The Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand ( mk, Австралиско-Новозеландска Епархија) is one of 10 dioceses of the
Macedonian Orthodox Church
The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Archdiocese of Ohrid (MOC-AO; mk, Македонска православна црква – Охридска архиепископија), or simply the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) or the Archdiocese o ...
(MOC).
There are some 27 MOC churches in Australia. Almost half are under the Macedonian Orthodox diocese headed by
Metropolitan Petar.
History
The Macedonian Orthodox Church created its first diocese in 1967 for
Macedonian diaspora
The Macedonian diaspora ( mk, Македонска дијаспора, ''Makedonska dijaspora'') consists of ethnic Macedonian emigrants and their descendants in countries such as Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, ...
communities that covered
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
By 1981, the MOC split the diocese into two parts creating a
diocese for Canada and the United States and another diocese for Australia and New Zealand.
The diocese for Australia and New Zealand is headquartered in Melbourne.
Metropolitan Tomotej of Debar-Kičevo served as its first administrator, succeeded in 1995 by Metropolitan Petar of Prespa-Pelagonija who has served in the role till present.
The structure of the diocese is split into a number of regencies that are split as municipalities and church parishes.
Regencies belonging to the archpriest are within
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
(17 churches) and
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
(9 churches).
Close to Melbourne and in the vicinity of
King Lake, St. Kliment Ohridski - Chudotvorec is the first monastery founded in Australia by the
Macedonian community.
Over some two decades the diocese experienced internal divisions regarding the matter of property ownership.
In the context of Australian law, a sizable number of parishioners view themselves and not the MOC as owners of properties and churches in the country.
During early 2012, people representing the parishes and municipalities who refuse Metropolitan Petar's legitimacy entered into negotiations with the MOC.
Both sides agreed to a short-term solution which acknowledged each other.
One group would be part of the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Petar and the other under the MOC and its Synod.
The MOC synod convened a meeting whose outcome resulted in Metropolitan Timothy becoming the overseer of Macedonian parishes who do not support Metropolitan Petar in Australia.
The number of parishes under Metropolitan Petar are 13.
Both sides agreed to put on hold any legal processes in order to allow for time to reach a solution over a period of 3 years.
In the late 2010s the situation had become formalised and the churches under Metropolitan Timothy are organised as the
Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia - Sydney
The Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia - Sydney ( mk, Австралиско - Сиднејска Епархија) is one of a number of dioceses of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC). There are some 27 MOC churches in Australia. Slightl ...
.
See also
*
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website of the MOC Diocese of Australia and New Zealand
Macedonian Orthodox dioceses
Eastern Orthodoxy in Australia
Macedonian-Australian culture