Bulgarian Church hierarch expresses support for UOC

Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech. Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg

Metropolitan Luke published the hierarch's letter from the Bulgarian Church on his Telegram channel.

"We have received your fraternal letter, which deeply touched our hearts with pain. We, dear Bishop, knew about the enormous problems of the canonical brotherly UOC, but we never thought that the struggle for the destruction of your holy Church would reach such extreme limits. After translating your letter into Bulgarian, we published it on the website of the Lovech diocese, then it was published in several other popular electronic media outlets, and in one national newspaper of Bulgaria," wrote Metropolitan Gabriel.

According to him, Metropolitan Luke's letter had a very strong resonance in Bulgarian society.

"After this, there were many comments from readers who were very surprised that such a thing is possible in a democratic country like Ukraine, and expressed great sympathy and support for the canonical UOC. The UOC is the spiritual salt of your homeland, it is full of the grace of the Holy Spirit, and your Church prays to God day and night for peace, well-being, and God's blessing for your homeland of Ukraine and for peace in the world. Therefore, any war against the UOC is a war against the Chief Shepherd and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ," he added.

Metropolitan Gabriel noted that the hierarchs of the UOC are following the path of the cross.

"One worthy Orthodox bishop said, 'Metropolitan Onuphry has become a symbol of prayer, a symbol of standing for the purity of faith and canonical order for all Orthodoxy.' You, dear Bishop, like all your bishops, are suffering confessors, following your Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry and walking the path of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We, Your Eminence, from the beginning of the war, have been adding prayers for peace in our brotherly Ukraine to every holy liturgy in our diocese," he said.

As previously reported, the Bulgarian Patriarch said on the war in Ukraine: "Brothers in faith have clashed."

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