Bulgarian Parliament Approves Bill Allowing Only the Patriarchate to Use “Orthodox” in Its Name

Sofia, February 3, 2025

Photo: bta.bg   

The Bulgarian Patriarchate, currently led by His Holiness Patriarch Daniil, is and will remain the sole representative of the country’s traditional Orthodox faith, according to the country’s Parliament.

The legislative body approved relevant amendments to the Religious Denominations Act on second reading on January 31. The text was supported by 186 out of 240 MPs from all parliamentary groups, reports the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency.

The issue arose after the Supreme Court of Cassation Bulgarian Church protests legal recognition of Old Calendar groupCreating parallel “orthodox churches” undermines both Church unity and the faith of Bulgarian Orthodox believers, the Synod warns.

“>ruled in December that the Bulgarian Orthodox Old Calendar Church is to be legally registered, which provoked strong political and public response. The Bulgarian court’s decision was related to a 2021 European Court of Human Rights ruling in the case “Bulgarian Orthodox Old Calendar Church and Others v. Bulgaria.”

After the December ruling, Pat. Daniil and members of the Holy Synod met with various institutions seeking state protection against a potential new schism, and it was agreed that the bill would include a prohibition on any organization besides the Patriarchate using the word “Orthodox” in its legally registered name (MPs adopted a series of relevant bills on first reading in Bulgarian Parliament moves to protect Patriarchate’s legal status against registration of schismaticsThis is the first case in Bulgarian legislation where reference to Church canonical law would be explicitly included in a legal text with binding force.

“>mid-January).

Within two months of these provisions taking effect, registered denominations and applicants with pending initial registration proceedings must change their names and statutes in accordance with the amendments and submit the changes for entry in the register of religious denominations with legal entity status at the Sofia City Court, the deputies finally approved.

Registered denominations that fail to fulfill the above obligation and don’t have pending proceedings for recording changes will be terminated. A subsequent procedure for liquidation and court deletion from the register is also outlined.

Toma Bikov from Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria-Union of Democratic Forces commented that at first glance, the issue doesn’t threaten the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, as hardly anyone thinks the Old Calendar Church poses a threat to the Church’s foundations. However, he noted that the matter is important and carries not only political but social tension because “in the early 90s, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church experienced a very difficult schism that began with political arguments.”

Yordan Tsonev (Movement for Rights and Freedoms-New Beginning) commented that it’s not about any denomination threatening the BOC and its unity, least of all the Old Calendar church. “It’s about the fact that the real threat to BOC is the court, and not the entire court, but Soros’ court,” he said. He noted that he’s not the one calling the European Court of Human Rights “Soros’ court”—many politicians, lawyers, and legal experts in Europe do, and our participants in this court are pure products of [Soros’] Open Society.

He pointed out that some highly respected theologians from the so-called urban right constantly attack Orthodoxy with the argument that it’s a Moscow branch. “But Orthodoxy isn’t Moscow’s, it’s Orthodoxy. They can’t attack the Bulgarian Orthodox Church with this argument,” he stated, adding that Parliament is closing the door to such attacks.

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