BOC bishop to Phanar hierarch: In the Church, no one gives orders to others

Metropolitan Nikolai of Plovdiv. Photo: plovdivskamitropolia.bg

On July 15, 2023, Metropolitan Nikolai of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church stated that the Orthodox Church is resilient to changes because no one gives orders to another in the Church, as reported by the press service of the Plovdiv Metropolis.

Metropolitan Nikolai made his statement after a joint worship service with Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon from the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Gorni Voden Monastery of Saints Cyricus and Julitta in Asenovgrad, Bulgaria.

"I have wondered why the Orthodox Church is so resilient to the winds of time, and the answer, in my view, is this: there is no single command centre here that would give orders. No one claims the right to be the ultimate source of truth here. Every voice is equally valuable and equally important, with the right to be heard," noted Metropolitan Nikolai.

According to him, in these challenging times, it is crucial for the hierarchs of the Local Churches to maintain unity.

"Therefore, today, it is most important to maintain an active dialogue between the Local Orthodox Churches and to help overcome the dangers hanging over the Church with all our might. In these turbulent times, it is very important for the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church to stand firmly in the positions to which God has appointed us and to safeguard the parts of God's flock entrusted to us. It is no less important for all the hierarchs of the Orthodox world to be united among themselves, just as our predecessors were united when defending the faith and the Church. Yes, decisions in the Orthodox Church are made slowly but synodically, they are infallible. The voice of the Holy Spirit is heard in the conciliarity of the Church, as it was heard in the great councils of antiquity and then through fraternal communication among the hierarchs of the entire Orthodox world, based on mutual respect, a conviction that we share the same values, that we have the same goal, and, ultimately, our love for one another and for Jesus Christ," he added.

As reported, Metropolitan Nikolai of Plovdiv said that he prays for Ukraine at every worship service.

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