|
Macedonian Orthodox Religion
The Macedonian Orthodox Religion is the main church in the Republic of Macedonia. There are also other lesser churches in Macedonia, Islam, Baptists and Methodists, Greek Catholicism and Serbian Orthodox. There are approximately 1.35 million adherents of the religion. The church has had a long history in Macedonia. In 1019 the Archbishopric of Ohrid was established. In 1767 on order of the Sultan, the Archbishopric was abolished by the Turkish authorities and annexed to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries there was an effort to reinstate the Archbishopric of Ohrid.
The Macedonian Orthodox Church gained autonomy from the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1959 and declared the restoration of the Archbishopric of Ohrid. On July 19, 1967, the Macedonian Orthodox Church declared autocephaly from the Serbian Orthodox Church. Most Macedonians belong to the Orthodox faith. This move is not recognized by any of the churches of the Eastern Orthodox Communion, and since then, the Macedonian Orthodox Church is in no communion with any Orthodox Church which consider the macedonian church to be nonexistent.
|
