The Orthodox Church in America has recognized the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church

On July 15, 2025, at the 21st Pan-American Council, which is taking place this week in Phoenix, Arizona, the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, His Beatitude Archbishop Tikhon of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, announced that the OCA recognizes the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Ohrid Archbishopric. According to Metropolitan Tikhon, this decision was made as a result of close contacts with the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church on this issue. This was reported on the official website of the Orthodox Church in America.

It is reported that at a special meeting on May 21, 2025, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America decided to recognize the canonicity of the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Ohrid Archbishopric and to confirm full communion with its hierarchs, clergy, and faithful. This news was communicated to the entire Church by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon in his report on July 15, 2025, at the 21st Pan-American Council, which is being held this week in Phoenix, Arizona.

It should be noted that the decision to recognize the autocephaly of the MOC-OA was made at the request of His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia, who in official correspondence with His Beatitude asked the Orthodox Church in America to comply with the Tomos granted by the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The offices of Metropolitan Tikhon and His Beatitude Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid are currently planning a joint service of the two Primates, which will take place at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington. As Metropolitan Tikhon informed the Pan-American Council, this joint service will be crowned with the official recognition of the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which will take its place alongside the Orthodox Church in America as a fully autocephalous local Orthodox Church.

Earlier, the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, declared the Tomos of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Macedonia “uncanonical.” Dumenko claims that the Macedonian Church illegally gained independence from the Serbian Church and “entered into an alliance with the Moscow Patriarchate.” The head of the OCU is convinced that the ROC plans to implement the same scenario in Ukraine.