Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, protested on Sunday against the closure of a Russian Orthodox church, after its head priest and two clerics (of Belarusian nationality) were expelled from the country, accused of acting against Bulgaria’s interests.
Sofia, BulgariaPhoto: NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV / AFP / Profimedia
The church, popular also among Bulgarians, was closed on Friday, after the accusations brought by Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov during the events that marked the country’s Independence Day, DPA and Agerpres report.
On Sunday, the faithful lit candles and laid flowers in front of the church. They also formed a human chain, blocking traffic on a central road, dpa indicates, without specifying the number of protesters.
Metropolitan Naum of Ruse (Bulgarian Orthodox Church) also called for the reopening of the church in a message posted on Facebook.
No concrete accusations have been made against the three expelled clerics, said the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria, Eleonora Mitrofanova, in a statement published on the website of the Russian Embassy.
Earlier, the Russian diplomatic mission in Sofia had indicated that Bulgaria had expelled the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Bulgaria, Archimandrite Vassian, and two other clerics.
The Russian Orthodox Church supported Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Tensions between Russia and Bulgaria reached a peak in 2022, when 70 Russian diplomats and embassy staff were expelled on suspicion of espionage. Bulgaria, a former member of the Eastern bloc, is part of the European Union and NATO.
