Moscow, May 31, 2024
Photo: patriarchia.ru
By decision of the Holy Synod of Moscow Patriarchate yesterday, there can be no concelebration with the hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church who recently themselves concelebrated with two “hierarchs” of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
Bulgarian hierarchs concelebrate with Ukrainian schismatics in IstanbulFor the first time, hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church concelebrated with representatives of the graceless “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” sect yesterday at Life-giving Spring Monastery in Istanbul.
“>On May 19, five Bulgarian hierarchs, Metropolitans Nicholas of Plovdiv, Cyprian of Stara Zagora, Iakov of Dorostol, and Bishops Zion of Velichka and Vissarion of Smolyan, served in Istanbul with various hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and “Archbishop” Evtstraty (Zorya) and “Bishop” Avraamy (Latish) of the OCU sect.
Latish is the sole monk of the Kiev Caves Lavra who decided to One Lavra monk joins schismatics to become abbot of their “Lavra”Fr. Avraamy also appealed to the monks of the Lavra who remain faithful to the Church, blaming the present situation on the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which he argues is “inciting hostility and confrontation.”
“>leave the Church, in order to become the “abbot” of the schismatics’ Lavra brotherhood, and subsequently a “bishop.”
The Moscow Patriarchate Synod heard a report on the matter yesterday by His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations, and “expressed deep sorrow” over the incident, “which has seriously damaged relations between the Russian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches,” reports Patriarchia.ru.
“The participants of the session stated the impossibility of concelebration with the mentioned hierarchs who entered into ecclesiastical communion with the schismatics. It was noted with regret that the Patriarchate of Constantinople continues to take actions aimed at deepening the division in Orthodoxy.”
The schismatic concelebration also caused some Bulgarian priests and faithful denounce episcopal concelebration with Ukrainian schismaticsIt is noteworthy that the official site of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church never published any news about the concelebration. However, it didn’t escape the attention of the Bulgarian clergy, monastics, and faithful.
“>degree of outrage amongst the clergy and faithful of the Bulgarian Church, many of whom sent letters of protest to the Holy Synod.
There was also a tense moment in Russian-Bulgarian Church relations when the former rector of the Russian representation church in Sofia was evicted from the country Russian Church rep expelled from Bulgaria, banned from N. Macedonia—Church respondsThe Russian Church’s Department for External Church Relations issued a statement yesterday “strongly protesting against the unjustified expulsion of its representatives from Bulgaria.”
“>in September, having been deemed a threat to national security.
With his expulsion, the church, which is home to the relics of the Holy Hierarch and wonderworker St. Seraphim (Sobolev), was closed, and debates began about who legally owns it: Bulgaria or the Russian embassy in Sofia, and who was responsible for appointing clerics and reopening the Church: the Bulgarian or Russian Church.
His Holiness Patriarch Neofit of Bulgaria Patriarch Neofit appoints Bulgarian priests to church where Russian priests were expelledThe church has served as a representation of the Russian Orthodox Church for many years, but two priests and another church employee were branded threats to national security and expelled from the country last week.
“>appointed Bulgarian clerics to serve there, but the church never reopened under them. Then, in Holy Synod appoints new rector for Russian church in SofiaFr. Vladimir served the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA in various capacities for a decade (1989-1999) and earned a degree from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary during his time there.”>mid-October, the Russian Holy Synod appointed a new rector.
On Services resume at Russian church in SofiaServices have resumed at the Russian representation Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Sofia, a month and a half after the former rector was evicted from the country.
“>November 10, the doors of the church reopened and the new rector served a moleben of thanksgiving.
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