The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Bulgaria has expressed its sincere satisfaction with the proposal submitted by the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria, through the Ministry of Education and Science, regarding the draft law amending the Law on Pre-School and School Education (LPSE), to introduce the new subject “Virtues and Religions” as a compulsory part of national school education.
According to the draft, the subject is proposed to be taught with the option to choose among the following variants:
- “Religion – Orthodoxy”
- “Religion – Islam”
- “Virtues / Ethics”
The Holy Synod fully supports the relevant provisions and the accompanying rationale, which concern the integration of this subject into the compulsory educational curriculum.
Notably, during the public consultation process, a comparative analysis was presented, demonstrating that similar subjects are taught as compulsory in many EU member states — including those with strictly secular educational systems. Thus, the inclusion of this subject does not, in any way, contradict European practice.
Three Decades of Effort and Preparation
This proposal is the result of thirty years of reflection, dialogue, and empirical implementation. Valuable experience was gained from the previous introduction of the subject “Religion” as an elective or freely chosen course. Through that process, significant educational and institutional resources were developed, pedagogical and theological models were formed, and ultimately, the foundations for the present legislative proposal were laid.
This positive development has been supported by a wide range of academic and social stakeholders: educators, theologians, psychologists, historians, cultural specialists, social organizations, and scholars working in cooperation with the Holy Synod. Special acknowledgment is given to the leadership of the Ministry of Education and personally to Minister Mr. Krasimir Valchev, as well as to the Ministry’s team of experts.
The Holy Synod expresses its support for the content of Articles §§ 1, 2, 5, 24, 30, 31, 69, and 159, paragraph 6, which pertain to the inclusion of “Virtues and Religions” as a regular subject in the national school curriculum.
The proposed draft law represents a successful combination of pedagogical insight, legal expertise, and conceptual integrity, in line with the standards of modern science and theology.
The Need for the Introduction of the Subject “Religion – Orthodoxy”
The Holy Synod has repeatedly emphasized the urgent need to introduce the subject “Religion – Orthodoxy” into the educational system. This necessity is based on numerous reasons:
- The Eastern Orthodox faith is the religion of the majority of the Bulgarian people, and it is an inalienable right of students to have access to systematic, academically grounded, and appropriately structured knowledge of their traditional faith.
- Orthodoxy is a fundamental element of Bulgaria’s constitutional identity, recognized as a traditional faith and embedded in state protocol and the national calendar of holidays.
- Orthodox theology is already part of higher education through university theological faculties. Therefore, offering the subject in secondary education strengthens and completes theological formation.
- The subject bridges cognitive and moral elements, incorporating teachings that convey timeless Christian values such as love, honesty, peace, respect, solidarity, community, freedom, and others.
- “Religion – Orthodoxy” will significantly enhance understanding of other school subjects (e.g., History, Literature, Art, Ethics, Law, Philosophy), for which theological interpretation is crucial.
- The genealogical link between morality and religion requires the teaching of fundamental religious concepts to ensure a deeper understanding of European culture.
- The subject “Religion – Orthodoxy” is already a compulsory part of education in neighboring countries (e.g., Greece and Romania), with demonstrably positive results.
- The aim is not catechism, but the formation of educated and conscious citizens with a grounded understanding of their spiritual heritage — a tradition that was violently interrupted during the era of state atheism.
The Holy Synod is convinced that the mandatory inclusion of “Religion – Orthodoxy” addresses a profound educational and cultural gap in the current school system and constitutes a right of every Orthodox Bulgarian citizen.
Specific Proposals for Improving the Draft Law
The Holy Synod proposes the following amendments for discussion between the first and second readings in Parliament:
§ 24 – Add a new paragraph 8 to Article 76: “Curricula for grades I through XII that include elements of confessional education shall be drafted in consultation with experts from the respective religious denomination.”
§ 159 – Supplementary Provisions, add new paragraph 12a: “Confessional education” refers to the teaching of the fundamental elements of recognized and registered religions, in accordance with the Law on Religions, for which the corresponding faith community constitutes more than 10% of the population according to the latest census.”
§ 173 – New provision in the Transitional and Final Provisions: “The teaching of the subject ‘Virtues and Religions’ shall commence in the 2026/2027 academic year, with gradual implementation from grade I to grade XII.”
Final Position and Proposed Name Change
The Holy Synod reserves the right to submit further comments and suggestions during the parliamentary process.
At the same time, it is deemed appropriate to change the name of the subject to “Religion and Ethics”, for the following reasons:
Historically, nearly all moral theories have emerged within religious traditions; thus, religion should be given priority.
The term “Ethics” corresponds to a recognized academic field with broader content than “Virtues,” encompassing more subfields of philosophy and theology.
Blessings from the Holy Synod
The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Bulgaria extends heartfelt blessings and best wishes for the success of the Members of Parliament in their efforts, for the benefit of the Bulgarian people — and especially the younger generation, which is the future of Bulgaria.
