Statement from the Cabinet of the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia Stephen
(
13.11.2012
)
Due to the frequent information and some misinformation published in the media in connection with the visit of the head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Archbishop k.k. Stephen in Sofia, and on the occasion of the burial of the late head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, we give the following statement:
On 09 November 2012, Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia k. k. Stephen, accompanied by Metropolitan of Prespa and Pelagonia k. Peter, were present at the Divine Liturgy for the funeral of the late Bulgarian Patriarch Maxim at St Alexander Nevsky’s cathedral in Sofia. Before and during the Liturgy, Archbishop had brief and cordial meetings with representatives from most of the local Orthodox Churches. After the funeral, at the altar of the cathedral, the Archbishop met and greeted His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch k.k. Bartholomew; His Holiness Serbian Patriarch k.k. Irenaeus, His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens k.k. Jerome, His Beatitude Albanian Archbishop k.k. Anastasius and others. In this brief encounter, Ecumenical Patriarch, in the presence of Serbian Patriarch expressed a sincere desire to find a solution to the problem as soon as possible, referring to the dispute between the SOC and MOC. Serbian Patriarch Irenaeus shared the desire of the Ecumenical Patriarch, His Holiness k.k. Bartholomew.
