Patriarch of Bulgaria: Like 11 Other Churches, We Do Not Recognize the OCU and Support the UOC
Patriarch Daniel stated that the Bulgarian Church does not recognize the OCU and, together with the majority of Local Churches, supports the canonical UOC.
On July 1, Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel stated that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church does not recognize the OCU and, like the majority of Local Orthodox Churches, continues to regard the Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry as canonical. He made this statement in an interview for the program "A Matter of Measure."
Speaking about the confrontation between Constantinople and the Russian Orthodox Church, the Primate of the Bulgarian Church emphasized that his Church holds an independent and balanced position. According to him, following the granting of the tomos to the OCU in 2019, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church "did not raise the question of recognizing this church at all" and has not raised it to this day.
Patriarch Daniel noted that this position should not be interpreted as dependence on Moscow. He recalled that the Bulgarian Church has not broken communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and continues to celebrate joint services with its representatives. "Our position is the same balanced position as that of the other eleven Local Orthodox Churches," he said.
According to the Primate, these Churches have not recognized the church structure in Ukraine and continue to support the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as the canonical Church in the country. Patriarch Daniel emphasized that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church stands in this matter "with the majority of Orthodox Churches."
He also called for not drawing the Church into geopolitical games and not creating artificial tension around the position of the Bulgarian Patriarchate. The Patriarch recalled that the Bulgarian Church has historically defended its independence and must remain faithful to the canonical order rather than to political expectations.
The Union of Orthodox Journalists previously reported that Patriarch Daniel supported Bulgaria's refusal to impose sanctions against the Primate of the ROC.
