Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

The Minister of Justice: State may take action on closed temple

Атанас Славов
Photo: BGNES

 "It is unacceptable for the Russian state, in the person of Ambassador Mitrofanova, to close a temple, moreover that it is under the jurisdiction of the Bulgarian Patriarch and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church," Bulgaria's Justice Minister wrote on Facebook, adding that "in this way, Ambassador Mitrofanova prevents all of us from offering our prayers and from worshipping the relics of St. Seraphim of Sofia the Wonderworker." This is how Minister Atanas Slavov commented on the Russian Embassy's decision to close the St. Nicholas The Miracle-Maker Church after Sofia expelled three of its priests accused of spying for Moscow. 
Minister Slavov described what happened as "canonical autocracy". He assumed that the state might take measures because of the closed capital church. 
According to Metropolitan Kyprian, Russian Patriarch Kirill, who is about to send a new representative of his church to the country, is likely to decide when the church will be opened. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The caretaker cabinet approves an agreement for the acquisition of Javelin missiles

The caretaker cabinet approved an international agreement for the acquisition of anti-tank guided missiles Javelin under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. The decision proposes that the National Assembly ratify the agreement by law. The..

published on 1/15/25 2:56 PM
Rosen Zhelyazkov

The №1 priority of the new cabinet will be to request a convergence report for Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone

After it became clear that the prospective cabinet would be backed by a coalition of GERB-SDS, There is Such a People and BSP, Premier-designate Rosen Zhelyazkov explained that the political responsibility would be shared by all participants in the..

published on 1/15/25 2:24 PM

The future government headed by Rosen Zhelyazkov will be tripartite

President Rumen Radev handed over the first cabinet-forming mandate to Rosen Zhelyazkov, who was nominated by GERB-SDS for Prime Minister. "We appreciate the time you have given us. It was not wasted", said Rosen Zhelyazkov upon receiving the..

published on 1/15/25 1:06 PM