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August 10, 2007, 12:41 AM BG, 9:41 PM GMT

History and Religion

Published on May 24, 2005 at 6:51 PM BG

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Bulgarian Patriarchate, 52nd anniversary of its reinstatement

The patriarchal dignity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church was reinstated 52 years ago. On 10 May 1953 the Church Council amended the Statutes of the Church and the Patriarchal Election Council elected Plovdiv Bishop Kiril Bulgarian Patriarch. Revisiting history we find out that Bulgaria had its first Patriarch in 10 c., under the reign of Simeon the Great. The Patriarchate survived till the end of the First Bulgarian Kingdom when Byzantium imposed control on Bulgaria in 1018. In the aftermath the Constantinople Greek Patriarchate exercised control over the Bulgarian church. During the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (12-14 c.) the Patriarchate was restored but with the fall of medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo to the Ottoman Turks, the Constantinople Ecumenical Patriarchate won control of the Bulgarian church once again. In 1870 as a result of the struggles of the Bulgarian revival enlighteners, the Bulgarian church obtained autonomy. The Bulgarian Exarchate was established, and the first Bulgarian Exarch Antim I was elected. His successor was Exarch Yosif I. The third Bulgarian Exarch Stefan I was elected in early 1945. He rendered great service to lifting the schism, which the Constantinople Patriarchate had imposed on the Bulgarian Patriarchate in 1872. The lifting of the schism paved the road to the restoration of the Bulgarian Patriarchate. For some insight into the relevance of this event in Bulgarian history, here is more from the Right Reverend Archimandrite Naum, Chief Secretary of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Holy Synod:

“This was a landmark event for the Bulgarian Christians in this country. It was of great relevance for the whole Orthodox Christian world too. We all know that the Bulgarian nation adopted Christian Orthodoxy as its denomination comparatively early. So, with the restoration of the patriarchal dignity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church a major injustice was set right. After a break of almost 500 years the Bulgarian Orthodox Church reclaimed its due place among Orthodox churches that corresponds to its structure, role and importance in Christian Orthodox history.”

How did the Holy Synod mark this anniversary?

“Two years ago, solemn celebrations were held to mark 50 years since the restoration of the patriarchal dignity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church”, Archimandrite Naum continues. “This year on May 10 His Holiness Bulgarian Patriarch and Sofia Bishop Maxim served a holy liturgy at St. Alexander of Neva Cathedral. This is also the right time to revisit other anniversaries in the rich history of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. These include the Christian Conversion in 865 and the proclamation of the independence of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in 870. We also celebrate the birth and death anniversaries of Exarch Yosif. All of them are important not only in a historical perspective but also in the context of the role of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in our society today”, concludes the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Naum.

Written by Svetlomira Ivanova

English version Daniela Konstantinova

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