Statement in support of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate (BOC-BP) was adopted by the Assembly of Academicians and Corresponding Members at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), according to information published on the BAS website.
"We, the members of the Assembly of Academicians and Corresponding Members at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, firmly and categorically declare our support for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate, which is an inseparable member of the One Holy, Universal and Apostolic Church," the statement reads.
It is noted in the statement that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is a Local Autocephalous Church and is in dogmatic and canonical unity, prayer and Eucharistic communion with the other Local Orthodox Churches. The sign that a church is Orthodox is proven only through its membership in the One, Holy, Universal and Apostolic Church. Therefore, another organization of believers cannot be called an "Orthodox Church". According to the norms of canon law, the Orthodox Church recognizes only one Orthodox Church in the territory of a country, and in Bulgaria this is the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, known as the Bulgarian Patriarchate. Accepting that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is a member of the Orthodox Church, and in accordance with Article 13, paragraph 3 of the Constitution, the legislator recognizes only this Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which has been established according to the canons of Eastern Orthodoxy.
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is the sole successor of the Pliska Archbishopric, Preslav Patriarchate, Ohrid Archbishopric, Turnovo Patriarchate and Bulgarian Exarchate. It is unified and indivisible.
As an institutional representative and advocate of traditional Eastern Orthodox Christianity in the Republic of Bulgaria and for all Bulgarians around the world, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate has a historic role in the Bulgarian state and in preserving our identity as a people. It is a guardian of the spiritual!
The Church is not just a legal entity, but a divine organism for which not only human laws apply, but also the canons of faith that reflect the divine order. The disregard of its norms by human justice deprives it of its exceptional character and diminishes the church service to ordinary relationships between secular legal entities. Human justice is not the divine worship that religion is called upon by God to perform.
The registration of a new Eastern Orthodox denomination in a diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate, with the deceptive name "Bulgarian Old Orthodox Church" separated from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate, imposing its non-canonical status, confuses the Orthodox Bulgarians and poses the risk of division," states the opinion of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
In it, it is noted that the unity of our Eastern Orthodox Church is a question of our national and constitutional identity, therefore it is our duty and responsibility to firmly object to this act, which endangers our fundamental values as a nation, our peace and public order, legal security, and the authority of the Eastern Orthodox Church - one of the few remaining pillars of Bulgarian culture.
The statement is supported by academics Alexander Alexandrov, Angel Galabov, Atanas Atanasov, Atanas Pavlov, Vasil Golemanski, Vasil Sgurev, Vesselin Drenski, Vladimir Zarev, Georgi Minchev, Damyan Damyanov, Dimitar Dimitrov, Draga Toncheva, Ivan Granitski, Ivan Zagorchev, Ivan Ivanov, Ivan Iliev, Ivan Ilchev, Ivan Milanov, Ivan Todorov, and Ivan Hadzhishelev. Владислав Бойков, чл.-кор. Евгени Илиев, чл.-кор. Климент Георгиев, чл.-кор. Николай Иванов Ivan Popchev, Acad. Ivan Ruschev, Acad. Ivan Yuchnovski, Acad. Ilza Puzheva, Acad. Kiril Boyanov, Acad. Lachezar Traykov, Acad. Lyudmil Staykov, Acad. Mincho Hadjiyski, Acad. Nikola Sabotinov, Acad. Oleg Mushkarov, Acad. Petko Petkov, Acad. Petar Atanasov, Acad. Petar Kenderov, Acad. Petar Popivanov, Acad. Radomir Radomirov, Acad. Rumen Pankov, Acad. Svetlana Kuyumdzhiieva, Acad. Stefan Ivanov, Acad. Toni Spasov, Acad. Hristo Beloev, Acad. Hristo Naydenski, Acad. Hristo Tsvetanov, Acad. Chavdar Rumenin, Acad. Chavdar Slavov, Acad. Yachko Ivanov and corresponding member Albert Krastanov, corresponding member Alexander Kostov, corresponding member Atanas Atanasov, corresponding member Atanas Kovachev, corresponding member Atanas Semov, corresponding member Boris Velchev, corresponding member Georgi Momekov, corresponding member Valentina Petkova, corresponding member Vasil Prodanov, corresponding member Violeta Velikova, corresponding member Vladimir Bozhinov, corresponding member Vladimir Chukov, corresponding member Vladislav Boykov, corresponding member Evgeni Iliyev, corresponding member Kliment Georgiev, corresponding member Nikolay Ivanov. Georgi Vaysilov, member-curator Georgi Georgiev, member-curator Georgi Mihov, member-curator Georgi Todorov, member-curator Dimitar Ivanov, member-curator Dimitar Tsalev, member-curator Dimcho Solakov, member-curator Evelina Slavcheva, member-curator Ekaterina Bachvarova, member-curator Emil Nisimov, member-curator Ivan Atanasov, member-curator Ivanka Gergova, member-curator Ivo Petrov, member-curator Iliya Rashkov, member-curator Iliya Tsachev, member-curator Kristalina Stoykova, member-curator Maria Popova, member-curator Miroslav Dachev, member-curator Mladen Savov, member-curator Mila Santova, member-curator Nikolay Bonev, member-curator Nikolay Gabrovski, member-curator Nikolay Nikolov, member-curator Nikolay Nedialkov, member-curator Nikolay Miloshev, member-curator Nikolay Tsenkov, member-curator Nina Atanasova, member-curator Petar Boyvalenkov, member-curator Petar Petrov, member-curator Plamen Mirchev, member-curator Rumyana Radkova, member-curator Slavcho Tomov, member-curator Soren Hayrabedian, member-curator Stanislav Vassilev, member-curator. Stefan Angelov, corespondent Stefan Dragoev, corespondent Stefan Kostyanev, corespondent Stefan Hadjitodorov, corespondent Hristina Grupcheva, corespondent Chavdar Stoyanov.
We remind that the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchy (BOC-BP) issued a statement in response to the decision of the Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) of the Republic of Bulgaria regarding the possibility of registering a parallel "Orthodox church," as reported by BOC-BP at the end of last year.
The reason for the Holy Synod's statement was the SCC's decision of December 16, 2024, which entered a religious institution under the name "Bulgarian Orthodox Old Rite Church" into the public registry under Article 18 of the Law on Religions.
Source: BTA