Bulgarian Orthodox Alternative Synod

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The Alternative Synod (Bulgarian Алтернативния Синод) was an Orthodox Church in Bulgaria from 1996 to 2015.

history

In 1992 it became known that Patriarch Maxim of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church had taken office in 1971 with the help of the socialist government. The election was considered invalid by many clergymen and demanded for his removal. Metropolitan Pimen (Enew) was the leader of the opposition demands.

In 1996 an Alternative Synod was formed and Pimen was named Patriarch. With the support of the Ministry of Defense, the church occupied the official residence of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Sofia. In 1997 Patriarch Pimen was involved in the official inauguration of President Stoyanov. The Bulgarian Supreme Court invalidated the registration of the old Bulgarian Orthodox Church. However, the other canonical Orthodox churches such as the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople continued to recognize the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and rejected the Alternative Synod as illegitimate. In 1998, President Stoyanov called for reconciliation.

In 1999 Patriarch Pimen of the Alternative Synod died. No successor was appointed. In 2002 the religious legislation in Bulgaria was changed to the detriment of the Alternative Synod. In 2004, over 100 churches and other buildings were expropriated from her.

In 2008 Metropolitan Innokenti was elected as the new head of the Alternative Synod. In 2009 the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg declared the 2002 legislation to be illegal and awarded the Alternative Synod in 2010 a compensation of 50,000 euros. In 2010, Metropolitan Innokenti called for the healing of the split.

In 2015 both churches were reunited, with the active mediation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Andrii Krawchuk, Thomas Bremer (Ed.): Eastern Orthodox Encounters of Identity and Otherness: Values, Self-Reflection, Dialogue . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. ISBN 978-1-137-38284-9 . P. 60
  2. ↑ Fifth Section Case of the Holy Synod European Court of Human Rights (pdf)
  3. ↑ Bulgaria: Churches reunited after long schism Pravoslavie from April 20, 2015