Alexis II Welcomes Recognition of Orthodoxy as Bulgaria's Traditional Religion

During a Tuesday meeting with Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexis II welcomed the decision to recognise Orthodoxy as the traditional religion of Bulgaria.

On December 26, President Purvanov enacted a law the parliament had approved on December 20, the one that named Orthodoxy the traditional religious belief of Bulgaria and automatically registered the Bulgarian Orthodox Church /unlike all other beliefs in the country/.

"I hope the new law will help overcome the split in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, because the law is meant to unite people and a split always disunites them," the patriarch said.

On his part, Purvanov stressed that before enacting the law, he had discussed it with Bulgaria's chief mufti and representatives of other religions, and they had found it acceptable for them.