[ Post a Response | Christian Belief ]
Posted by N (Cat) on January 21, 2003, 5:32:20, in reply to "ISTANBUL-BULGARIAN CHURCH." Sofia, January 20 (BTA) - The meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Community in Istanbul that was expected to decide on the election of a new Board of Trustees was postponed Monday. BTA learnt this from Nikolai Lalkovski, President of the Bulgarian Exarchate Foundation. As BTA reported earlier the meeting was to be held Monday evening. It was expected to decide on the retirement of Bulgarian clergyman in Istanbul, Archpriest Konstantin Kostov. After the forthcoming changes, there is a risk of re-introduction of Greek-language services at the three Bulgarian churches in Istanbul, said Lalkovski. Use of Greek as a liturgical language in the Bulgarian churches in Istanbul was discontinued by a Turkish court judgment in 1997. Incumbent Board of Trustees member Bozhidar Chipov has now filed a new lawsuit against Oecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew over alleged interference into the affairs of the Bulgarian Church. According to the latest official document, dated 1945, the Bulgarian Church in Istanbul is independent and the Oecumenical Patriarch's competence over it is limited to certain spiritual matters. The Board also fears that the last remaining Bulgarian Exarchate properties in Istanbul may be lost. In 1934, 49 properties in Istanbul were registered as owned by the Bulgarian Church. Re-registration is due on February 6, 2003. The Bulgarian Church Community has lost 40 properties, the Board said. The Turkish government may interpret the decision on the election of a new Board of Trustee as a collective resignation of the incumbent Board, Lalkovski also said. The incumbent Board, chaired by Georgi Kostadinov, was re-elected in 2002 for a term of four years. If the Board decides that Archbishop Kosta should retire he will be replaced by the second clergyman Milko Topuzliev, who is brother of Metropolitan of Vidin Dometian, Lalkovski explained. So far Archbishop Kostov has been successfully protecting the interests of the Bulgarian church; he has been serving and issuing church documents in the Bulgarian language regardless of the pressure on the part of Oecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, said Lalkovski. Pressure by the Greek side has been increasing, said he adding that the idea of electing a new Board is also supported by a group of Bulgarians, living in Istanbul, who have become followers of the Greek traditions. Director of Religious Affairs Ass. Prof. Ivan Zhelev told BTA that he has heard about the demand of electing a new Board of Trustees. "It has been probably prompted by the fact that the Bulgarian community there does not trust certain members of the Board of Trustee that have been pursuing their own policy on behalf of the whole Board," said Zhelev. Zhelev stated that there is no risk of re-introduction of Greek-language services and there has never been any. He added that Archbishop Kosta was expelled by the Oecumenical Patriarchate, where he was ordained. According to the Director of Religious Affairs, the situation about the Bulgarian Exarchate in Istanbul is being artificially strained.
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ISTANBUL - BULGARIAN CHURCH COMMUNITY.
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