Skopje, North Macedonia, March 20, 2025
Photo: bigorski.org.mk
The primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric is calling for prayer and unity as protests erupt over the recent tragedy in Kočani.
A fire broke out in a nightclub early on the morning of Sunday, March 16, where fans, many of them teenagers, were packed in watch the hip hop band DNK. The blaze left 59 dead and more than 160 injured. About 20 people have been detained for questioning, including the owner of the nightclub and former governmental figures.
The Holy Synod of the MOC-OA 
Macedonian Synod offers spiritual comfort after deadly nightclub fire claims dozens of young livesA fire broke out the Pulse nightclub in the town east of Skopje early on Sunday morning, killing 59 people and injuring more than 150 others.
“>expressed its condolences earlier this week.
Thousands of people have been protesting Kočani, which lies about 60 miles east of Skopje, demanding accountability for the tragedy. Many believe that government corruption is to blame, allowing the makeshift venue to operate without adequate safety measures. Officials have said the one emergency exit was locked at that time of the fire, reports the BBC.
Against this background, His Eminence Archbishop Stefan of Skopje, the primate of the MOC-OA, is calling for prayers and unity. The Archbishop urges the faithful to maintain peace and dignity while mourning, as they pray for the souls of the deceased and recovery of the injured.
His statement reads:
Beloved in the Lord,
Three days have passed since the terrible tragedy in which 59 innocent young lives were lost, and over a hundred suffered severe injuries. Since then, the Holy Macedonian Orthodox Church has been continuously praying for the salvation of those who innocently suffered, serving memorial services for the deceased and offering prayers for the healing of the injured, as well as for the consolation of their families and loved ones.
In these days of mourning, we call upon our faithful people to unite our hearts in prayer to the Lord, asking Him to receive the souls of the newly departed children of God into Abraham’s embrace, and to grant faster recovery to the injured.
National solidarity and unity are most reflected and most needed in such ominous circumstances. Therefore, we call upon all faithful children of the Mother Macedonian Church and all citizens of Macedonia to preserve peace within ourselves and peace among ourselves and, while praying diligently, to mourn with dignity.
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