Sofia, September 30, 2024
Photo: peakpx.com
Since 2021, Bulgaria has experienced a series of snap parliamentary elections due to the inability of political parties to form stable governing coalitions.
Against this backdrop of political fragmentation and institutional crisis, the hierarchs of the Holy Synod call for repentance and a return to spiritual values as a means to overcome societal divisions. The Synod emphasizes the need for Bulgarians to shift away from individualism and self-interest towards a more communal, God-centered approach to civic life.
The statement concludes by urging the people to pray for national healing and understanding in the lead-up to the October 27 elections.
Bulgarian society is going through a severe spiritual and institutional crisis. The foundations of its unity and organization are undergoing serious trials. All of us, besides being Orthodox clergy and Christians, are also members of this society.
The greatest deficit in the modern world is the deficit of repentance. The only reliable path to unity and progress for the Bulgarian people is the path of repentance, which we vitally need. Repentance means changing the way of thinking: trusting God more than oneself, rejecting egoism, self-love, individualism, and the pursuit of personal interest. It means thinking, living, and working for God and for our neighbor, while being aware of and fighting against our sinfulness.
Due to the above, in the pre-election period, we call on the Bulgarian people to engage in diligent prayer for overcoming the spiritual wounds and sad divisions among the Bulgarian people, for restoring the institutional foundations of Bulgarian society and state.
Let us work through prayer for our spiritual strengthening and the turning of our people towards God, from Whom every perfect gift comes (cf. James 1:17), including our spiritual awakening, spiritual and physical health, and understanding of the social organism.
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