May God bless North Macedonia

  Erol Rizaov

What messages has been directed by Francis from Skopje to the world and to all the citizens during the first apostolic and historical visit of a pope, who turned the infidels out of the country of departure, Gjorge Ivanov, who until the last day for ten years did not even try to become president of all citizens. At the historic meeting we saw a typical Balkan primitivism, when one wants to be a pope greater than Pope. Here are the key excerpts and quotes for which no comment is needed.
Pope Francis: “Your land, a bridge between East and West and a meeting-point for numerous cultural currents, embodies many of the distinctive marks of this region.
With the elegant testimonies of its Byzantine and Ottoman past, its lofty mountain fortresses and the splendid iconostases of its ancient churches, which speak of a Christian presence dating back to apostolic times, North Macedonia reflects all the depth and richness of its millennial culture.
But allow me to say that these great cultural treasures are themselves only a reflection of your more precious patrimony: the multiethnic and multi-religious countenance of your people, the legacy of a rich and, indeed, complex history of relationships forged over the course of centuries.”
President Ivanov: I complete my mandate as President by welcoming You to the Republic of Macedonia. I have to admit that I was greatly tempted to use your presence and the spotlight of the world media to speak the best of my country and my people. The temptation to speak of the glorious past is great. However, I believe that it is much more important to speak of the uncertain present, regardless of how difficult it is. And the truth is that You come in a time when the Macedonian society is deeply divided, and the Macedonian country is heavily wounded by broken promises, unfulfilled expectations and faltering trust in the international community. The decades of blockades on our European path led to political and moral crises which diminished our spiritual immunity and eroded the true and lasting values.
Pope Francis: “This crucible of cultures and ethnic and religious identities has resulted in a peaceful and enduring coexistence in which those individual identities have found expression and developed without rejecting, dominating or discriminating against others.
They have thus given rise to a fabric of relationships and interactions that can serve as an example and a point of reference for a serene and fraternal communal life marked by diversity and reciprocal respect. Diversity and reciprocal respect, the Pope said, were the exact characteristics that were most important for the nation to integrate into Europe. It is my hope that this integration will develop in a way that is beneficial for the entire region of the Western Balkans, with unfailing respect for diversity and for fundamental rights.”
President Ivanov: Symbolically, as a Macedonian, I asked you to come to Macedonia and help us in the spiritual renewal of our fatherland. Even though I am an Orthodox Christian, as President of a secular country, I represent all citizens, regardless of their religious and ideological beliefs and their ethnic and linguistic identity. You, as head of the Catholic Church, represent the God-man Jesus Christ to more than a billion Catholic Christians in the world. You remind us that although our human love toward God and people is changeable, God’s love and faithfulness toward us human beings is permanent. With this You symbolize the path of love, mercy, humility and service. A path which we, here in the Republic of Macedonia, should also follow regardless of our basic believes or ideology. Only then we will leave a better future to the young people and to the yet unborn.
That is why I will finish with an appeal to all of my fellow citizens, to all people with good will and pure hearts. This goes to everyone, whether you belong to the Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant branch of Christianity, to the Muslims, Jews and atheists. I call upon you to recognize the symbolism of this visit and with humility and forgiveness, reconciliation and unity, with responsibility and respect, to take part in the spiritual renewal of Macedonia, before it is too late.”
Pope Francis: The Holy See, from the moment North Macedonia declared independence, has been paying great attention to every step your country has made to promote dialogue and understanding between the authorities and religious denominations. Today, God’s providence gives me this opportunity to express myself personally this closeness and to express my gratitude for the visit. I encourage you to follow the faithful course of the journey and encouraged efforts to make the country “a beacon of peace, acceptance and fruitful integration between cultures, religions, and peoples. Starting from the respective identities and dynamics of their cultural and civil life, they will be able to build a common future, learning from the treasures that each of them brings with them.
“May God protect and bless North Macedonia, preserve it in concord, and grant it prosperity and joy!”, Pope Francis said in closing.
President Ivanov said Amen. But only in myself. He did not say it loudly because of the word North, because, God forbid, someone heard that desecration of the country’s biblical name.