Bulgarian Patriarch voices Russian narratives while commenting on events in Ukraine
He said this in an interview with Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on the occasion of the first anniversary of his enthronement, reports Orthodox Times.
Patriarch Daniel stated that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, along with ten other local Orthodox Churches, does not recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is led by Metropolitan Epifaniy and was granted autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He remarked that “the churches transferred to the OCU remain empty.” In doing so, he echoed the typical narratives promoted by the Russian Orthodox Church's propaganda.
“When violence occurs, when churches are seized, and when priests are killed, this cannot be ignored,” Daniel emphasized.
He also mentioned that, while the monasteries of Mount Athos previously accepted clergy from the OCU, they have since “refused to do so due to their awareness of the violence and violations associated with the OCU's actions.”
At the same time, he acknowledges that through dialogue, the issue of division may gradually be resolved.
Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of the Russian Orthodox Church congratulated his Bulgarian counterpart on the anniversary of his ministry. He specifically thanked Patriarch Daniel for “supporting the persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” led by Metropolitan Onufry, and for “every word spoken in defense of his suffering brothers.”
It should be noted that even before his election to the patriarchal throne in 2024, Patriarch Daniel of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church was known for his open Russophilia. He attempted to refute statements made by two Athonite monks who claimed that Ukraine was waging a defensive war against Russian aggression.
He strongly reacted to the closure of the Russian church in Sofia in 2023, expressing outrage at the decision to expel its rector, Archimandrite Vasian, along with two other clergymen, on suspicion of espionage.
In November 2022, several months after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, Daniel sent a letter to the clergy of the Vidin diocese, instructing them to include “special prayers for peace” in their liturgies.
Speaking more politically than spiritually, and adopting Putin's propaganda narrative, Daniel justifies Russian actions in Ukraine. His instructions included a passage warning against “inciting hatred toward one of the warring parties, designated as the sole and unprovoked aggressor.”
As RISU reported, a pro-Russian international information network has become active in Bulgaria, spreading disinformation and propaganda in favor of Moscow for several years. This network is known as the Union of Orthodox Journalists, which was originally founded in Ukraine in 2015 to promote pro-Russian narratives amid Russian aggression against Ukraine. Over time, the organization expanded its activities to other European countries, primarily those with Orthodox Christian populations. The increase in both activity and popularity of the UOJ website in Bulgaria led journalists to investigate the individuals behind these efforts and to uncover their motivations.
