On Tuesday, the Ukrainian parliament voted to ban the Russian-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil had talks with the American ambassador in Sofia, Kenneth Merten.
"Patriarch Daniil highlighted the long-term fruitful cooperation between the Orthodox Bulgarian Diocese in the United States and the American authorities. The strengthening role of the Orthodox Church, which is being joined by more and more Americans and which is constantly expanding its pastoral and spiritual activity among the American people, was emphasized. His Excellency expressed his deep respect for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and its essential role in the spiritual education of the Bulgarian people and for overcoming many trials in its history, such as the five centuries of foreign rule, as well as the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War", reported the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Patriarchate of Bulgaria (BOC-BP).
"In the conversation with the American ambassador, Patriarch Daniil paid special attention to the state of religious freedom and the right to practice religion in different regions of the world. He pointed out that in the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, various restrictions are being imposed: restriction of religious freedom, restriction of freedom of worship, forcible confiscation of church property and promotion of hate speech," the official statement added.
BGNES reminds that Metropolitan Onufriy is the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), and a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate. Metropolitan Onufriy is a citizen of the Russian Federation.
Patriarch Daniil emphasized that "the UPC, with which all local Orthodox churches are in Eucharistic communion, is subject to serious factual and legal restrictions in its pastoral activity as a result of the discriminatory policy of certain factors in Ukraine". The Bulgarian Patriarch "expressed his confidence that the democratic forces of the world, which monitor religious processes, will take into account these disturbing trends in Ukraine and will assist in guaranteeing religious freedom, the right to worship and inviolability of the property of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church". Patriarch Daniil recalled that "in European history from the Reformation until today, religious peace has always been a prerequisite for political and social peace".
The meeting was held in the building of the Holy Synod at the request of the American ambassador. The meeting was attended by Bishop Gerasim of Melny, Secretary General of the Holy Synod, Evgeni Todorov, an employee in the political department of the US Embassy, and Dimitar Goranov, Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Patriarch. | BGNES
