Sophia, July 3, 2024
Photo: basilica.ro
On Monday, July 3, the newly-enthroned Patriarch of Bulgaria served his first Divine Liturgy as Patriarch. Services were held in the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the Bulgarian capital city.
“The tasks ahead are many. The head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church must embody the unity of the Holy Synod and our people, as the vocation of the Church is to unite those who are divided,” stated Patriarch Daniel before the beginning of the Liturgy. He emphasized that “the Church signifies unity” and that “a people are called by God to be together with Him, to be united in love,” cites Orthodox Times.
At the Liturgy, Patriarch Danill commemorated the Primates of the Orthodox Churches for the first time as the newly elected and enthroned Bulgarian Patriarch. He honored the heads of the Local Orthodox Churches: Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, Patriarch John X of Antioch, Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia, Patriarch Daniel of Romania, Archbishop George of Cyprus, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens, Metropolitan Sava of Poland, Archbishop Anastasius of Albania, Metropolitan Rostislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and Archbishop Stephen of North Macedonia.
Not unexpectedly, the new Patriarch did not commemorate Ephipany Dumemko, who was named “Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine” by the Patriarchate of Constantinople when the uncanonical structure was formed in opposition to the canonical and historical Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by Metropolitan Onuphry. Patriarch Daniil was always known for his firm stance against the formation of this structure, which he said would not bring unity, as Patriarch Bartholomew supposedly intended, but disunity and strife to Ukraine. Events in suffering Ukraine have eloquently proved Patriarch Daniel right.
The majority of Ukrainian faithful still cleave to the canonical Church headed by Met. Onuphry, despite persecution, church seizures, and imprisonment of clergy and the faithful. Meanwhile, the churches seized—with state approval—stand nearly empty even on major Church feasts.
