I have not seen a single firefighter on Sunday or on a holiday in the church, they do not go to confession, there is no prayer. So, what does this firefighter dance have to do with spiritual life then? This is what the Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil said on the occasion of the Sliven Metropolitan's ban on firefighters taking icons out of the church in the Strandzha village of Bulgari to use them in the pagan ritual.
"The icon is a sacred object, the icon is a holy image. What does firefightership contribute? Has someone become more spiritually elevated? The church and faith have nothing to do with magic, any such magical properties or images that a person can walk on fire. There are miracles in the church, and far greater miracles, but they are for centuries-old benefit - either for the health of people, or for strengthening their faith, in affirmation of goodness. And fire-walking is indeed a pagan custom. It is not a consequence of faith, but wearing icons during the time when this fire-walking dance is performed tries to convey some imaginary churchliness, imaginary participation of the saints and that this is a church phenomenon, which is not the case.
I have not seen a fire-walker on Sunday or on a holiday in the temple, they do not go to confession, there is no prayer. So what does this fire-walking dance have to do with spiritual life then? With this we polish our pride, a thin pride, that you see there is some contribution, because in itself walking on embers is not an ordinary thing. It is not easy, is it? Some such supernatural, extraordinary possibilities, but such possibilities exist, yes, extra-church, supernatural phenomena, but their origin is not good. And there is no benefit either for the people who do this, or for those who become involved in them in some way. May God protect you and help you!"
The spiritual leader of the nation also commented on the continuous scandals in parliament, writes BNT.
"Debates are something normal, it is not easy to work with 240 people. When different opinions come together in one place, it is normal to debate and in the end God helps to reach agreement on useful and good things. There is truth, there is good, there is God and may he help to unite both the people's representatives and the people in faith, in goodness. This is useful. May God help them!"