Why Metropolitan of Stara Zagora did not get permission to celebrate the Divine Liturgy

In response to press reports, the Holy Metropolis of Adrianopole said that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew did not give the canonical permission to the Metropolitan of Stara Zagora of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria to celebrate the Divine Liturgy at a temple which comes under their canonical jurisdiction.

According to the announcement, “Many years ago, a bust of ‘Exarch’ Anthim was placed by our Bulgarian brothers in the Church of Saints Konstantinos and Eleni in Andrianopole in ignorance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. For this reason, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has since forbidden to Bulgarian bishops to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the temple until the bust was removed. As it is known, ‘Exarch’ Anthim was strongly associated with the Bulgarian schism, which had caused a lot of trouble to the Church for about 75 years.”

The Metropolitan of Adrianopolis pointed out that Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria received an invitation from the Bulgarian Community in Andrianopole and then he sent a letter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, requesting that the Metropolitan of Stara Zagora celebrate the Divine Liturgy. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sent the request to Metropolitan Amphilochios of Andrianopole who is canonically responsible for that kind of issues.

According to the same announcement, “the Metropolitan did not give his canonical permission to the Metropolitan of Stara Zagora. This justified attitude of the Mother Church has been well known to the Bulgarian priests for many years and they respect it.

That is why the reports saying that the Ecumenical Patriarch did not give the canonical permission are not accurate. It is obvious that those reports have nothing to do with the real facts.”

Source: Orthodox Times