Bulgarian orthodox church
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is the main religion in Bulgaria and around 88% of the population belong to the religion. In line with Eastern Orthodoxy, the symbols of Orthodox Church are the Virgin Mary as Theotokos, Christ as Pantocrator, and the Festal icons. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church was established when Boris I was baptized by Greek Missionaries in 865AD. During the early years, the authority of the Roman Pope and the patriarch of Constantinople were recognised by the Bulgarian Church. In 1021, the Byzantine Emperor heavily suppressed the Patriarchate of Bulgaria. Under Ottoman rule, the church was put under the jurisdiction of Constantinople. This was a very difficult time for the church as the Ottomans followed the Muslim religion. As a result, most of the Bulgarian churches were razed to the ground and many of the clergy murdered. The next major event in the church’s history was in 1870 when Sultan Abdul Aziz made the Bulgarian Church autocephalous. Because of this act, the church was subsequently excommunicated by Constantinople until 1945. Bulgaria religion While Bulgaria was under communist rule, the workers tried to control the church rather than destroy it, but all church property was still confiscated by the state. During this time, the Balkan Church and the Bulgarian Communist Party co-existed in a close relationship and each supported the other. Following the constitution of 1991, freedom of religion was granted, but the Church was recognised as the primary traditional religion on Bulgaria. Today, more than 6 million people are members of the religion of the church in Bulgaria.
|