Bulgarian Hierarch Concelebrates With Metropolitan Emmanuel

On 26 December 2021,His Eminence Metropolitan Kiprian of Stara Zagora (Patriarchate of Bulgaria) concelebrated the Divine Liturgy of the Sunday After Christmas with His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon (Ecumenical Patriarchate) and His Grace Bishop Adrianos of Halikarnassos (Ecumenical Patriarchate),who oversees the District of Phanar-Keratios Gulf,at the Church of St.Stephen in Balat,Istanbul.Also serving was the Very Reverend Archimandrite Charalambos Nichev,pastor of the Bulgarian Community in Constantinople.* The liturgy was attended by several dignataries,including the Consul General of Bulgaria in Istanbul,His Excellency Vassil P. Valchev;President of the Bulgarian Community,Mr.Vasil Liaze;as well as pilgrims from Bulgaria and members of the Bulgarian language Community in Constantinople.Consul General Valchev read a message from the President of Bulgaria,His Excellency Rumen Radev.* Analysis:Possibly the Bulgarian concelebration will irritate the Patriarchate of Moscow,which has severed communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate over the granting of autocephaly (independence) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine on 5 January 2019.*