The Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the country's government have spoken out against sanctions against Patriarch Kirill

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Bulgarian government have taken a united stance against the imposition of possible European Union sanctions against Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. According to the Orthodox Times, this decision was announced following a meeting between the Holy Synod and Prime Minister Rumen Radev.

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel emphasized that imposing restrictive measures against the head of a local Orthodox Church is a counterproductive move. “This is certainly a bold move, but we do not believe that sanctions against the head of a local church will achieve the goals their initiators are counting on,” the Patriarch stated, noting that he considers the Church’s position on this issue to be correct.

For his part, Prime Minister Rumen Radev emphasized that Bulgaria would block attempts to include the Russian patriarch on the EU sanctions lists, arguing that this was necessary to prevent further division in interchurch relations. “Let’s not mix politics with religion. Today in Sofia, I said that the era of the Crusades is over, ” the head of government commented on the situation. Radev explained that his position is not aimed at personally defending Patriarch Kirill, but at preserving unity and ties within the Orthodox world amid a global geopolitical crisis.

As a reminder, it was previously reported that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was not included in the European Union’s 21st round of sanctions, despite earlier threats from EU officials. Nevertheless, the updated list, published on June 15,includes among church representatives Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Simferopol and Crimea, a hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.