Bulgarian Church warns of sectarian threat after mass suicide

The Petrohan camp site, where members of a sect died in a group suicide. Photo: Bulgarian National Radio

On March 4, 2026, clergy of the Lovech Eparchy of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church addressed the faithful and the wider public, warning of the danger posed by sectarian movements after the mass-suicide tragedy near the Petrohan Pass. The statement was published on the metropolitanate’s website.

According to investigators, Bulgarian security services are examining the deaths of six people linked to an organization called the National Agency for the Protection of Protected Areas. Forensic findings indicate that three people died in a group suicide near a mountain lodge at the Petrohan Pass. Later, in a car near Mount Okolchitsa, authorities discovered the bodies of the group’s leader, Ivaylo Kalushev, a 15-year-old boy, and a 22-year-old man. The teenager and the young man had been shot, after which Kalushev took his own life.

The Lovech Eparchy said the tragedy was a disturbing reminder of the consequences that pseudo-religious teachings and closed sects can have. According to the clergy, such movements often exploit fear, distort the interpretation of Holy Scripture, and cultivate ideas of “chosenness,” creating closed circles in which people lose both their spiritual bearings and their freedom.

“The tragedy at Petrohan is a painful reminder of where spiritual delusion can lead when a person places trust in self-proclaimed ‘teachers’ and turns away from sound Church guidance,” the clergy said in their statement.

The Church urged believers to remain vigilant toward such movements and recalled Christ’s words: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Bulgarian Church had turned to police over a deepfake involving its primate.

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