Report: Bulgarian Bishop’s Departure from Phanar Paschal Service Sparks Tensions with Constantinople
Bp. Isaac of Velbuzhdsk. Photo: Raskolam.net
ISTANBUL — A visit by Bp. Isaac of Velbuzhdsk, vicar of the Sofia Metropolis of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, has drawn controversy after the hierarch reportedly declined to participate in several festive events at the Ecumenical Patriarchate during Holy Week, citing concerns over preserving Orthodox canonical tradition.
According to a report from Pravblog, Bp. Isaac traveled to Istanbul at the invitation of the local Bulgarian Orthodox community to lead Holy Week services. However, on Pascha, he left the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George in the Phanar after finding representatives of the Roman Catholic, Armenian, and Syriac Jacobite churches present and invited to take part in the Gospel reading during the Resurrection service.
Rather than remain for the ecumenical observance, Bp. Isaac reportedly returned to the Bulgarian Exarchate’s representation in the Şişli district, where he read the Paschal Epistle of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to the faithful.
Additional controversy reportedly arose during Holy Thursday services when the deacon accompanying Bp. Isaac commemorated both Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel. Representatives of the Phanar reportedly viewed the commemoration of the Bulgarian Patriarch as a jurisdictional violation, arguing that Istanbul's Bulgarian community falls under the authority of Constantinople.
It has been noted that this incident comes just months before a planned visit by Patr. Daniel of Bulgaria to the island of Imbros, raising speculation that the current dispute could affect broader relations between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had received Bulgaria's highest church award.
Read also
Patr. Daniel Prays for Patr. Bartholomew’s Departed Relatives on Imbros
Patr. Daniel honored the family of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew by offering memorial prayers at their graves on the Patriarch’s native island of Imbros.
OCA Holds Strategic Planning Meeting for Lilly Endowment Initiative
OCA leaders are laying the groundwork for future church growth through a major national initiative focused on sustainable mission expansion.
Florida Cathedral Launches $6 Million Restoration Campaign
St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs is seeking $6 million to preserve a beloved Orthodox landmark and secure its future for generations to come.
Israeli Police Recruit Religious Officers for Temple Mount Unit
Efforts to recruit religious Jewish officers for the Temple Mount unit have become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing debate over the site’s fragile religious status quo.
Abp. Stefan Welcomes St. Tikhon’s Pilgrims to Historic Macedonian Monastery
A St. Tikhon’s Seminary pilgrimage honoring St. Nikolai Velimirovich strengthened ties between American and Macedonian Orthodox Christians during a visit to a historic monastery.
Kimberly Guilfoyle Meets Patr. Theophilos III in Athens
The U.S. Ambassador to Greece's meeting with Patr. Theophilos III spotlighted religious freedom, Orthodox-Christian relations, and a recent honor bestowed upon President Trump.