Lawmakers Affirm Bulgarian Orthodox Church as Sole Representative of Orthodoxy in Bulgaria

orthochristian.com and OCP News Service – 02/02/2025

Sofia – Bulgaria: The Bulgarian Parliament has reinforced the Bulgarian Orthodox Church-Bulgarian Patriarchate (BOC-BP), led by His Holiness Patriarch Daniil, as the sole representative of the country’s traditional Eastern Orthodox faith. Parliament approved amendments to the Religious Denominations Act on second reading on January 31, with 186 out of 240 MPs from all parliamentary groups voting in favor, according to the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency.

The amendments were prompted by a December ruling from the Supreme Court of Cassation that mandated the legal registration of the “Bulgarian Orthodox Old-Style Church.” This ruling, which sparked significant political and public reaction, was connected to a 2021 European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision in the case “Bulgarian Orthodox Old-Style Church and Others v. Bulgaria.”

Following the December court ruling, Patriarch Daniil and the Holy Synod sought state protection against a potential schism. Consequently, the legislation now prohibits any organization other than the Patriarchate from using the word “Orthodox” or similar derivatives in its registered name. Parliament had already approved related bills on first reading in mid-January.

Within two months of the amendments taking effect, all registered religious denominations and those with pending registration applications must change their names and statutes accordingly and submit these changes for registration at the Sofia City Court. Failure to comply will result in the termination of the religious organization, followed by liquidation and removal from the register.

Toma Bykov (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria-Union of Democratic Forces) acknowledged that the Old-Style Church likely poses no real threat to the BOC-BP. However, he emphasized the sensitivity of the issue, recalling the politically motivated schism within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the early 1990s.

Yordan Tsonev (Movement for Rights and Freedoms-New Beginning) argued that the real threat to the BOC-BP comes not from the Old-Style Church, but from the courts, specifically what he termed “Soros’ court,” referring to the ECHR. He echoed claims that some view the ECHR as influenced by George Soros’s Open Society Foundation. Tsonev also asserted that some theologians from the “urban right” attack Orthodoxy by labeling it a “Moscow branch.” He countered that Orthodoxy is not tied to Moscow and that the parliamentary action would prevent such attacks on the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Source:

OCP News Service