Βούλγαροι ἀπέστειλαν Ἀνοικτὴν Ἐπιστολὴν Ὀδύνης πρὸς τὸν Πατριάρχην Βαρθολομαῖον

ΠΡΟΣ ΤΗΝ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΟΤΗΤΑ ΒΑΡΘΟΛΟΜΑΙΟΝ Αʹ, ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΝ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ — ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΝ

ΑΝΟΙΚΤΗ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΟΔΥΝΗΣ

τοῦ κλήρου, τῶν μοναχῶν καὶ τῶν λαϊκῶν τῆς Βουλγαρικῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας — Πατριαρχείου Βουλγαρίας, σχετικῶς μὲ τὴν ἐπικειμένην ἐπίσκεψιν Ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν Ἱερὰν Μονὴν τῆς Ῥίλας 

Παναγιώτατε, 
Ἀπευθυνόμεθα πρὸς Ὑμᾶς, οὐχὶ ὁρμώμενοι ἀπὸ κοσμικὴν ἔχθραν ἢ ἀνθρωπίνην μεροληψίαν, ἀλλὰ παρακινούμενοι ἀπὸ βαθεῖαν πνευματικὴν ὀδύνην. Ἡ ὀδύνη αὕτη καταλαμβάνει τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν, ὅταν βλέπωμεν πῶς ὁ Οἰκουμενικὸς Θρόνος, ὁ ὁποῖος ἄλλοτε ὑπῆρξε στῦλος τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς τῶν δογμάτων, ἔχει σήμερον μεταβληθῆ εἰς πηγὴν σκανδαλισμοῦ δι᾿ ὁλόκληρον τὴν Μίαν, Ἁγίαν, Καθολικὴν καὶ Ἀποστολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. 

Ἀφορμὴ διὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ἐπιστολὴν εἶναι αἱ διαδοθεῖσαι πληροφορίαι περὶ τῆς ἐπικειμένης ἐπισκέψεως Ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν πνευματικὴν καρδίαν τῆς Βουλγαρίας — τὴν Ἱερὰν Μονὴν τῆς Ῥίλας — ὅπου θὰ προεξάρξητε τῆς Θείας Εὐχαριστίας τὴν 19ην Ὀκτωβρίου 2026. 

Ἡ Ἱερὰ Παράδοσις ἐπιβάλλει νὰ διαφυλάττωμεν τὴν καθαρότητα τῆς πίστεως περισσότερον καὶ ἀπὸ αὐτὴν τὴν ζωήν ἡμῶν. Ὅπως γράφει ὁ ἀείμνηστος ὁμολογητὴς Μητροπολίτης Φιλάρετος (Βοζνεσένσκυ) εἰς τὰς «Ἐπιστολὰς Ὀδύνης» αὐτοῦ: «Ἀγάπη ἡ ὁποία δὲν εἶναι ἡνωμένη μὲ τὴν Ἀλήθειαν δὲν εἶναι ἀγάπη Χριστοῦ. Τὸ νὰ ἀποσιωπᾶται ἡ Ἀλήθεια χάριν μιᾶς ψευδοῦς εἰρήνης σημαίνει προδοσίαν τοῦ ἰδίου τοῦ Θεοῦ». Δι᾿ αὐτὸ ἀκριβῶς, ὡς πιστὰ τέκνα τῆς Βουλγαρικῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, δὲν ἔχομεν τὸ δικαίωμα νὰ σιωπῶμεν. 

Παναγιώτατε, κατὰ τὰς τελευταίας δεκαετίας, καὶ μὲ ἰδιαιτέραν θρασύτητα κατὰ τὸ τρέχον ἔτος 2026, κηρύσσετε ἀνοικτῶς καὶ συστηματικῶς διδασκαλίας αἱ ὁποῖαι ἔχουν ἀναθεματισθῆ ἀπὸ τοὺς Ἁγίους Πατέρας: 

1. Ὑποστηρίζετε τὴν παναίρεσιν τοῦ οἰκουμενισμοῦ: Εἰς τὸ Βίλνιους (8 Ἰουνίου 2026) καὶ εἰς τὴν Βουδαπέστην (4 Σεπτεμβρίου 2026) ἐκηρύξατε τὴν καταδικασθεῖσαν «θεωρίαν τῶν κλάδων», ὁμιλοῦντες περὶ τῆς «ἀγωνίας τοῦ διῃρημένου Χριστιανισμοῦ». Ἐχαρακτηρίσατε τὸν ἱερὸν δογματικὸν ζῆλον ὡς «στεῖραν ὁμολογιακὴν περιχαράκωσιν» καὶ προεβάλατε τὸν ὀλέθριον «νομικὸν οἰκουμενισμόν», νομιμοποιοῦντες τὰς ρωμαιοπαπικὰς πλάνας καὶ ἀναγνωρίζοντες πρωτεῖον τοῦ Βατικανοῦ, χωρὶς νὰ ἔχῃ προηγηθῆ οἱαδήποτε μετάνοια ἐκ μέρους τῆς Ῥώμης. 

2. Κηρύσσετε ὀλέθριον θρησκευτικὸν συγκρητισμόν: Εἰς τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν (29 Ἰουλίου 2025) ἐξισώσατε τὴν Θείαν Ἀποκάλυψιν μὲ τὰ εἰδωλολατρικὰ εἴδωλα καὶ τὰς ἀνατολικὰς λατρείας, ὑποστηρίζοντες ὅτι τὸ Ἱερὸν ἐκφράζεται ἐξίσου διὰ τοῦ «Θεοῦ, τοῦ Ἀλλάχ, τοῦ Μπράχμαν ἢ τῆς Φωτεινῆς Κενότητος». Διὰ τὴν Ὀρθόδοξον Ἐκκλησίαν αὐτὸ δὲν εἶναι διάλογος, ἀλλὰ βαρεῖα βλασφημία κατὰ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος καὶ καταπάτησις τῆς πρώτης ἐντολῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ. 

3. Ἠνοίξατε τὴν αἱμορροοῦσαν πληγὴν εἰς τὴν Οὐκρανίαν: Ἡ ἀντικανονικὴ εἰσβολὴ Ὑμῶν εἰς ἀλλοτρίαν δικαιοδοσίαν τὸ 2019 ἐχρησίμευσεν ὡς δικαιολογία διὰ τὸν φοβερώτατον διωγμὸν κατὰ τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας εἰς τὴν νεωτάτην ἱστορίαν. Τὸ αἷμα, τὰ δάκρυα, οἱ ἁρπαγέντες ναοὶ καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, κληρικοὶ καὶ λαϊκοὶ τῆς κανονικῆς Οὐκρανικῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, οἱ ὁποῖοι ἐρρίφθησαν εἰς δεσμωτήρια, βαρύνουν τὴν ἀρχιποιμαντικὴν συνείδησιν Ὑμῶν. 

Ὑπενθυμίζομεν εἰς Ὑμᾶς ὅτι ἑτοιμάζεσθε νὰ ἐπισκεφθῆτε τὴν κανονικὴν ἐπικράτειαν τῆς Βουλγαρικῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, τῆς ὁποίας ἡ Ἱερὰ Σύνοδος τὸ 2016 ἀπέρριψε συνοδικῶς, κατηγορηματικῶς καὶ μὲ ὁμολογιακὸν φρόνημα τὴν Σύνοδον τῆς Κρήτης καὶ ἀπεφάνθη ὅτι «ἐκτὸς τῆς Ἁγίας Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας δὲν ὑπάρχουν ἄλλαι ἐκκλησίαι». Ἡ διδασκαλία Ὑμῶν εὑρίσκεται εἰς ἄμεσον καὶ ἀγεφύρωτον δογματικὴν σύγκρουσιν μὲ τὴν ὁμολογιακὴν στάσιν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς πατρίδος ἡμῶν. 

Ἡ Θεία Εὐχαριστία εἶναι Μυστήριον τῆς τελείας ὁμοφροσύνης ἐν τῇ Πίστει. Δὲν δυνάμεθα νὰ ἐκφωνήσωμεν τὸ «Ἀγαπήσωμεν ἀλλήλους, ἵνα ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ ὁμολογήσωμεν...» μετὰ ἀρχιερέως κηρύσσοντος τὴν κατάλυσιν τῶν δογμάτων. Διὰ τοῦτο, ἀκολουθοῦντες τὸ παράδειγμα τῶν χιλιάδων πιστῶν κληρικῶν καὶ λαϊκῶν τῆς Γεωργίας τὸ 1997 καὶ στηριζόμενοι σταθερῶς εἰς τὸν ΙΕʹ Κανόνα τῆς Πρωτοδευτέρας (ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει) Συνόδου, δηλοῦμεν τὰ ἑξῆς: 

Ἡμεῖς, ὁ ὀρθόδοξος κλῆρος, οἱ μοναχοὶ καὶ οἱ λαϊκοὶ τῆς Βουλγαρικῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, ἀρνούμεθα νὰ ἔχωμεν κοινωνίαν ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ Εὐχαριστίᾳ μὲ προκαθήμενον ὁ ὁποῖος κηρύσσει δημοσίως αἵρεσιν. Τὸ νὰ προεξάρχητε τῆς Θείας Λειτουργίας κατὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τῆς Ῥίλας εἶναι δι᾿ ἡμᾶς πνευματικῶς καὶ κανονικῶς ἀπαράδεκτον. 

Καλοῦμεν Ὑμᾶς νὰ ἐπιδείξητε σύνεσιν καὶ νὰ ματαιώσητε τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν Ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν Ἱερὰν Μονὴν τῆς Ῥίλας. Μὴ μετατρέψητε τὴν λαμπροτέραν πανβουλγαρικὴν ἑορτὴν εἰς ἀφορμὴν σκανδαλισμοῦ, σχίσματος καὶ δημοσίας ἀναταραχῆς. Μὴ βιάζετε τὴν πνευματικὴν συνείδησιν τοῦ βουλγαρικοῦ ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ πληρώματος, τὸ ὁποῖον εἶναι ἀποφασισμένον νὰ τηρήσῃ τὴν Διαθήκην τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τῆς Ῥίλας καὶ νὰ μὴ ἐπιτρέψῃ «εἰς τὸν πονηρὸν λύκον νὰ ταράξῃ τὸ εἰρηνικὸν ποίμνιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ». 

Πιστεύομεν ὅτι ἡ ἄρνησις ἡμῶν νὰ συλλειτουργήσωμεν μεθ᾿ Ὑμῶν ἀποτελεῖ τὴν ὑψίστην μορφὴν ἀληθινῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, διότι μόνον ὁ αὐστηρὸς ἔλεγχος δύναται νὰ ἀφυπνίσῃ τὴν συνείδησιν. Μὲ αὐτὴν τὴν περίλυπον, ἀλλὰ σταθερὰν ἀγάπην προσευχόμεθα ὅπως ὁ Παντελεήμων Θεὸς φωτίσῃ τὴν καρδίαν Ὑμῶν, χαρίσῃ εἰς Ὑμᾶς πνεῦμα εἰλικρινοῦς μετανοίας καὶ ἐπαναφέρῃ Ὑμᾶς εἰς τοὺς κόλπους τῆς ἀνοθεύτου πατερικῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας. 

Μέχρι τότε, ὅμως, ἡ παρουσία Ὑμῶν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἱερῶν θυσιαστηρίων τῆς Βουλγαρίας ἀποτελεῖ σκάνδαλον τὸ ὁποῖον δὲν θὰ ἐπιτρέψωμεν. 

Κλῆρος, μοναχοὶ καὶ λαϊκοὶ τῆς Βουλγαρικῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας — Πατριαρχείου Βουλγαρίας 

23 Σεπτεμβρίου 2026 

Σόφια, Βουλγαρία

———

Η ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΣΤΑ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ

Πηγή: Συντακτικὴ ὁμάδα «Χριστοφόροι», https://www.facebook.com/hristonostsi/posts/pfbid0GBrgEK6Zr4B4ZpEM3hAU2MBCymfgfttZ6tY1foYhJYb5YW9xhaY9zhAcbBsz8zRil

TO HIS ALL-HOLINESS BARTHOLOMEW I, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE – NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH

AN OPEN SORROWFUL EPISTLE from the clergy, monastics, and laity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate, regarding Your forthcoming visit to the Holy Monastery of Rila 

Your All-Holiness, 

We address You driven not by worldly enmity or human bias, but moved by profound spiritual sorrow. This sorrow overtakes our hearts as we behold how the Ecumenical Throne, which was once a pillar of Orthodoxy and a defender of the dogmas, has today become a wellspring of scandal and a stumbling block for the entire One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. 

The occasion for this epistle is the widespread information concerning Your forthcoming visit and presiding over the Holy Eucharist in the spiritual heart of Bulgaria—the Holy Monastery of Rila, on October 19, 2026. 

Holy Tradition binds us to guard the purity of the Faith more than our very lives. As the ever-memorable confessor Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky) wrote in his Sorrowful Epistles: “Love which is not conjoined with Truth is not the love of Christ. To keep silent concerning the Truth for the sake of a false peace means to betray God Himself.” For this very reason, as faithful children of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, we have no right to remain silent. 

Your All-Holiness, over the past decades, and with particular audacity during the current year of 2026, You have openly and consistently preached teachings that have been anathematized by the Holy Fathers: 

1. You affirm the pan-heresy of ecumenism: In Vilnius (June 8, 2026) and Budapest (September 4, 2026), You preached the condemned “Branch Theory,” speaking of the “agony of divided Christianity.” You referred to holy dogmatic zeal as “sterile confessional entrenchment” and introduced the ruinous concept of “juridical ecumenism,” legitimizing Roman Papal delusions and acknowledging a primacy of the Vatican without Rome having offered any repentance whatsoever. 

2. You preach a pernicious religious syncretism: In Istanbul (July 29, 2025), You equated the Divine Revelation with pagan idols and Eastern cults, claiming that the Sacred is expressed equally as “God, Allah, Brahman, or the Luminous Emptiness.” For the Orthodox Church, this is not dialogue, but a grievous blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and a direct trampling of the First Commandment of God. 

3. You tore open the bleeding wound in Ukraine: Your anti-canonical incursion into a foreign jurisdiction in 2019 served as a justification for the most terrible persecution against Orthodoxy in recent history. The blood, the tears, the seized temples, and the hierarchs, clergy, and laity of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church cast into dungeons all weigh heavily upon Your archpastoral conscience. 

We remind You that You are preparing to visit the diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, whose Holy Synod in 2016 conciliarity, categorically, and in a confessional manner rejected the Council of Crete and decreed that “outside the Holy Orthodox Church there are no other churches.” Your teaching is in direct and insurmountable dogmatic collision with the confessional stance of our native Church. 

The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament of perfect unity of mind in the Faith. We cannot pronounce the sacred exclamation “Let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess...” together with a hierarch who preaches the destruction of the dogmas. 

Therefore, following the example of the thousands of faithful clergy and laity in Georgia in 1997, and standing firmly upon the 15th Canon of the First-Second (Constantinopolitan) Council, we declare the following: 

We, the Orthodox clergy, monastics, and laity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, refuse to accept prayerful and eucharistic communion with a primate who publicly preaches heresy. Your presiding over the Holy Liturgy on the feast day of St. John of Rila is spiritually and canonically unacceptable to us. 

We call upon You to exercise prudence and to cancel Your visit to the Holy Monastery of Rila. Do not turn the brightest all-Bulgarian feast into an occasion for scandal, schism, and public unrest. Do not violate the spiritual conscience of the Bulgarian ecclesiastical fullness, which is resolved to keep the Testament of St. John of Rila and to not allow “the evil wolf to trouble the peaceful flock of Christ.” 

We believe that our refusal to concelebrate with You is the highest form of true Christian love, for only strict reproof can awaken the conscience. With this sorrowful yet firm love, we pray that the All-Merciful God will enlighten Your heart, grant You a spirit of sincere repentance, and restore You to the bosom of uncorrupted Patristic Orthodoxy. 
Until then, however, Your presence before the holy altars of Bulgaria is a stumbling block that we shall not permit. 

Clergy, monastics, and laity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate 

23 September 2026 

Sofia, Bulgaria