Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel defended the Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s opposition to possible European Union sanctions against Russian Patriarch Kirill, while declining to comment directly on whether such a position aligns with Bulgaria’s national interests, according to Bulgarian media outlets.
Speaking after a scheduled session of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, held alongside a meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Patriarch Daniel said that sanctions against the head of a Local Orthodox Church would not achieve their intended objectives.
“This is definitely a bold move, and we do not think that sanctions against the head of a Local Orthodox Church achieve the interest and effect that those imposing the sanctions believe they will. I think the decision is correct,” the Patriarch said to Bulgarian media.
He also described the meeting between the government and the Holy Synod as a routine institutional dialogue, noting that cooperation between the Church and the state regularly addresses a broad range of issues.
The question of potential EU sanctions against Patriarch Kirill has recently become a subject of political debate in Brussels. Prime Minister Rumen Radev has indicated that Bulgaria would oppose including the Russian Patriarch on European sanctions lists, arguing that such a measure would deepen divisions and hinder efforts toward peace.
“Let’s not mix politics with religion. Today in Sofia I said that the time of the Crusades is over,” Radev stated, adding that the consequences of the war now extend beyond the battlefield to areas including the economy, energy, culture, and sports.
The Bulgarian Prime Minister emphasized that his position was not intended as a personal defense of Patriarch Kirill but reflected concern for maintaining relations within the wider Orthodox world.
