Ivan Zhelev, the Cabinet's director of religious affairs, speaks to Velina Nacheva about the split in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and religious tolerance in Bulgaria.
How do you assess the Government institutions' approach towards the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC)?
The Government's approach, and its institutions' approach, towards the BOC could not be measured as a whole, and we have to account for the respective period we have in mind. Recently, the approach has been the most adequate for the entire period after the political changes of 1989. Unfortunately, it was the first democratically elected government of Bulgaria that tried to lay its hands on the senior clergy of the BOC in 1991-92 and that led to a split in the church. The next governments, presidents and parliaments had a quite inconsistent policy towards the BOC. However, the past three years have seen a different development in this sphere. The head of the church - the Patriarch, is ranked fifth in the state protocol. He attends (although this is not part of the protocol) the ceremonies when the Government, Prime Minister or the President are sworn in. The different branches of government in the country demonstrate their respect to the traditional religion of the Bulgarian people - Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This is one of the underlying principles of the new constitution of 1991, and was later developed further in the new Denomination Act of December 2002. A subject, called Religion, was introduced at schools to acquaint the children with the origins, history and basic principles of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Could the problem of the existence of the rival holy synods be considered solved for good?
The so-called "two synods problem" in the BOC cannot be solved that easily, in spite of the fact that the new Denomination Act gives the legal ground for solving it. In fact, the created duplicate (split) formation is useful for its creators, as well as for its patrons - political forces that support it due to political and maybe also financial interests. There are also certain rulings by the supreme courts of Bulgaria that make the situation even more complicated. Of course, things will be solved but only in court, and this means that the split will further continue to exist. Unfortunately, this discredits the BOC in the eyes of the public. Because, a coup attempt within the senior clergy of the BOC is manipulatively presented in public as a "superiority fight of two equal sides". Even the ecumenical council of Orthodox Church heads from all over the world that was held in Sofia in 1998 could not convince the dissenters, in the name of the Orthodox Church, to come back to the canonical church.
Has the BOC solved its property dispute?
The BOC has taken advantage of the opportunity offered to all religions in Bulgaria, under the new Denominations Act, to present its restitution claims on property that has not yet been returned to it. This is property that was taken away from the church in the years of state atheism, politically defined as the communist period. This process will not be short either, but I hope for a better result. There is a difference however, with the real estate that has been expropriated by the dissenters. Their actions have already been challenged in court. The truth is that the BOC has no other way of supporting its clergy and its activities but through income from its property. Therefore, the sooner the property problem is solved, the faster the church will be able to take care of its pastor mission.
Where are the Bulgarian clergymen educated?
Clergymen of the BOC are educated in Bulgaria mainly in two specialised high schools, called "seminaries" - in Sofia and Plovdiv. The Ecclesiastical Seminary in Sofia also offers a two-year course for adults - men that have served their military duty. About 400 pupils are educated in the two seminaries. Clergymen are also educated in four universities - in Sofia, Veliko Turnovo, Shumen and Plovdiv. The first two universities have separate faculties of theology, while the other two have only established departments of orthodox theology, where they provide the full course of theological education. Women are also educated in universities and they can be hired as religion teachers in schools.
What are the problems of BOC that prevent it from restoring Bulgaria's holy places like the one on Mount Athos and the church properties in Odrin and Istanbul?
The problem with Bulgarian holy places on the territory of the neighbouring Greece and Turkey is that they are not owned by Bulgarian individuals or legal entities, meaning they are not owned by the the BOC but by Greek and Turkish legal entities. The Zograph Monastery, resided in by Bulgarian monks, is a Greek entity. This does not prevent us from filling the monastery's brotherhood with monks from Bulgaria. The problem lies somewhere else - most Bulgarian monasteries are almost empty, without monks! As far as the buildings are concerned, the Zograph Monastery is comparatively well managed by its brotherhood, supported by the Greek state and by European cultural heritage preservation funds, and partly also by the Bulgarian state. The temples in Odrin and Istanbul are the property of the Bulgarian community there through its foundation (under the Turkish law), called "Bulgarian Orthodox Community in Turkey". One Bulgarian priest has been send to serve in Istanbul. The more complicated matter concerns the maintenance of the buildings. The Bulgarian Church Community is financially supported by the Bulgarian state. However, the funds needed for the maintenance of the buildings in Istanbul and Odrin are large and cannot be paid for from the state budget. Nevertheless, in the past three years, many repairs have been made to both temples in Odrin, as well as the Exarches building in the Sisli neigbourhood in Istanbul, as well as to the "iron church" of St. Stephan at the Golden Horn.
How can the BOC be supported financially at the moment?
Well, this is easy to answer - by putting an end to the split. Huge amounts of money from rents are pouring out to the funds of someone else, but not the Holy Synod of the BOC. And this is one sign of why the split continues, and why is it supported by the mayoral administrations of Sofia and Plovdiv.
Do you think that the sects and their followers have decreased recently? To what extent does this phenomenon represent a threat to Orthodox religion in Bulgaria, and the people and statehood?
The term "sect" offends the ear of many people in Bulgaria due to its negative connotations. Therefore, I prefer to talk about non-traditional religions or religious doctrines, for example. It is a fact that some of them were discouraged by the indifference of Bulgarians towards their doctrine. These religions or doctrines are not dangerous if they do not teach ideas that could threaten public order and security, the health or lives of people. Such a threat has been tracked by competent authorities in the activities of some Islamic groups that are not traditional for our country, and measures were taken to neutralise them. But one way or another the state of religion in Bulgaria is comparatively stable.
Have you noticed any change in the BOC's relations with the Roman Catholic Church after the visit of the Pope to Bulgaria?
No, I have not. These relations are traditionally good; there are no accusations of proselytism, nor is the Uniate movement considered a threat to Bulgarian orthodoxy.
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church had, and supported, hospitals, schools, chitalishta (culture halls) and orphanages. How does the BOC deal with these now?
The social function of the BOC, including the charity activities of the church, is an indispensable part of its mission among Bulgarian people. Unfortunately, the lack of financial means to a great extent impedes this activity of the BOC. There are many other still unused opportunities for mission, which are not connected with the need for finance.
Through what procedure and circumstances could the BOC proclaim someone a saint?
This is a complicated and long process because many qualities of the people's character need to be considered. It has always been preferred that such consideration be un-rushed, and that everything about the person be checked. God knows best who is suitable to be proclaimed a saint. The church accepts some people as saints, to pay them respect, and to point to them to believers as an example to follow.
How do you assess the Government institutions' approach towards the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC)?
The Government's approach, and its institutions' approach, towards the BOC could not be measured as a whole, and we have to account for the respective period we have in mind. Recently, the approach has been the most adequate for the entire period after the political changes of 1989. Unfortunately, it was the first democratically elected government of Bulgaria that tried to lay its hands on the senior clergy of the BOC in 1991-92 and that led to a split in the church. The next governments, presidents and parliaments had a quite inconsistent policy towards the BOC. However, the past three years have seen a different development in this sphere. The head of the church - the Patriarch, is ranked fifth in the state protocol. He attends (although this is not part of the protocol) the ceremonies when the Government, Prime Minister or the President are sworn in. The different branches of government in the country demonstrate their respect to the traditional religion of the Bulgarian people - Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This is one of the underlying principles of the new constitution of 1991, and was later developed further in the new Denomination Act of December 2002. A subject, called Religion, was introduced at schools to acquaint the children with the origins, history and basic principles of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Could the problem of the existence of the rival holy synods be considered solved for good?
The so-called "two synods problem" in the BOC cannot be solved that easily, in spite of the fact that the new Denomination Act gives the legal ground for solving it. In fact, the created duplicate (split) formation is useful for its creators, as well as for its patrons - political forces that support it due to political and maybe also financial interests. There are also certain rulings by the supreme courts of Bulgaria that make the situation even more complicated. Of course, things will be solved but only in court, and this means that the split will further continue to exist. Unfortunately, this discredits the BOC in the eyes of the public. Because, a coup attempt within the senior clergy of the BOC is manipulatively presented in public as a "superiority fight of two equal sides". Even the ecumenical council of Orthodox Church heads from all over the world that was held in Sofia in 1998 could not convince the dissenters, in the name of the Orthodox Church, to come back to the canonical church.
Has the BOC solved its property dispute?
The BOC has taken advantage of the opportunity offered to all religions in Bulgaria, under the new Denominations Act, to present its restitution claims on property that has not yet been returned to it. This is property that was taken away from the church in the years of state atheism, politically defined as the communist period. This process will not be short either, but I hope for a better result. There is a difference however, with the real estate that has been expropriated by the dissenters. Their actions have already been challenged in court. The truth is that the BOC has no other way of supporting its clergy and its activities but through income from its property. Therefore, the sooner the property problem is solved, the faster the church will be able to take care of its pastor mission.
Where are the Bulgarian clergymen educated?
Clergymen of the BOC are educated in Bulgaria mainly in two specialised high schools, called "seminaries" - in Sofia and Plovdiv. The Ecclesiastical Seminary in Sofia also offers a two-year course for adults - men that have served their military duty. About 400 pupils are educated in the two seminaries. Clergymen are also educated in four universities - in Sofia, Veliko Turnovo, Shumen and Plovdiv. The first two universities have separate faculties of theology, while the other two have only established departments of orthodox theology, where they provide the full course of theological education. Women are also educated in universities and they can be hired as religion teachers in schools.
What are the problems of BOC that prevent it from restoring Bulgaria's holy places like the one on Mount Athos and the church properties in Odrin and Istanbul?
The problem with Bulgarian holy places on the territory of the neighbouring Greece and Turkey is that they are not owned by Bulgarian individuals or legal entities, meaning they are not owned by the the BOC but by Greek and Turkish legal entities. The Zograph Monastery, resided in by Bulgarian monks, is a Greek entity. This does not prevent us from filling the monastery's brotherhood with monks from Bulgaria. The problem lies somewhere else - most Bulgarian monasteries are almost empty, without monks! As far as the buildings are concerned, the Zograph Monastery is comparatively well managed by its brotherhood, supported by the Greek state and by European cultural heritage preservation funds, and partly also by the Bulgarian state. The temples in Odrin and Istanbul are the property of the Bulgarian community there through its foundation (under the Turkish law), called "Bulgarian Orthodox Community in Turkey". One Bulgarian priest has been send to serve in Istanbul. The more complicated matter concerns the maintenance of the buildings. The Bulgarian Church Community is financially supported by the Bulgarian state. However, the funds needed for the maintenance of the buildings in Istanbul and Odrin are large and cannot be paid for from the state budget. Nevertheless, in the past three years, many repairs have been made to both temples in Odrin, as well as the Exarches building in the Sisli neigbourhood in Istanbul, as well as to the "iron church" of St. Stephan at the Golden Horn.
How can the BOC be supported financially at the moment?
Well, this is easy to answer - by putting an end to the split. Huge amounts of money from rents are pouring out to the funds of someone else, but not the Holy Synod of the BOC. And this is one sign of why the split continues, and why is it supported by the mayoral administrations of Sofia and Plovdiv.
Do you think that the sects and their followers have decreased recently? To what extent does this phenomenon represent a threat to Orthodox religion in Bulgaria, and the people and statehood?
The term "sect" offends the ear of many people in Bulgaria due to its negative connotations. Therefore, I prefer to talk about non-traditional religions or religious doctrines, for example. It is a fact that some of them were discouraged by the indifference of Bulgarians towards their doctrine. These religions or doctrines are not dangerous if they do not teach ideas that could threaten public order and security, the health or lives of people. Such a threat has been tracked by competent authorities in the activities of some Islamic groups that are not traditional for our country, and measures were taken to neutralise them. But one way or another the state of religion in Bulgaria is comparatively stable.
Have you noticed any change in the BOC's relations with the Roman Catholic Church after the visit of the Pope to Bulgaria?
No, I have not. These relations are traditionally good; there are no accusations of proselytism, nor is the Uniate movement considered a threat to Bulgarian orthodoxy.
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church had, and supported, hospitals, schools, chitalishta (culture halls) and orphanages. How does the BOC deal with these now?
The social function of the BOC, including the charity activities of the church, is an indispensable part of its mission among Bulgarian people. Unfortunately, the lack of financial means to a great extent impedes this activity of the BOC. There are many other still unused opportunities for mission, which are not connected with the need for finance.
Through what procedure and circumstances could the BOC proclaim someone a saint?
This is a complicated and long process because many qualities of the people's character need to be considered. It has always been preferred that such consideration be un-rushed, and that everything about the person be checked. God knows best who is suitable to be proclaimed a saint. The church accepts some people as saints, to pay them respect, and to point to them to believers as an example to follow.
