President StevoPendarovskiin an interview onSitel TV said that he could not say what he talked about with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, but that he informed the top of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric (MOC-OA) about the details of the conversation.
“I can say that this is a procedure in which the church rules will be respected, that the Ecumenical Patriarchate is indisputably the body that gives Tomos independence. Whether and when that happens depends on them. There is a new moment that the Ecumenical Patriarch explained to me. Now the SOC, where the dispute with the MOC-OA comes from, where we need to get away to get autocephaly, has a new patriarch and he should be consulted in the dialogue. Furthermore, you will understand me, I cannot comment,” Pendarovski said.
He stressed that there is no problem with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, but there is a long-standing dispute with the Serbian Orthodox Church.
“But what I know from the top of the MOC-OA, is that since help was asked until today, the BOC has not moved a finger to help us,” said Pendarovski.
