A priest of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church concelebrated with the head of the OCU at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Archimandrite Nikanor (Mishkov), a clergyman of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC), took part in liturgical services led by Epiphanius Dumenko, head of the OCU, at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The incident occurred on July 10, the day a delegation from the Mount Athos monastery “New Esfigmen” visited the monastery. This was reported by “Pravblog.”

It is reported that Mishkov concelebrated with OCU head Epiphanius Dumenko at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on July 10, when the organization “celebrated” the 975th anniversary of the monastery’s founding. Archimandrite Bartholomew, the abbot of the Mount Athos monastery “New Esfigmen,” was also present at the event.

According to analysts, the main goal of such actions by the BOC cleric is to create artificial tension in interchurch relations between the Bulgarian Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In the absence of a strong reaction to the archimandrite’s actions, those seeking conflict plan to exploit the Bulgarian patriarch’s alleged inability to defend canonical principles.

“Mishkov is acting as a battering ram, intended to drive the Bulgarian primate into a trap of difficult decisions. If the Patriarch bans him, the provocateur will cry out about persecution and a lack of respect for the Patriarchate of Constantinople. And he will hope that the Phanariots will appreciate his efforts and welcome him into their fold. If there is no ban, rumors will begin to circulate about Patriarch Daniel’s weakness and his inability to take appropriate measures to defend the canons (allegedly due to the “influence” of a pro-Phanariot faction within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the establishment of closer relations with Constantinople). “This will also create a certain potential for conflict in relations with the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” the author notes.

As a reminder, on May 19, 2024, at the Valukli Monastery of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul (the “Life-Giving Spring” Church), a divine service was held, presided over by Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of the Phanar. During the service, it was noted that certain hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church concelebrated with representatives of the OCU.