Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel meets with Phanar delegation

During the meeting, current issues facing the Orthodox Church and its spiritual mission in the world were discussed. Photo: BOC

On February 17, Patriarch Daniel received Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Archimandrite Aetios, the Grand Ecclesiarch (sacristan) and Chief of Staff of the Ecumenical Patriarch, in the Synodal Chamber of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC), according to the official BOC's website.

Also present at the event were Metropolitan Grigoriy of Veliko Tarnovo, Metropolitan Serafim of Nevrokop, Metropolitan Kiprian of Stara Zagora, Bishop Gerasim, the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of the BOC, Professor Ivan Zhelev – an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and Alexander Smochevsky – the Patriarch Daniel’s advisor on canonical matters.

“During the meeting, current issues facing the Orthodox Church and its spiritual mission in the world were raised, including dialogue between Local Churches, the upcoming celebrations for the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, as well as other matters of mutual interest,” the statement said.

Patriarch Daniel and members of the Holy Synod highlighted the “dialogical and diplomatic nature of interfaith relations in Bulgaria” during their conversation with the Phanar delegation. The head of the Bulgarian Church informed Metropolitan Emmanuel about changes to the Law on Religious Denominations, adopted by the National Assembly earlier this year, in response to attempts to legalize and register a parallel Orthodox church in Bulgaria.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the Bulgarian Patriarch stated that the BOC Synod would decide on the OCU after the end of the war.

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