Bulgarian Patriarch: OCU Excluded From Joint Services at Phanar
Bulgarian Pat. Daniel said the Orthodox Church of Ukraine will not join services at the Phanar during his visit, reaffirming Bulgaria’s non-recognition of the OCU while stressing that dialogue, not rupture, remains the path forward.
SOFIA, BULGARIA — Bulgarian Pat. Daniel reaffirmed that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) would not take part in joint services at the Phanar ahead of his recent visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Speaking in a Nativity interview published by Glasove in December 2025, the Patriarch said the position of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on the OCU remains unchanged.
Pat. Daniel emphasized that the Bulgarian Church has not recognized the OCU and does not include it in its diptychs. He noted that this stance was clearly communicated in advance and taken into account during preparations for his peace visit to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. According to him, an agreement was reached that hierarchs of the OCU would not participate in concelebrations, a commitment he said was accepted by the Ecumenical Patriarch.
At the same time, Patriarch Daniel stressed that disagreements over the Ukrainian issue do not constitute a rupture in communion. He underlined that unity is preserved through honest dialogue, love, and forgiveness, concluding that without the peace of Christ, any changes remain temporary.
Previously, the UOJ reported on the September 2025 meeting of Pat. Daniel with the Ecumenical Patriarch in Greece.
