Metropolitan of Sliven condemns Ukrainian Hierarch’s interference in Bulgarian Church affairs

Metropolitan Arseniy of Sliven has strongly criticized Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (under Metropolitan Onufriy) over his public statements concerning Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria and the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

In a strongly worded statement, Metropolitan Arseniy expressed his indignation at what he described as serious accusations against the Bulgarian episcopate and unacceptable interference by a foreign hierarch in the internal affairs of an autocephalous Orthodox Church.

He accused Metropolitan Luke of portraying the Bulgarian Holy Synod as divided by behind-the-scenes intrigues and suggesting that Patriarch Daniel was being pressured by a hostile majority of bishops into making decisions against his will.

“This is not a defense of the Patriarch. It is an insult to him and to the entire Bulgarian Orthodox Church,” Metropolitan Arseniy declared.

The Metropolitan stressed that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is an independent, autocephalous Church whose decisions are taken collectively by its legitimate ecclesiastical authorities.

He specifically addressed the decision concerning the canonical…