Bulgaria media responds to criticism of Patriarch Daniel over the OCU

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel. Photo: UOJ in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian branch of the UOJ published a detailed analysis of a critical article against Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria, which appeared in the English-language resource Orthodox Times, defending the positions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The article titled "The Patriarch of Bulgaria throws mud at the spirituality of Mount Athos" was written by Hieromonk Nikitas from Pantokratoros Monastery on Mt. Athos.

The author criticized Patriarch Daniel's statements in an interview with the program "Religion Today" on Bulgarian National Television regarding the Ukrainian church crisis and his comments about Mt Athos.

Position of the Bulgarian Church

The Bulgarian UOJ highlighted that the Bulgarian Church is in Eucharistic communion with all local canonical Orthodox Churches and has not severed relations with any of them. The Bulgarian Church has not recognized the OCU but has maintained communion with Constantinople.

In 2018, the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church established a special synodal commission on interchurch relations to study the situation in Ukraine. To date, the Synod has not made a final decision on the OCU issue and continues to maintain Eucharistic communion with the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan Onuphry.

Facts about Mount Athos

Regarding the claims about the acceptance of OCU representatives on Athos, the UOJ emphasized that the overwhelming majority of Athonite monasteries refuse to accept clerics and monks of the OCU. The only monastery that allowed the visit of Epifaniy Dumenko was the Xenophontos Monastery.

After this visit, 39 Athonite and Greek monasteries expressed their protest against attempts to use Mount Athos to legitimize non-canonical structures.

"Numerous abbots, including high-ranking elders, for example, from the monasteries of Vatopedi, Dochiariou, Philotheou, and others, clearly expressed their position that accepting the OCU would mean allowing a schism in the very heart of Orthodox monasticism. Therefore, Patriarch Daniel's words that OCU clerics are not accepted on Athos reflect reality and are not propagandistic statements," the publication stated.

Reality with OCU churches

The UOJ in Bulgaria refuted Hieromonk Nikitas's claims about full OCU churches by providing numerous videos, photographs, and reports, including footage of the OCU services themselves, where almost empty churches are visible even during the services led by Epifaniy Dumenko himself.

At the same time, tens of thousands of believers of the canonical UOC are praying in the open air or in repurposed buildings after their churches were taken away by force or through administrative pressure.

Conciliar position

The Bulgarian UOJ emphasized that the Bulgarian Church is not governed individually – the Patriarch is the first among equals in the Holy Synod, and every decision is made conciliarly. When Patriarch Daniel says that the Bulgarian Church is not in communion with the OCU, he states a fact that is the result of the conciliar will of the Church.

In conclusion, the UOJ in Bulgaria noted that in the face of multiple challenges for Orthodoxy, the Bulgarian Church has a Primate who strives for peace, conciliarity, faithfulness to the canons, and pastoral wisdom.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that, according to Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel, Athonite monasteries no longer receive OCU.

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