Augusto Bonetti

“ After a tiring journey indeed I arrived in Skopje and stayed in the Bishop's residence, in which two Franciscans only had been living, satisfying the religious needs of the few believers. Since you had recommended to me to get into contact with the local Consul of Austria-Hungary, Mr Schmucker, I did not even wait to have a rest, but sent Father Alois to him. ”

“ Please let me recommend that we should not in future reject the idea of accepting the Macedonian flock under the wing of our Holy Church. It would be good to recommend our archbishop in Plovdiv to get into contact with the Metropolitan staying in Sofia.
Your Eminence, my suggestion is based upon confirmed reports from Macedonia, where the congregation of the Skopje eparchy, as well as the whole of Macedonia, reacted strongly against the replacement of Metropolitan Theodosius and declared that they were ready to pass into union with our Holy Church. ”

“ I believe that my esteemed friend, Mr Schmucker, has informed your Grace about the desire expressed by this to seek for us and for the whole flock of Macedonia the patronage of His Holiness, the Pope, for the restoration of the ancient Archbishopric of Ohrid, which was unlawfully abolished about 120 years ago. The desire of my people is to be freed from spiritual subjection to the Bulgarian Exarchate and the Constantinople Patriarchate and to have a national Church of their own. ”