More Than 2,000 Sign Letter Opposing Patr. Bartholomew’s Planned Rila Visit

SOFIA, BULGARIA — More than 2,100 Orthodox Christians have signed an open letter asking the Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s Holy Synod to reconsider Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s planned visit to Rila Monastery on October 19. The letter was formally submitted to the Synod on September 30 and addressed to Patr. Daniel and the senior Bulgarian Metropolitans.

The appeal has also received public support from numerous bishops, priests, monastics, and theologians among its signers, several of whom have spoken publicly about the theological and canonical concerns raised in the document. Their comments have focused particularly on Patr. Bartholomew’s ecclesiastical actions and statements concerning Ukraine and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

The visit is planned as part of celebrations marking 1,150 years since the birth of St. John of Rila and 1,080 years since his repose. The Bulgarian Holy Synod decided on June 26 to invite Patr. Bartholomew to preside at the festal Divine Liturgy. The letter’s authors are asking the hierarchs to reconsider that decision.

Archimandrite John Filipov, one of the signers, writes: “With all due respect for his rank, zealous Orthodox Christians among our church people do not wish to pretend that everything is supposedly fine and hypocritically receive him as ‘the good shepherd,’ but wish to show their disagreement with his anti-dogmatic and anti-canonical actions.”

The letter cites the 45th and 46th Apostolic Canons and the 15th Canon of the First-Second Council of Constantinople in support of its arguments. It also raises objections to Patr. Bartholomew’s recent addresses in Vilnius and Budapest and to the 2019 tomos for the OCU, arguing that his participation at Rila could have implications for how the Ukrainian church body is regarded within the Bulgarian Church.

Bp. Mihail, Hieromonk Nektariy and Monk Moysey of Chekotin Monastery call for unconditional adherence to the teachings handed down by the Holy Fathers:

“Keep the Faith pure and uphold the Testament of St John of Rila: ‘Above all, I enjoin you to preserve the holy faith undefiled and untainted by any slander, just as we received it from the holy fathers, without mingling it with foreign and different teachings.’ +IC+XC+NI+KA+.”

Several laypeople commented, as well, including Vasilianna Merheb, an Orthodox theologian and analyst:

“So many years have passed, and by now it is more than clear even to the deaf, the blind and the mute that Patriarch Bartholomew is the head of a worldwide schism and must be condemned by a Pan-Orthodox Council as soon as possible. [...] His visit ISOLATES the Bulgarian Orthodox Church from the rest of the Orthodox world, from those Churches that preserve the purity of Orthodoxy and refrain from participating in services with Patriarch Bartholomew.”

Previously, the UOJ reported that Patr. Daniel reaffirmed the Bulgarian Church’s recognition of the UOC.