Top officials congratulate St.Kliment Ohridski holiday

Saint Clement of Ohrid.

"The holiday dedicated to St.Kliment Ohridski, founder of the Ohrid Archbishopric, founder of the first Slavic university, and generator of Slavic literacy and culture, is an event exceeding national boundaries, having enormous significance for European culture and civilization. The vision of St.Kliment and his teachers, the holy Ss.Kiril and Metodij (Ss.Cyril and Methodius) over bringing nations together and building a prosperous, free and humane world is placed in the foundations of human civilization", reads the note.

According to him, the work of St.Kliment should be a guiding principle ahead of new challenges, giving us spiritual strength and wisdom to come out stronger and more noble.

Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski also sent greetings, saying the holiday marked St.Kliment's work.

"St.Kliment created and Ohrid Archbishopric and the Cyrillic letter, which represent an invaluable gift to the Macedonian national and church history, but his work also continued in other parts of the world, where he has left deep traces", says Veljanoski.

He urged for the holiday to represent an incentive for mutual understanding, mutual respect and assistance.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski congratulated the holiday, saying St. Kliment Ohridski is one of the greatest scholars in the history of Macedonia's church and nation.

"His work as scholar, writer, enlightener and bishop set the foundations of our spiritual education and culture, and of our holy Macedonian Orthodox Church - the Ohrid Archbishopric," Gruevski says in his note.

Our obligation, he adds, is to continue on the road he had set and by hard, dedicated work to meet the needs of citizens by advancing the education and culture, guided by and applying the system of values.