Macedonian Orthodox Church
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Church is one. The Lord has not established many churches, but one. And this one Church is identified with the one Body of the one Christ. Still, since this one Church actualises, manifests and iconically portrays herself in the eucharistic community she, in the nature of things, appears as many Churches, because it is inconceivable that there should exist a single eucharistic community for the whole world.

Ascension, a detail, Peribleptos, OhridThus, where the faithful gather "at one place" around their Bishop to actualise the eucharistic assembly, there actualises the whole Body of Christ as well, that is, there the mystery of the Divine Economy is headed and the Kingdom of God is wholly portrayed. Therefore we speak of one Church, which comprises many local Churches. Along with this, since every local Church in which the Holy Eucharist is performed represents a whole Body of Christ, each such local Church is, ought to be and can be called an all-embracing, whole Church.

In other words, just as the Holy Eucharist actualises the whole Christ, not only a certain part of Him, so does each local Church represent the whole Body of Christ, not only a certain part of It. Thus, according to Orthodox ecclesiology, each local episcopal Church represents a whole, catholic Church, filled with all the graceful theanthropic gifts of God necessary for salvation of people, that is, represents the whole Body of Christ, because the concept Church is based on the Holy Eucharist.

The Macedonian Orthodox Church, Ohrid Archdiocese, is facing a new, possibly the greatest ever challenge for her and her pastoral activity in the Republic of Macedonia.