Metropolitan Arseny of Sliven defended the ministry of Ukrainian Orthodox priests in churches on the territory of the diocese and rejected allegations of changing the liturgical practice and the status of the churches.
In a statement regarding open letters of objections received regarding the ministry of Ukrainian clergy in the Sliven diocese, the metropolitan pointed out that they perform services with the blessing of the diocesan bishop and according to the established church order.
According to the position of the diocese, there are no grounds to speak of replacing the Bulgarian church identity, changing the status of the churches or restricting the rights of local laity. It is emphasized that the churches of “St. Athanasius the Great“ in Sveti Vlas and “St. John of Rila“ in the village of Kosharitsa are an integral part of the Sliven diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The metropolitanate also says that the services performed by the Ukrainian priests are in Church Slavonic and are performed in the same order and with the same liturgical books used in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
In his position, Metropolitan Arseny emphasizes that the attitude of the diocese towards Ukrainian refugees and priests is based on the Christian principles of mercy, compassion and support for people affected by the war.
Here is the entire position:
In connection with the open letters received by us, containing questions and objections regarding the status and ministry of Ukrainian Orthodox priests within the Sliven Diocese, as well as regarding the allegations circulating in the public domain about conducting services in the Ukrainian language and about “replacing“ of the established liturgical practice in the temples of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, we feel called to say a few words, which will necessarily sound in the style and spirit that the Holy Church uses when it is necessary to speak on such occasions.
At its meeting, held on June 15, 2026, the Diocesan Council of the Sliven Diocese became acquainted with the received open letters containing objections and questions regarding the ministry of Ukrainian Orthodox priests in temples on the territory of the diocese. We read these letters with deep astonishment, pain and spiritual bitterness.
We cannot accept the attempts to question the right of canonical Orthodox priests of Ukrainian origin to perform their ministry in the temple of “St. Athanasius the Great“ in the town of Sveti Vlas, and in the temple of “St. John of Rila“ in the village of Kosharitsa, as well as in any other temple of the Sliven diocese, when this happens with the blessing of the diocesan metropolitan and according to the established church order.
It is especially worrying when such positions are expressed by people who should be an example of Christian attitude and social responsibility. It is even more serious when the basic evangelical principles of mercy, compassion and brotherly love are forgotten in the public debate. A Christian is called not to condemn those who suffer and those in need of spiritual support, but to welcome them as their brothers and sisters in Christ and to lend them a hand in a time of trial.
Speaking of “order“, “permissibility“ and “public opinion“, it is as if we have forgotten mercy, compassion and the very words of Christ. If we have forgotten them, let us remember them:
„When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you visited Me… Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me... Then he will say also to those on the left hand, Depart from me... for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me... Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous - into eternal life.“ (Matt. 25:31– 46).
I hope you notice the nuance: nations will stand before the throne of God, but people will be separated according to their individual actions. If we apply this criterion, and it is unconditional, on which side do you think we will be placed if we adopt the behavior you recommend?
From the first day of our ministry in the God-Saving Sliven Diocese, we have had an attitude towards the Ukrainian refugees here, which is based solely and solely on the decrees of our Lord Jesus Christ just quoted.
In practical terms, it is the following:
The Ukrainian refugees did not come here out of convenience. They come from the horror of war. From destroyed churches. From homes turned to ashes and dust. From fathers and sons killed on the fronts. From mothers and fathers left under the ruins. From buried children. These people have a vital need for contact and communion with God, and we would not be human if we denied it to them.
To the greatest extent, this applies to the Ukrainian priests who have come among us. They carry in their souls the wound of a crucified people.
And despite everything, they have not stopped serving God and people. They have not taken off their cross. They have not betrayed their faith. They want to serve and help their compatriots in need, and indirectly help us too. What do you propose to give them in return? With suspicion? Coldness? Closed doors? Fear?
We categorically declare: Our Holy Metropolis serves only the eternal principles of Christ – the Gospel, the truth, mercy, and neighbor. There is no politics here. There is no ideology. There is human pain and Christian duty.
Let us be rightly understood: no subscription, no pressure, no social suggestion will change our spiritual principles and decisions. The Church is not a servant of fear or of temporary moods. The Church is a Mother who welcomes the suffering, protects the persecuted and does not close her doors to the weeping person. No one and nothing can change the Gospel to which we have dedicated ourselves and which we serve. No one has the power to change Christ's commandment to love one's neighbor and replace it with suspicion or hardness of heart.
The Church is not an institution for the national selection of suffering. The Church is a home for the wounded. A haven for the persecuted. A place where the weeping person should be embraced, not questioned about where he comes from or what language he speaks. Before Christ there is no “our” and “strangers“. Christ calls the suffering His least brothers. Who? The persecuted, the humiliated, the orphaned. There are people who suffer. And we are the ones who, for the sake of Christ, in Whom we believe, are obliged to show love and solidarity.
Today the test is not for the Ukrainian priests. The test is for us.
Will we remain faithful to Christ, Who accepted the suffering and forgave His persecutors? Or will we bow to fear, suspicion and hardness of heart and prove that we serve ourselves above all? That we call ourselves Christians by tradition, but we still cannot turn Christian ethics into our daily practice?
Let us never forget: when we close the door to the suffering, we close the door to Christ Himself. If the Church ceases to be a refuge for the persecuted, a comfort for the weeping, and a home for the suffering – then what would be left of its mission in this world?
In conclusion, we are obliged to clearly state one more thing, because false and misleading suggestions are being spread in the public sphere. The services performed on the territory of the diocese are traditionally served in Church Slavonic and Bulgarian. The services performed by the Ukrainian priests are in the same Church Slavonic language in which we also serve – in the same order, with the same liturgical books and in full accordance with the canonical and statutory order of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
As early as October of last year, with our archpastoral blessing and instructions, and according to the established church order, the Ukrainian priests serve in the temple, which – notice – today it is opened regularly and has an intensive spiritual life that delights us, under the care and responsibility of the chairman of the Church Board of Trustees, priest Dimitar Iliev.
By the way, we must be grateful to our Ukrainian Orthodox brothers and sisters for showing us what an attitude towards the Church and active participation in its life means and for setting us a good example. The priest who serves in the mentioned churches is a canonical Orthodox cleric, officially released by his canonical hierarch - His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine, and accepted for service in the Sliven diocese according to the procedure established by the Holy Orthodox Church with due notification and blessing of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. His appointment was made by decision of the Diocesan Council, which is the procedure for any canonical cleric who wishes to transfer to service from one diocese to another.
In order to ensure strict observance of church order, the Diocesan Council of the Sliven Diocese has assigned the Protosingel of the Holy Metropolis – Archimandrite Dimitriy, as well as the Spiritual Supervisor of the Diocese – Archimandrite Stefan, to monitor and control the observance of the liturgical order, canonical discipline and the fulfillment of the assigned duties by the Ukrainian priests on the territory of the Diocese, wherever they are permitted to perform divine services. This control is carried out in accordance with the established procedure and is a guarantee of observance of the canons, statutory provisions and liturgical traditions of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
There are no grounds to speak of changing the status of the temples, limiting the rights of local laity or replacing the Bulgarian church identity. The temples “St. Athanasius the Great“ in the town of Sveti Vlas, “St. John of Rila“ in the village of Kosharitsa are an integral part of the Sliven Diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate and carry out their activities in accordance with its Statute, canonical order and centuries-old liturgical tradition.
The Orthodox Church is catholic by nature and has always united believers of different nationalities in one spiritual body, based on the common Orthodox faith. The national origin of a given clergyman does not determine either his canonicity or the affiliation of the temple in which he serves. Only observance of the canons, church order and submission to the legitimate church authority are authoritative for the ministry in the Church. In the same way, with our blessing and according to the established church order, a Russian priest also serves in the diocese, which once again testifies that the Church does not distinguish on the basis of nationality, but accepts and blesses the ministry of all clergy who abide in canonical unity and obedience to the Church.
We call on public comments on this topic to be based on verified facts, official information and respect for church institutions, and not on assumptions and suggestions that can cause division and confusion among believers.
Finally - if today we push away our brothers and sisters - Orthodox Christians - who are seeking refuge and protection among us, are we sure that tomorrow God will not send us trials for which we are completely unprepared? For example, should we have to depend on the mercy of foreign people and hope that they will not treat us the way we are now treating our brothers - Ukrainian refugees? I ask you to think about this issue, taking into account that in church and public life there are cause-and-effect relationships that act very inexorably.
We invoke God's blessing upon you and remain your intercessor in Christ,
† Metropolitan ARSENIY of Sliven