Macedonian Orthodox Church

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The article analyses the relations between Macedonian Orthodox
Church (MOC) and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) concerning the
recognition of the independence of MOC, as an issue of the Macedonian national
identity. The issue of the church in Macedonia is still not solved and it is still
current, but not only as a church problem but much more since it renews a
number of open issues in relation to the Macedonian ethnic and national identity,
dispute over ethnicity, language, nation and territory of Macedonians in the
Republic of Macedonia.

Macedonian emperor Samoil in 976, after the death of the Romeian emperor John Tzimiskes, conquered the rest of moribund Bulgar kingdom, and Macedonia expanded its territory to the Lower Danube and became a neighbor of the Kievan Rus. That made the communication between the two states easier and created opportunities for the future church and cultural influence of the Ohrid Patriarchate and Ohrid Spiritual-Literary School on the complete Christianization of the Russian state and people. Tsar Samoil had sent episcopes, priests, and deacons from Macedonia to Russia, as well as suitable church books, on which the foundations of the Russian Orthodox Church were laid; a church with its own church hierarchy, Orthodox liturgies and Macedonic literacy.

In the church of St. Nikolas in the village of
Vranche, Prilep area, is a composition of the last
Judgement. The composition extends to the south
and north wall. The cycles are work of the Мијакс
builderс and painterс Petre Debranec (Debreli) and
his son Gligur Debranin. Although the church was
restored in 1926 by Milan M. Dukic from the village
of Osoj, which included several frescoes, the cycle
of the Last Judgment was not renewed. Today, the
composition is in poor condition because it suffered
more damage from moisture. At the time of painting, and especially today when the fresco painting in the church is almost destroyed, the hellish segment
comes to the fore.
On these expressive narrative scenes are presented naked male and female bodies. On the southern wall (with four representations), they are tormented
by the devils, who hold villa in the hands (in the plundering of stealthy guides and murderers), and in one place and a spear with a wide tip (in tormenting those
who are complementing the country). On the northern wall (with five plays) today the presence of an unwanted character can be noted only in one place. In
this place, the devil holding a villa is presented with a significantly smaller shape than those of the southern wall. Victims of tortures, men and women, are bound
by the hands and feet.
Since Hell is explicitly visualized, the moralizing-didactic dimension of the composition is especially emphasized. Positioned at a place where the frequency of believers is significantly greater in relation to the rest of the church, the performance of the hellish
troubles additionally gets meaning. Attention is drawn through such performances, the believers turn away from the bad deeds and come closer to the ethical and
moral behavior that Christians are targeting.

Во црквата Св. Никола во селото Вранче, Прилепско, се наоѓа композиција на пеколниот сегмент на Страшниот суд. Композицијата се протега на јужниот и на северниот ѕид. Циклусот е дело на мијачкиот градител и
зограф Петре Дебранец (Дебрели) и на неговиот
син Глигур Дебранин, изработен во 1875 година.
Иако црквата била реставрирана во 1926 година
од Милан М. Дукиќ од мијачкото село Осој, при
што биле опфатени повеќе фрески, циклусот на
пеколниот сегмент на Страшниот суд не бил
обновен, поради што денес композицијата се наоѓа во лоша состојба бидејќи претрпела повеќе оштетувања од влага.

Wrote for "Orthodoxy in Dialogue" about the importance and immediate implications of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's decision to bring the Macedonian Orthodox Church (Ohrid Archbishopric) into communion and why it matters after being in schism for 55 years.

Nato con lo sfaldamento della Federazione Jugoslava l’8 Settembre del 1991, lo stato oggi denominato Macedonia del Nord si è caratterizzato e si caratterizza tutt’oggi per le difficoltà incontrate nella costruzione di legami con i propri vicini. In questo lavoro si andrà quindi ad analizzare, stato per stato, le vicende attraversate da Skopje nell’ambito delle relazioni di buon vicinato e collegando l’andamento delle stesse alla questione identitaria che ricomprende ambiti quali religione, lingua e storia. Nell’ordine, questi tre aspetti hanno inficiato i rapporti con Serbia, Bulgaria e Grecia, tre stati dei quattro che la Nord Macedonia inquadra nel proprio complesso mentale dei “quattro lupi”. Sempre facendo riferimento all’esistenza di un’identità macedone, si analizzerà anche il rapporto con la minoranza etnica albanese nell’ambito dei rapporti intra-statali tra le diverse componenti etniche che vanno a comporre la Repubblica della Macedonia del Nord.