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The Russian Patriarch Aleksey II in a conversation with the Serbian president has advocated continuation of the negotiations ( 19.11.2005 )

In the patriarchal residence of the monastery of Saint Daniel, in Moscow, on 15 November 2005, the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, patriarch Aleksey II, received the president of Serbia, Mr. Boris Tadić, during his visit to the Russian Federation.

In his address to the Serbian president, His Holiness Patriarch Aleksey II said:

“The church state in the Republic of Macedonia continues worrying us. The division has lasted for almost 40 years now. In the course of the last year the disagreements have been even more aggravated. A parallel church structure was created, but this did not help heal the division. There followed actions on the Macedonian part, bishop Jovan has been in prison for more than three months now. Regarding this we have addressed the president of R. Macedonia, Mr. Branko Crvenkovski, with a petition for amnesty of the bishop. However, new proceedings are being conducted now, with new charges.”

 

“All this darkens the relations between the two Orthodox nations; Orthodoxy both in the Balkans and in the whole world is rendered weak. If the people of the whole country, despite the fact it is not big, is left out of the communion in the faith with its brothers and sisters—that is a great loss for the Orthodox Church.”

 

“Therefore we, regardless of all complications, consider it necessary to continue the negotiations of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church in Macedonia. The Macedonian side has asked as on several occasions to help in this process. On our part, we are ready for that.”

 

“In this period, the Moscow Patriarchate is successfully carrying out the negotiating process for creating closer relations with the Russian Church Abroad, with which we have been disunited for more then seven decades. There will be an All-abroad Assembly held in May in the USA. We know that Metropolitan Amphilochy of Montenegro and the Coastal Areas is among the invited. His Eminence will read a paper. We believe we, too, have certain experience that could be useful in the regulation of the Serbian-Macedonian dialogue.”

 

the information is taken from the official web site of the Moscow Patriarchate:

http://www.patriarhia.ru/db/text/58150.html