Clergy and laypersons of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church have spoken out against Patriarch Bartholomew's visit

On September 30, 2026, an open letter was officially submitted to the Secretariat of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC), an open letter was officially submitted protesting the possible joint celebration of a divine service with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople within the walls of the Holy Rila Monastery. The document, registered under number 662, expresses the concerns of thousands of believers, including more than 2,100 signatories, among whom are dozens of clergy and monastics. The initiators of the appeal, the “ ” group, call on the leadership of the Bulgarian Church to defend the dogmatic and canonical purity of Orthodoxy.

In the text of the letter and the accompanying comments, clergy and laity point out that the activities of the Patriarch of Constantinople—related to his support for Ukrainian schismatic structures and ecumenical initiatives—contradict church canons. In particular, Father Georgi Grahovski cited the 45th Apostolic Canon, which prohibits prayerful communion with heretics, while other clergy members recalled the testament of St. John of Rila to keep the faith unblemished.

Prominent public figures and theologians supported the clergy’s position. Lawyer Rumyana Chenalova noted that Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit, during which he commemorated the leader of the Ukrainian schismatics, could be viewed as a de facto recognition of the schismatics by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Theologian Vasilianna Merheb emphasized that such actions carry the risk of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s international isolation from local Churches that remain faithful to the patristic tradition.

At present, the petition is under review by the highest ecclesiastical authorities. The authors of the petition emphasize that their goal is to preserve Bulgaria’s spiritual heritage and prevent the Church from becoming involved in processes that they view as a departure from dogma and ecclesiastical Tradition.

As a reminder, we previously reported that the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church had officially invited Patriarch Bartholomew to visit Bulgaria in October of this year.