UOC bishop appeals to Bulgarian Church hierarchy: Act righteously

Service with hierarchs of BOC and representatives of OCU on May 19, 2024, at the Monastery of the Living Spring in Istanbul. Photo: ec-patr.org

Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol addressed his fellow hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church urging them not to recognize a "certain religious structure", which presumably refers to the OCU.

In his message published on the Telegram channel "Doctor.zp-m.Luke", Metropolitan Luke expresses concern over the possible recognition of the OCU by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, emphasizing that it would imply legitimizing schism and harming the unity of the Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Luke reminds that the OCU lacks apostolic succession, and its leaders were ordained non-canonically.

He points out that this structure is guilty of seizing temples, beating and injuring Orthodox Christians, and being ready to unite with the anti-Orthodox world. It is also a structure whose founder in 1996 supported Bulgarian schismatics led by Metropolitan Pimen by concelebrating with them.

"That is why I ask you, on the days when the whole Church celebrates the birthday of our Mother Church – the Holy Pentecost, to act in good faith – according to the doctrinal truths of Orthodoxy, canons, and conscience. After all, much will depend on your decision. First of all, the further path of our Church – into a grandiose schism, which will be much more terrible than the schism of 1054, or into purification and healing through the restoration of violated unity," wrote the UOC hierarch.

Recalling the words of St. John Chrysostom: "The Church is not church walls, but church laws," the bishop urges, "Let us not violate what cannot be violated."

Metropolitan Luke concludes his message with Easter greetings and signs off as "Your brother and concelebrant in Christ."

As reported by the UOJ, Bulgarian politician and leader of the Revival party Kostadin Kostadinov believes that hierarchs of the BOC serving in Istanbul with representatives of the OCU want to subjugate the Bulgarian Church to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

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