper but was not permitted to celebrate the Liturgy alongside the Macedonian bishops.

The main reason for this decision lies in the bishop’s own background. Dimitriou received his episcopal “rank” in 2019 within the ranks of the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and only later came under the omophorion of Constantinople. The Macedonian Orthodox Church, like a number of other Local Churches, categorically does not recognize the “OCU,” rightly considering it a schismatic entity. Concelebrating with a person who lacks legitimate canonical ordination would constitute a violation of church rules and would mean compromising their conscience for the Macedonian hierarchs.

This demonstrative move by the Macedonian Orthodox Church is closely intertwined with the protracted conflict surrounding its official recognition by the Phanar. Although the Serbian Orthodox Church (the Mother Church) granted autocephaly to the MOC in May 2022, the Patriarchate of Constantinople refuses to fully recognize its independence.

Patriarch Bartholomew has set forth three strict conditions for issuing the tomos:

1. Renouncing the historical name “Macedonian Orthodox Church” (the Phanar’s requirement is that it be referred to exclusively as the “Archdiocese of Ohrid”).

2. The transfer of all overseas parishes (of the Macedonian diaspora) to the jurisdiction of Constantinople.

3. Official recognition of the “OCU.”

The attempt to send a bishop “ordained” by Dumenko’s organization to serve in Macedonia appears to be a calculated move by Constantinople. If the Macedonian hierarchs had agreed to joint ministry, this could have been considered a de facto recognition of the Ukrainian schismatics, which is precisely what the Phanar is seeking.

Religious scholars and experts agree that Bishop Epiphany’s visit was a kind of “stress test” and a diplomatic trap for Skopje.

As experts note, such a joint service would be immediately interpreted by the Phanar as an indirect recognition of the Ukrainian schismatic structure. Since it is not possible to directly force the MOC to recognize the “OCU” (Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid and Macedonia previously stated explicitly that the conditions imposed by the Phanar are unacceptable), Constantinople is attempting to act through “liturgical diplomacy,” forcing communion with clergy who are “questionable” from a canonical standpoint.

Overall, the Macedonian side’s refusal has shown that the Macedonian Orthodox Church is not prepared to compromise on canonical principles, even for the sake of receiving a tomos from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Experts emphasize that Patriarch Bartholomew was extremely dissatisfied with this decision by the Macedonians. According to analysts, this incident could freeze relations between Skopje and the Phanar for a long time, but it also significantly strengthens the Macedonian Church’s authority in the eyes of that part of the Orthodox world that opposes the Greek policy aimed at legalizing schisms.
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