ACRIDA (Achris; Slavic Ohrid; Albanian Ohri; Italian Ocrìda). – A city that succeeded the ancient Lindio; it begins to be mentioned in the Bulgarian era, when, after King Boris-Michael had a cathedral built shortly after his conversion to Christianity (c. 870), it became (886?) the center of activity of St. Clement, disciple of SS. Cyril and Methodius, who was also bishop there (893). From then on, conflicting reports make it out now as a simple bishopric, now as a patriarchate for Bulgaria. But from the time (977-98) when King Samuel transferred the capital there, it is certain that the patriarchal throne was also located there, from which most of the other 30 sees that Bulgaria counted at its greatest extent depended.
The period of A.’s great splendor was not long, for in 1018 or 1019 the city, along with the entire former Bulgarian territory, was reconquered for the Byzantine Empire. The title of patriarch disappeared (between 1019 and 1031), and it soon became customary (1037) to elect a Greek as its titular. Nevertheless, the overall structure of 32 bishoprics in the ancient provinces of Macedonia, Dardania, and Old and New Epirus was preserved, with A. at its head, granting it autocephaly with exemption from the Constantinopolitan patriarchate and the title of archbishopric (1018 and 1043). During this period, A. boasts two great prelates in Theophylact, a writer of great renown even in the West (after 1078-1111), and John Comnenus, scion of an imperial line (c. 1140-57).
After the fall of the Greek Empire (1204), A. with a large territory became part of the “Despotate of Epirus,” ranking as the principal see even before Durazzo and Naupactus. Great splendor was given to it by the archbishop Demetrius Chomatenus (c. 1216-35), with his renowned canonical learning. At the same time, A. lost Serbian territory, which became an autonomous jurisdiction under a local archbishop (1219). This was followed by an era of spiritual decline, although A.’s opposition to union with Rome earned it an extension of jurisdiction over Wallachia (1439-66) and Moldavia (1439-end of the 16th century), and between the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century also over Durazzo. From 1548 to 1586 we see the patriarch of A. nominating and ordaining bishops for the Greeks and Albanians of Italy, probably with the consent of the Pope. Such a rapprochement toward unity, if not very deep or fruitful, was repeated several times until 1670. On the other hand, there was also, with no greater success, an attempt by Rome to establish a Latin archbishop of A., which had three titulars in 28 years (1647-75). The history of this important see may be said to end catastrophically, with the abolition of the archbishopric and patriarchate and even of the episcopate itself, decreed by the patriarchate of Constantinople, accepted by the prelate and local clergy in 1767.