Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil may visit Moscow in November for the celebrations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Russian Patriarch Kirill. This is what the “Moscow Times“ writes in an analysis of possible guests for the anniversary, which will be celebrated on November 20.
However, the participation of the Bulgarian patriarch has not been publicly confirmed. The author Sergey Chapnin explicitly specifies that the presented list is not information from an internal source, but a forecast. According to him, at the moment, no foreign leader has officially confirmed his presence in Moscow.
The connection with the sanctions dispute
As a reason for a possible visit, Chapnin points to Bulgaria's position on the discussed inclusion of Patriarch Kirill in the 21st sanctions package of the European Union. In July, the Council of Ministers announced that the country had reservations about the measure and that the possible sanctioning of the Russian patriarch would not have an economic and financial effect for Russia.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that Bulgaria has defended the position that religion should not become an instrument of political opposition. Later, the government indicated that Brussels had respected Sofia's reservations and Patriarch Kirill was not included in the sanctions list.
The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church stated that the issue of possible sanctions against Patriarch Kirill is not within its competence.
There is no official guest list
According to the analysis of the “Moscow Times“, the possible visit of Patriarch Daniil would have not only ecclesiastical, but also political significance due to the relations between Moscow, Sofia and the other Orthodox churches.
This remains the author's assessment, not a confirmation of an upcoming trip. There has been no statement from the Bulgarian Patriarchate or the Russian Orthodox Church announcing the visit of Patriarch Daniil. The final composition of the delegations and guests is expected to be announced on the eve of the anniversary celebrations.
Sources: ru.themoscowtimes.com, bta.bg