site.btaMRF Chairman Peevski Firmly Rejects Russian Orthodox Church's "Sanctions" on High-ranking Bulgarian Clerics

In a statement circulated by the party's press centre on Friday, Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Chairman Delyan Peevksi said he firmly rejects the imposing by the Russian Orthodox Church of any "sanctions" whatsoever on high-ranking Bulgarian clerics. In Peevski's words, the Russian Holy Synod has made unfounded accusations against several Bulgarian Orthodox Church leaders, claiming they are undermining the relationship between the Russian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches. According to him, these allegations lack substance.

He described this as a continuation of the efforts of a foreign country to interfere in Bulgaria's spiritual affairs, after the Russian Ambassador shut down a Bulgarian Orthodox church in September 2023.

The Russian Orthodox Church's strong endorsement of Russia's military aggression against Orthodox Ukraine, fuelled by the blending of political and spiritual power within Russia's authoritarian regime, poses a threat to democracy, Peevski opined.

He said further that the Russian Orthodox Church's interference in the autonomous Bulgarian Orthodox Church's spiritual matters signifies Russia's escalating hybrid war against European values and culture.

“Faith is freedom, and we will firmly support this value,” the MRF Chairman said.