Question about the Macedonian Catholics. When HH JP2 of thrice-blessed memory was still reigning, I had read about a very large group of Macedonian Orthodox wanting to join the Catholic communion because of jurisdictional disputes in the EOC. However, IIRC, they were told by Vatican officials that in the interests of corporate reunion with the EO, they should basically “clean up house” first.
The Macedonian Orthodox Church was originally granted autonomy by the Serbian Orthodox Church in the late 50s (I think that’s about right) . About 10 years later, the Macedonians sought autocephaly under the Archbishop of Ohrid, a particularly ancient and venerable See. The Serbian Orthodox refused to grant it and, since that time, the Macedonians have been separated from communion with the canonical Orthodox Churches, which have stood fast behind the Serbian Church.
Although I don’t remember the full particulars, I believe that the overture was made not by the Archbishopric itself, but by a subordinate jurisdiction - of what size I can’t recall, if it was ever even public knowledge. I strongly suspect that what initially became publicly known of the whole matter was a result of leaks by persons in Rome who were sure it would happen and thought it would make great press - a corporate reunion from the Orthodox.
Wiser heads, of course, realized that it would likely prove a death knell to relations with the broader Orthodox Communion. So, it then became imperative that the Vatican’s response be made public as damage control - lest Rome be seen as poaching, contrary to the official stance of both Communions, Catholic and Orthodox. It’s one thing for individuals, even clergy or hierarchs, or even a body of parish size, to cross over in either direction. However, for an entire ecclesial entity to do so is reminiscient of the oft-times less-than-savory historical events that hard-core faithful on both sides proclaim daily on the net as either victories for or dastardly crimes against their faithful in times past.
Are the Macedonian Catholics of which you write the same group that requested communion with the Catholic Church those many years ago?
No, these are Macedonians who were historically in communion with Rome. During Tito’s regime, distinctions among the myriad ethnicities that comprised Yugoslavia were not much favored - in fact, they were absolutely discouraged. The Croatian, Macedonian, Montenegron, and (very small) Serbian Byzantine Churches (as we would call them now) were essentially merged into a combined ecclesial body - I actually think I remember it being termed as the Yugoslavian Byzantine Catholic Rite or Church in some lists of the time.
With the break-up of the former republic, the Eparchy of Kriveczi of the Croat Byzantines was the largest extant body and the other three ethnicities were subsumed into it - not a combo designed to last, because of ethnic, cultural, and political tensions and the erection of geo-political borders., It was not at all long until 3 exarchates were erected, loosely associated to the Croat Eparchy - very loosely. (I suspect that the reason that Rome still lists the Church as the Eparchy or Diocese of Kriveczi, rather than as the Croatian Byzantine Church is to keep a lid on things.)
Macedonia is apparently the largest of the 3 - which would historically have been the case, I believe (Serbian Byzantine Catholics are very much a minority, not sure about the Montenegrons). So, the time has seemingly arrived that they are being deemed sufficient in number to be separated from the artificial tie to Kriveczi. My best guess …
60.869565217391304347826086956522% of them, to be precise)
