The church organization in Macedonia and the canonization of the slavic saints  Cover Image

Црковната организација во Македонија и канонизацијата на словенските светители
The church organization in Macedonia and the canonization of the slavic saints

Author(s): Maja Jakimovska-Tošić
Subject(s): Cultural history
Published by: Instytut Slawistyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk

Summary/Abstract: Canonization of the saints, in one region in the past, had its own significance in relation to the cultural and historical affi rmation of the spiritual ambient itself. The early Slavic Christian community was tending to its own cultural self-assertion throught the forms of establishing cult to saints, which, by their work are related to the Slavic religious and educational mission. By placing the holy of the saints into the spiritual life of medieval Macedonia, their significance and popularity, the established cult forms related to the developtment of saint and monastery cults can be traced. This saint cult forms was in close relation with church organization in Macedonia in IX century and after that. The establishment of the Clement’s school, represented a beginning of a great cultural movement among the Macedonian Slavs, while by establishment of a Velicko-Dremvicka Eparhy headed by St. Clement, a bishop turned up and served in Slavic for the first time among the Macedonian Slavs. That is one of the reason why the foundations of the later Ohrid Archiepiscopacy are still to be found in the Eparchy od St. Clement. The theory that the origin of the Archiepiscopacy is connected with the Bulgarian (Drstar) Patriarchy which is considered that arrived in Prespa, and later in Ohrid, while their migration from Drstar, via Sofia, Voden end Meglen, does not base on historical sources and has not got any scientific base. Also, it is hard to accept the theory that the Ohrid Arhiepiscopacy is a prolongation of the Arhiepiscopacy of Justinian Prima. The church was indenpendent in the Samoil’s state and it’s competence coincided the state borders. In the process of acquisition of the Slavic cults, this article places the accent on the oldest slavic sinacsar, one in the Aseman’s Gospel, which represents the choise of general holidays in the Ohrid Patriarhate. St. Cyril, St. Metodii and St. Clement are Slavic saints whose names are included for the first time in this sinacsar, but the name of St. Naum iz not included. The Ohrid tradition drew not only on the cult of the first Slavic educators and their pupils for the purpose, but also on memories of the early Christian missionaries and martyrs connected with the Macedonia region. This included the cult of St. Erazmo and the Martyrs of Tiberiopolis, which received particular attenttion in the literature and life of the Apostol Andrew. Following the review, regarding the topic of canonization the Slavic saints at the Ohrid Church and wider ortodox region, a conclusion is drawn, that the original literary work in our region of the medieval period is mostly connected to the cult celebration of those martyrs, therefore in the later period revives the ascetic ideal as well as the celebration of martyr deed as a supreme debt to the religion.

  • Issue Year: 2005
  • Issue No: 05
  • Page Range: 147-164
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Macedonian