Source: Orthodox Church in America In the second half of February, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon appointed a delegation to visit three Orthodox autocephalous Churches. These visits—to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and the Serbian Orthodox Church—were primarily intended to maintain and further develop fraternal relationships. On February 19, 2025, Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Acting Chancellor and Secretary of the Orthodox Church in America, traveled with Archpriest Alexander Rentel, former Chancellor and COO at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, to Istanbul for a visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. While in Constantinople and at the Phanar, the delegation met with hierarchs and members of…
Browsing: Bulgaria
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA Normally, the election of a new member of the Holy Synod of a Local Orthodox Church would not be considered important news. However, in Bulgaria, it is important. The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Patriarchate is sharply divided into two wings. One wing favors the Ecumenical Patriarch and the recognition of the OCU. Its primary members are Metropolitans Nikolai, Anthony, Naum, Cyprian, Yakov, and Arseny. The other wing is headed by Patriarch Daniil and does not recognize the actions of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Ukraine. Each new Synod member can have an effect on the…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA What a surprise!!! Something few expected. Today, June 30, Metropolitan Daniil of Vidin was elected the new patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC). It was an extremely close election. According to the charter of the BOC, Daniil was elected by the Patriarchal Electoral Church Council. Aside from the Bulgarian bishops, this council consists of three clergy, two laypersons, one monk, and one nun from each of the dioceses of the BOC, except for Sofia. The Sofia diocese has six clerics, four laypersons, one monk, and one nun. In addition there is one representative from…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – At the recent session of the Synod of the Phanar, which convened on May 17 and 18, the issue of the Semi-Autonomous Church of Crete was briefly addressed. According to a letter dated April 23, 2024, revealed by The National Herald, the Church of Crete communicated to Patriarch Bartholomew that he should refrain from intervening in the affairs of the monasteries on the island. Specifically, the matter was brought up during the reading of correspondence amid other letters on different subjects. Today, we reveal that when the letter from the Church…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA As previously reported, Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and All Moldova wrote a surpisingly strong letter to Patriarch Kirill on September 5, 2023. (https://cubreacovblog.wordpress.com/2023/10/20/mitropolitul-vladimir-cantarean-ne-aflam-intr-o-situatie-de-faliment-institutional-mitropolia-basarabei-a-demonstrat-ca-este-o-forta-care-nu-mai-poate-fi-oprita/ ) The letter contained many grievances including the failure of the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate to elect Archimandrite Filaret (Kuzmin) as a bishop as requested by the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Moldova (OCM). Some people speculated that such a strong letter might be the first step in the OCM leaving the Moscow Patriarchate. The Moscow Patriarchate acted quickly. At its Synod meeting on October 11, 2023, Archimandrite Filaret…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA There is the very sad news that Patriarch Neophyte died on the evening of March 13 at the age of 78 after a long illness. https://bg-patriarshia.bg/news/saobshtenie-po-povod-konchinata-na-negovo-sveteyshestvo-balg He had been patriarch for 11 years. The funeral service will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 16 at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia. https://bg-patriarshia.bg/news/sv-sinod-na-bpts-bp-opredeli-datite-za-poklonenieto-opeloto Patriarch Neophyte seems to have been highly regarded by everyone, and his condolences have poured in. On the morning of March 14, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew conducted a Trisagion service for the repose of the soul of Patriarch Neophyte. https://orthodoxtimes.com/patriarchal-trisagion-for-the-late-patriarch-of-bulgaria-and-bishop-of-efkarpia/ The following are the condolences sent…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA Among the Local Orthodox Churches, it is common for one Local Orthodox Church to have a representation church (more properly called a podvorie or metochion) at the seat of another Local Orthodox Church. This is true of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Bulgarian Patriarchate. The Bulgarian Patriarchate has a representation church in Moscow. Conversely, the Moscow Patriarchate has a representation church in Sofia. The church in Sofia is the Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker, located in central Sofia. It is also known as the “Russian Church.” (link) Many come to pray here because the church is the location of…
Source: Anadolu Ajansı by Ihvan Radoykov Teaching of religion is instrumental in prevention of violence, spiritual-moral training of students, says church SOFIA, Bulgaria – The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has demanded that religious education be made compulsory in school curriculums, saying it will be beneficial to students. The ruling body of the church, the Synod, sent a written request saying that compulsory religious education is important in “the prevention of violence, the spiritual-moral training of the students, and the raising of the nation’s spirituality.” The Bulgarian Constitution recognizes Orthodox Christianity as the official religion of the country, stating that “Eastern Orthodox Christianity…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Albania on February 24 issued a communique relating to the Orthodox church in North Macedonia. https://orthodoxalbania.org/2020/en/2023/02/24/communique-the-holy-synod-orthodox-autocephalous-church-of-albania/ The official English translation is as follows: The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, during her session of February 23, 2023, under the presidency of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios, reiterated that she gladly welcomes the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, of last May 2022, that “She accepts into Eucharistic communion the Hierarchy, the clergy, and laity of the Church under Archbishop Stefan… She recognizes as…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle, WA USA Pope Francis has just completed his first day in Sofia, Bulgaria. In reviewing the reports in major Bulgarian newspapers and the comments by top government officials, it appears that the visit so far has been very well received. The Pope’s humble approach seems to win hearts. There has been considerable coverage of the visit in the Western media both before the Pope’s arrival in Sofia and afterwards. One very important aspect of the visit is the Pope’s contact with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. With respect to that aspect, several items today caught my…
Source: Pravoslavie.ru The Muslim community in a Bulgarian village have raised funds and contributed their labour to restore a century-old Orthodox Christian church. For the first time in decades, the bell of the small church in the village of Kozlets, in the southern Bulgarian province of Haskovo which borders Greece and Turkey, will peal again. The restoration of the bell tower cost 2000 leva (about 1000 euro). “It was possible that it would fall and bring down the roof with it. This very much worried the Christians in the village. So we decided to raise money,” village mayor Kadir Beynur…
Source: MYSTAGOGY On Sunday, July 6th, the youngest Bishop in the Orthodox Church was ordained in the Sacred Church of Saint Marina in Bulgaria. Archimandrite Arsenios was elected Bishop of Znepol, an assistant to Metropolitan Nicholas of Philippopolis (Plovdiv), by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria on Wednesday 2 July. Bishop Arsenios of Znepol became the youngest Bishop in the Orthodox Church at just 28 years of age, after a special setting in the Charter of the Church of Bulgaria. Bishop Arsenios was born in 1986 in Stara Zagora. He was tonsured a monk on 11 August 2008…