EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). A Bulgarian Orthodox hierarch, Bishop Isaac of Velbuzhd, withdrew from a Paschal (Easter) service at the Phanar in Istanbul after learning that non-Orthodox representatives—specifically from the Roman Catholic, Armenian, and Syriac-Jacobite churches—had been invited to read the Gospel. Objecting to this ecumenical element, he chose not to participate and instead returned to the Bulgarian Exarchate, where he delivered the official Easter message of the Bulgarian Church to the local faithful.
The situation also exposed broader tensions between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Earlier in the week, a dispute arose when a Bulgarian deacon commemorated both the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Bulgarian Patriarch during a liturgy—an act criticized by Phanar representatives as a violation of jurisdiction, since they claim authority over Orthodox communities in Istanbul. The incident highlights ongoing sensitivities regarding inter-church relations, authority, and the role of ecumenical engagement within Orthodoxy.
Finally, let me note that the recent landslide election of Rumen Radev, a pro-Russian politician, as prime minister in Bulgaria would probably put a gravestone on any renewed efforts by State Dept and CIA agents Bartholomew and Karloutsos to win over the Bulgarian Church… The same is bound to happen with the likely election of a traditionalist Patriarch in Georgia in the next few days. Romania remains up for grabs, with a note of caution: Romanians have a long history and a deep distaste for the Phanariots, as the Ottomans appointed them rulers of Moldova and Wallachia for over a century (1711-1821) – and they still remember their corruption and exploitation through taxation… Good luck – erasing history…
I remind you that both Bulgaria and Georgia (along with the Patriarchate of Antioch and, of course, the Russian Patriarchate) did not participate in the Panorthodox Synod of Crete. Along with the loss of the game in Ukraine, we are approaching the time of disaster for the Patriarchate of Constantinople….
BELOW IS THE NEWS
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Bulgarian hierarch leaves Council at Phanar due to presence of non-Orthodox
Bishop Isaac of Velbuzhd refused to participate in the ecumenical Paschal service at the Phanar.
Bishop Isaac of Velbuzhd, vicar of the Sofia Metropolis of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, left the patriarchal Cathedral of Saint George at the Phanar during the Paschal service.
UOJ in the USA reports that the hierarch made this decision after discovering that representatives of the Roman Catholic, Armenian, and Syriac-Jacobite churches had been invited to read the Gospel at the Resurrection service.
Instead of participating in the ecumenical event, Bishop Isaac returned to the Bulgarian Exarchate representation in the Şişli district, where he read the Paschal message of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church to the faithful. The bishop arrived in Istanbul at the invitation of the local Bulgarian community to conduct Holy Week services.
The conflict escalated on Holy Thursday when the deacon accompanying the bishop commemorated both Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel during the Liturgy.
Representatives of the Phanar called this a “jurisdictional violation,” claiming that the Bulgarian community of Istanbul is under their exclusive authority. The incident occurred several months before Patriarch Daniel’s planned visit to Imbros Island.
Earlier, UOJ reported that the Synod of the Bulgarian Church declined the trip for the Holy Fire.
