Georgi Todorov in front of FACTS: We have an attempt against the sovereignty of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (VIDEO)

Lay and priests welcomed the election of Bishop Arseniy of Znepol as Metropolitan of Sliven with the hope that the tension would end. But there were also protests against the choice. Arseny's predecessor, Ioanniki, died in January. The diocesan election in February was canceled due to accusations of collusion between voters. Protests followed demanding the appointment of the then-elected Bishop Hierotheus, and scandals followed, the separation of priests into camps and mutual accusations of financial abuse and violation of church canons.

“What it turned out is that there are no arguments against the protesters, among whom I am. But we have an attempt against the sovereignty of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Let us explain what this attempt consists of, how we liquidate the independence of our church. This is a miracle unheard of, because two canons are violated, but they have a common root. The common service of Metropolitan Nicholas and other metropolitans in Turkey is a violation and there should have been an apology, but we have not heard one. This was announced to Lili Marinkova in the studio "FACTS". and the show “Conversation“ the theologian Georgi Todorov.

“Now we can see what is written on the website of the Patriarch of Constantinople, that he is “first among equals“… If we accept this, it means that we have allowed him to interfere in the internal affairs of the local churches, including the Bulgarian church. This is the main historical violation. This is what we see on the main page of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Patriarch of Constantinople has mounted a tribune with three steps to show that he is first and the others are subordinate. Ecumenical Patriarch is a hollow title, but we are called now “… I command the other patriarchs, but also the Bulgarian one”. In this sense, no personal ambitions can justify such an attempt against the sovereignty of the Bulgarian church, an attempt that puts it under submission, he added.

See more from the conversation in the VIDEO.