Candidate for Bulgaria Patriarch post accuses Phanar of persecuting UOC

Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Emmanuel (in the background). Photo: bnr.bg

The candidate for the position of Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Daniel of Vidin, criticised the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew on the OCU creation, stating that the granting of the Tomos led to increased persecution against the UOC.

Metropolitan Daniel of Vidin expressed his opinion on the actions of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew concerning the creation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

He emphasised that Patriarch Bartholomew, without repentance from the Ukrainian schismatics, granted them the Tomos, "uniting them into the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine – OCU, and recognised the newly created entity as the canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine".

At the same time, Metropolitan Daniel raises the question about the fate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), "which five years ago and until this day is recognized by all local Orthodox Churches, headed by Metropolitan Onuphry".

Metropolitan Daniel notes that years later, many Churches, including Greek-speaking ones such as the Albanian Church, the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Antioch, do not recognise the OCU.

He reminded that in a letter from Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana from the Albanian Church, it is argued that granting the Tomos to "non-repentant schismatic groups with problematic clergy" is unacceptable.

Patriarch Bartholomew claimed that granting the Tomos was supposed to bring peace to the Church, uniting millions of Orthodox Christians deprived of communion with the Church.

However, Metropolitan Daniel points to opposite results: "Instead of bringing peace to the Church, as Patriarch Bartholomew says, he started a war in which literally the people he proclaimed canonical are persecuting the canonical Church, seizing temples, beating priests and killing."

"Are these Christians? This is absurd," considers Metropolitan Daniel of Vidin.

As earlier reported by the UOJ, according to Metropolitan Daniel, Bartholomew's actions are dividing Ukraine.

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