The Hegumen of the Bulgarian Church, who concelebrated with Dumenko: The OCU is canonical and blessed

Hegumen Nikanor (Mishkov) of the Bulgarian Monastery of Saints Cosmas and Damian the Unmercenaries expressed his support for the OCU, calling it a “grace-filled and canonical Local Church.” During his visit to Kyiv, the clergyman emphasized that he sees no obstacles to Eucharistic communion with the clergy of the OCU.

During his visit, Hegumen Nikanor participated in divine services at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the St. Michael’s Monastery of the OCU. “Just as there is a Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Bulgaria, so too must Ukraine have its own Local Church. There is no place for the Russian Church here,” the abbot stated, adding that the history of the Bulgarian people’s struggle for ecclesiastical independence largely parallels Ukraine’s current path.

The priest also “debunked myths” about widespread support for pro-Russian forces in Bulgaria. According to him, the actual influence of supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church is extremely limited, as “evidenced by the failed petition drive in support of Patriarch Kirill and Metropolitan Onufriy.” In conclusion, Nikanor reported that his monastery continues to provide assistance to Ukraine by hosting Ukrainian children for summer camps and psycho-emotional rehabilitation.

As a reminder, Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel previously issued an official statement regarding the position of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) on the ecclesiastical issue in Ukraine, calling on the public to avoid speculation and unfounded accusations. According to Patriarch Daniel, the BOC adheres to a principled and balanced course of action that is not limited to serving the interests of individual centers of influence.