Showing posts with label Bulgaria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bulgaria. Show all posts
Monday, May 27, 2024
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Patriarch Bartholomew Hosts Many Balkan Visitors,Making Candid Remarks on Recent Controversies
Between 10-11 April 2018,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople received a series of visitors from the Balkans.On 10 April arrived the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina,His Excellency Mladen Ivanic.Mr.Ivanic and Patriarch Bartholomew reviewed the issues of the day for about thirty minutes.
This session was followed about an hour later by a private meeting between His All-Holiness and the President of FYROM,the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Gjeorge Ivanov,along with his wife and son,as well as some of his colleagues and the FYROM Ambassador to Turkey.As before,many important issues were gone over;while,at the same time,there was an exchange of Paschal greetings and gifts.
At both meetings with the Balkan leaders,Patriarch Bartholomew was joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima,a well-known theologian;His Eminence Metropolitan Elpidoforos of Bursa,Turkey;and the Very Rev.Archimandrite Joachim (Billis),Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod.*
On 11 April,His All-Holiness addressed a number of professors and students from the St.Clement of Ohrid Theological Seminary in Skopje,FYROM,who were on a visit to Constantinople and Thessaloniki,Greece.Deploring the Church of Bulgaria's recent effort to grant autocephaly to the Macedonian Orthodox Church,which no other autocephalous Orthodox Church recognises,Patriarch Bartholomew admitted:
I am thinking about this because I want to be perfectly honest with you.This action of the sister Church of Bulgaria was wrong.It does not help.It complicates things.The Mother Church of all the Balkan peoples is Constantinople.That is what the true history says.What is being discussed is a fictitious mother.And Bulgaria cannot introduce you to canonicity,or normal relations with the other Churches.There must be direct,honest and sincere inter-Orthodox relations.
Every time a Synaxis of Orthodox Primates is convened either here or in Chambesy,the Ecumenical Patriarchate's attempt is to put all subjects on the table and to discuss them with honesty and sincerity.*
The Patriarch made an open invitation to the FYROM theological educators and students:
Know that we love you,and come whenever you want in this beautiful and historic City,where are the Courtyards of the Mother Church,from which you,and all the Balkan peoples,received baptism and the light of Christianity.Therefore,every time you come here to us in Istanbul,you do not have to feel that you are strangers,that you are guests;but that you are at home.
We have high hopes for you and for your ministry in the Church in the future.These are true despite the fact that there are currently problems between your country and Greece,and between your Church and all other Orthodox Churches.Precisely,we count on the new generation of theologians and clergy,which can help strengthen relations of neighbouring peoples and between the Orthodox Churches.Today,our generation,the older generation,will do everything we can to improve the situation,especially our Ecumenical Patriarchate,which has the coordinating role in the transcendental things-and after our generation,you will take over and you will continue,cultivate and augment these good relations between our peoples and our Churches.*
Following his moving address,His All-Holiness distributed with his blessing to the FYROM pilgrims books on the history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the official texts of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in Crete in 2016;Easter eggs and holy keepsakes.They were also invited to dine with the Patriarch in the Patriarchal refectory.
This session was followed about an hour later by a private meeting between His All-Holiness and the President of FYROM,the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Gjeorge Ivanov,along with his wife and son,as well as some of his colleagues and the FYROM Ambassador to Turkey.As before,many important issues were gone over;while,at the same time,there was an exchange of Paschal greetings and gifts.
At both meetings with the Balkan leaders,Patriarch Bartholomew was joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima,a well-known theologian;His Eminence Metropolitan Elpidoforos of Bursa,Turkey;and the Very Rev.Archimandrite Joachim (Billis),Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod.*
On 11 April,His All-Holiness addressed a number of professors and students from the St.Clement of Ohrid Theological Seminary in Skopje,FYROM,who were on a visit to Constantinople and Thessaloniki,Greece.Deploring the Church of Bulgaria's recent effort to grant autocephaly to the Macedonian Orthodox Church,which no other autocephalous Orthodox Church recognises,Patriarch Bartholomew admitted:
I am thinking about this because I want to be perfectly honest with you.This action of the sister Church of Bulgaria was wrong.It does not help.It complicates things.The Mother Church of all the Balkan peoples is Constantinople.That is what the true history says.What is being discussed is a fictitious mother.And Bulgaria cannot introduce you to canonicity,or normal relations with the other Churches.There must be direct,honest and sincere inter-Orthodox relations.
Every time a Synaxis of Orthodox Primates is convened either here or in Chambesy,the Ecumenical Patriarchate's attempt is to put all subjects on the table and to discuss them with honesty and sincerity.*
The Patriarch made an open invitation to the FYROM theological educators and students:
Know that we love you,and come whenever you want in this beautiful and historic City,where are the Courtyards of the Mother Church,from which you,and all the Balkan peoples,received baptism and the light of Christianity.Therefore,every time you come here to us in Istanbul,you do not have to feel that you are strangers,that you are guests;but that you are at home.
We have high hopes for you and for your ministry in the Church in the future.These are true despite the fact that there are currently problems between your country and Greece,and between your Church and all other Orthodox Churches.Precisely,we count on the new generation of theologians and clergy,which can help strengthen relations of neighbouring peoples and between the Orthodox Churches.Today,our generation,the older generation,will do everything we can to improve the situation,especially our Ecumenical Patriarchate,which has the coordinating role in the transcendental things-and after our generation,you will take over and you will continue,cultivate and augment these good relations between our peoples and our Churches.*
Following his moving address,His All-Holiness distributed with his blessing to the FYROM pilgrims books on the history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the official texts of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in Crete in 2016;Easter eggs and holy keepsakes.They were also invited to dine with the Patriarch in the Patriarchal refectory.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Bulgarian Patriarch Visits Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,Reopens Iron Church
According to the Press Office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,His Holiness Patriarch Neophytos of Bulgaria visited His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople on 7 January 2018.Both Churches had observed Christmas on 25 December.This brief journey of Patriarch Neophytos was focused on the reopening of the Bulgarian Exarchate in Constantinople's St.Stephen's Church,the so-called Iron Church.*
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed the Bulgarian Primate to the Great Church of Christ with fraternal affection:
We welcome you to the Mother Church with much love and honour and cordiality.We rejoice because we encounter you at this time of the New Year,which we hope will be full of divine blessings for you personally,Your Holiness,and for the Holy Church of Bulgaria.We are delighted that your arrival in Constantinople is on the occasion of a very gratifying event such as the major renovation of the nearby St.Stephen's Church.This is a very big event for our city,for our Ecumenical Patriarchate,for the dear Bulgarian parish,and for all the Orthodox.We glorify God and wish that He will give us more such pleasant events and happy reunions.*
Patriarch Bartholomew went on to say:
I look forward to our further communication during the luncheon offered by the dear Bulgarian community,together with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria,to whom I will wish a blessed and successful Presidency of the European Union this semester.These are our wishes for the progress and visibility of Bulgaria,and I repeat them to Your Holiness and your dear entourage.*
Patriarch Neophytos was accompanied by the Metropolitans Gavriil of Roussos,Naoum of Loftsos and Kiprianos of Stara Zagora,as well as other clergy.Following their meeting,the two Primates went to the Bulgarian Exarchate in Sisli,Istanbul,where they prayed at the Church of St.John of Rila.Afterwards,they attended the official luncheon to mark the restoration of St.Stephen's Church.*
St.Stephen's was one of a number of pre-fabricated cast iron churches that were an architectural trend of the nineteenth century.It is one of the few iron churches surviving to this day,but had fallen into a decrepit condition.*
On 8 January 2018,President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov attended the reopening of St.Stephen's on its 120th anniversary.The restoration project began in 2011.It was financed by the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul (four million dollars) and the Government of Bulgaria (250,000 dollars).*
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has about 6.5 million members in Bulgaria and some 1.5-2 million members in the diaspora.It is the most ancient of the Slavic Orthodox Churches,with its official origin in the conversion of Prince Boris I in 865.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed the Bulgarian Primate to the Great Church of Christ with fraternal affection:
We welcome you to the Mother Church with much love and honour and cordiality.We rejoice because we encounter you at this time of the New Year,which we hope will be full of divine blessings for you personally,Your Holiness,and for the Holy Church of Bulgaria.We are delighted that your arrival in Constantinople is on the occasion of a very gratifying event such as the major renovation of the nearby St.Stephen's Church.This is a very big event for our city,for our Ecumenical Patriarchate,for the dear Bulgarian parish,and for all the Orthodox.We glorify God and wish that He will give us more such pleasant events and happy reunions.*
Patriarch Bartholomew went on to say:
I look forward to our further communication during the luncheon offered by the dear Bulgarian community,together with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria,to whom I will wish a blessed and successful Presidency of the European Union this semester.These are our wishes for the progress and visibility of Bulgaria,and I repeat them to Your Holiness and your dear entourage.*
Patriarch Neophytos was accompanied by the Metropolitans Gavriil of Roussos,Naoum of Loftsos and Kiprianos of Stara Zagora,as well as other clergy.Following their meeting,the two Primates went to the Bulgarian Exarchate in Sisli,Istanbul,where they prayed at the Church of St.John of Rila.Afterwards,they attended the official luncheon to mark the restoration of St.Stephen's Church.*
St.Stephen's was one of a number of pre-fabricated cast iron churches that were an architectural trend of the nineteenth century.It is one of the few iron churches surviving to this day,but had fallen into a decrepit condition.*
On 8 January 2018,President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov attended the reopening of St.Stephen's on its 120th anniversary.The restoration project began in 2011.It was financed by the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul (four million dollars) and the Government of Bulgaria (250,000 dollars).*
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has about 6.5 million members in Bulgaria and some 1.5-2 million members in the diaspora.It is the most ancient of the Slavic Orthodox Churches,with its official origin in the conversion of Prince Boris I in 865.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Crisis Builds as Pan-Orthodox Council Faces Last Minute Tussles
Two of the 14 autocephalous Orthodox Churches have threatened to stay away from the immanent Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church if their demands aren't met;however,they remain open to negotiations.If even one Orthodox Church failed to attend the Council,it would lose its legitimacy as an historic event and so would have to be postponed at the very least.*
.The Church of Bulgaria is dissatisfied with such things as the seating arrangements at the Council.At the same time,the Church of Antioch is displeased by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople's plan for a conference to resolve jurisdictional conflict between Antioch and the Church of Jerusalem immediately after the Council,rather than before it,as Antioch desires.
The Church of Georgia wants to amend the proposed Council document on Marriage and the Impediments to it.
*
The very fact of these late hour problems emerging shows how critical it is to hold this Council.The distance between the local Churches has become wider than perhaps was realised to this point,after so many centuries without a large assembly of all the Orthodox Christian Churches.*
At a meeting of the Russian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod on 3 June 2016,it was proposed:
1.that the way out of the present emergency situation could be found in holding an extraordinary Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council conference to address the present situation and examine the amendments to the Council's documents presented by Orthodox Churches with the aim to work out agreed proposals;
2.that considering the great amount of work and the importance of problems raised,such a conference needs to convene urgently,no later than on 10 June 2016,so that on the basis of its resolution the Orthodox Churches could make a decision as to the possibility of convening the Pan-Orthodox Council at the stated date;
3.that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia address His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with an appropriate proposal;
4.and that the proposals be immediately sent t the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches.*
The Council is scheduled to be held at the Orthodox Academy of Crete from 19-26 June in Kolymbari,Chania.
.The Church of Bulgaria is dissatisfied with such things as the seating arrangements at the Council.At the same time,the Church of Antioch is displeased by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople's plan for a conference to resolve jurisdictional conflict between Antioch and the Church of Jerusalem immediately after the Council,rather than before it,as Antioch desires.
The Church of Georgia wants to amend the proposed Council document on Marriage and the Impediments to it.
*
The very fact of these late hour problems emerging shows how critical it is to hold this Council.The distance between the local Churches has become wider than perhaps was realised to this point,after so many centuries without a large assembly of all the Orthodox Christian Churches.*
At a meeting of the Russian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod on 3 June 2016,it was proposed:
1.that the way out of the present emergency situation could be found in holding an extraordinary Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council conference to address the present situation and examine the amendments to the Council's documents presented by Orthodox Churches with the aim to work out agreed proposals;
2.that considering the great amount of work and the importance of problems raised,such a conference needs to convene urgently,no later than on 10 June 2016,so that on the basis of its resolution the Orthodox Churches could make a decision as to the possibility of convening the Pan-Orthodox Council at the stated date;
3.that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia address His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with an appropriate proposal;
4.and that the proposals be immediately sent t the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches.*
The Council is scheduled to be held at the Orthodox Academy of Crete from 19-26 June in Kolymbari,Chania.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Receives Honours in Bulgaria
Just a few days after he concluded his journey to Great Britain,His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew continued his European outreach when he arrived in Bulgaria on 7 November.On Sunday 8 November,Patriarch Bartholomew was greeted by his host,His Holiness Neofit,Patriarch of All Bulgaria,in front of St.Alexander Nevsky cathedral in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.The two hierarchs then concelebrated the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral to mark the St.Michael and All Angels feast day.Also attending the service were delegations from the Russian Orthodox Church;the Romanian Orthodox Church;diplomats;and the former Bulgarian king Simeon Saxe-Coburg.
His All Holiness praised the Bulgarian people for having stood up to the 500 years of Ottoman rule the country endured,adhering to the Orthodox faith brought to them by Sts.Cyril and Methodius.They had been the first people to accept baptism en masse.
It is a miracle that despite persecutions,massacres,severe economic aftermaths,your blessed people remained true to the faith of their fathers,Patriarch Bartholomew noted.
For his part,Patriarch Neofit said he was grateful for the support the Ecumenical Patriarchate has always shown to Bulgaria.*
On Monday 9 November,His All Holiness was received by President Rosen Plevneliev,who awarded him the country's highest honour,the Stara Planina Order first degree.President Plevneliev said Patriarch Bartholomew is an outstanding personality with immense influence in both the Orthodox and global world.His All Holiness does not isolate the Orthodox faith from the public deeds;and just the opposite:he always seeks harmony through dialogue.*
Patriarch Bartholomew was then to receive a Doctor Honoris Causa degree from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,as well as meet with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.
His All Holiness praised the Bulgarian people for having stood up to the 500 years of Ottoman rule the country endured,adhering to the Orthodox faith brought to them by Sts.Cyril and Methodius.They had been the first people to accept baptism en masse.
It is a miracle that despite persecutions,massacres,severe economic aftermaths,your blessed people remained true to the faith of their fathers,Patriarch Bartholomew noted.
For his part,Patriarch Neofit said he was grateful for the support the Ecumenical Patriarchate has always shown to Bulgaria.*
On Monday 9 November,His All Holiness was received by President Rosen Plevneliev,who awarded him the country's highest honour,the Stara Planina Order first degree.President Plevneliev said Patriarch Bartholomew is an outstanding personality with immense influence in both the Orthodox and global world.His All Holiness does not isolate the Orthodox faith from the public deeds;and just the opposite:he always seeks harmony through dialogue.*
Patriarch Bartholomew was then to receive a Doctor Honoris Causa degree from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,as well as meet with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.
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