site.btaPatriarch Daniil Talks by Phone with Armenian Catholicos Karekin II

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil spoke by phone with the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II, thanking him for the letter he sent on January 14 this year, in which the Armenian Apostolic Church declared its support to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate (BOC-BP). The Armenian Apostolic Church's position on the draft amendments to the Religious Denominations Act of the Republic of Bulgaria was confirmed during the conversation, BOC-BP said on its website on Friday.

Patriarch Daniel expressed his appreciation for the support. The Armenian Catholicos reaffirmed that the Armenian Apostolic Church has no claim to the designation "Orthodox," recognizing the BOC-BP as the sole exponent of the constitutionally recognized Eastern Orthodox denomination.

The conversation highlighted the traditionally good relations between the BOC-BP and the Armenian people, the release noted.

On December 30, the BOC-BP expressed strong concern over a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Cassation, which saw the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria (OCOCB) registered with the Sofia City Court. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church reaffirmed that it is the sole institutional representative of the traditional Eastern Orthodox faith in Bulgaria. According to Article 13 of the Bulgarian Constitution, Eastern Orthodoxy is recognized as the traditional religion of the country, and the BOC – BP is the official representative of this faith, as stated in Article 10 of the Religious Denominations Act.