Bulgarian Orthodox Church

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church (Bulgarian: Българска православна църква, romanized: Bûlgarska pravoslavna cûrkva) is an important religious group in Bulgaria. It is known officially as the Patriarchate of Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Българска патриаршия, romanized: Bûlgarska patriarshiya). This church is special because it is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox jurisdiction, meaning it operates independently.

It has a long history and is recognized as the first medieval recognized patriarchate outside the Pentarchy. It is also the oldest Slavic Orthodox church. Today, it has around 6 million members in Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2 million members living in many other places, including several European countries, Asia, the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand.

The church became officially recognized as autocephalous in 1945 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. It plays a big role in the religious and cultural life of many people.

History

Early Christianity

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church began with Christian communities in Southeast Europe as early as the first centuries of Christianity. Christianity reached the Thracian lands through apostles like Paul and Andrew in the 1st century AD. By the 4th century, it became the main religion in the area. Important Christian centers included towns like Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Silistra, and Edirne.

The first Christian monastery in Europe, the Monastery of Saint Athanasius, was built in Thrace in 344 near modern-day Chirpan, Bulgaria.

Establishment

Boris I wanted Bulgaria to grow culturally and be respected, so he supported an independent church. In 870 AD, a council gave Bulgaria its own church leader, called an archbishopric, based in Pliska. Later, Boris I invited teachers from Saints Cyril and Methodius to help create a Bulgarian-style church service using the local language.

Autocephaly and Patriarchate

In 919, Bulgaria declared its church independent and called it a patriarchate. After making peace with the Byzantine Empire in 927, the Byzantine leader recognized Bulgaria’s independent church status.

The Bulgarian Patriarchate was the first independent Slavic Orthodox Church. It was the sixth patriarchate, after Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Its main center was Preslav.

Ohrid Archbishopric

In 972, the Byzantine leader took over Preslav and made the Bulgarian church part of the Ohrid Archbishopric. The church kept some independence and continued using its own language in services. The Archbishopric of Ohrid lasted until 1767 when the Ottoman Empire ended it.

Tarnovo Patriarchate

After the Bulgarian uprising in 1185/1186, leaders worked to bring back the Bulgarian Patriarchate. By 1203, a leader named Vassily was named the top church leader in Bulgaria. Later, in 1235, another council confirmed the Bulgarian church as a patriarchate again.

Ottoman rule

When the Ottoman Empire took over Bulgaria in 1393, the church’s independence ended. The church was controlled by leaders from Constantinople. Greek leaders took over many church jobs, and Greek became the main language used in services. This made it hard for Bulgarians to keep their language and culture alive.

Monasteries helped keep Bulgarian traditions and language going during this time.

Bulgarian Exarchate

In the 1800s, Bulgarian leaders began pushing back against Greek control of the church. In 1870, the Ottoman government allowed the creation of the Bulgarian Exarchate, an independent Bulgarian church group. This helped Bulgarians have their own schools and services in their language.

Second restoration of the Bulgarian Patriarchate

After World War II, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church became independent again in 1945. In 1953, Cyril was chosen as the Bulgarian patriarch. The church faced challenges under Communist rule but continued to serve the people. In 2024, Daniil was elected as the new Patriarch of Bulgaria.

Canonical status and organization

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is an independent Eastern Orthodox Church. It is organized as a self-governing body called a patriarchate. It has thirteen areas, known as dioceses, within Bulgaria and two more serving Bulgarians in Western and Central Europe, as well as in the Americas, Canada and Australia. These dioceses are divided into smaller groups called church counties, which are then split into about 2,600 local churches, or parishes. The main leaders of the Church meet together in a group called the Holy Synod, which includes the patriarch and leaders from each diocese, known as metropolitans. Local churches are led by priests, and there are around 1,500 of them.

The Church has thirteen dioceses in Bulgaria, including areas such as Vidin, Vratsa, Lovech, and many more. There are also two dioceses for Bulgarians living abroad, one in Central and Western Europe with its seat in Berlin, and another in the USA, Canada and Australia with its seat in New York City. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church also has about 120 monasteries in Bulgaria, home to around 2,000 monks and nearly as many nuns.