GREEK SERVICE CRISIS AT CHURCH FOUNDATION MANAGEMENT CLOSES CHURCH TO SERVICES

GREEK SERVICE CRISIS AT CHURCH FOUNDATION MANAGEMENT CLOSES CHURCH TO SERVICES

A planned service at the Bulgarian Orthodox Sveti Georgi Church in Edirne to celebrate its name day was canceled due to a language dispute. The Bulgarian Exarchate Orthodox Church Foundation reacted angrily when Greek Metropolitan Amfilohios sent two priests to the city requesting the service be conducted in Greek. The foundation announced that the church would be closed until a service could be held in Bulgarian.

The service was canceled, only prayers were recited.
Bulgarian Orthodox Christians gathered at the Sveti Georgi Church for the church's name day. Prior to the service, which was planned to be conducted in Bulgarian, two priests sent by Greek Metropolitan Amfilohios from Istanbul announced that the service would be in Greek. The Bulgarian delegation objected to this, leading to a dispute within the church.

Following the disagreement, the Bulgarian Exarchate Orthodox Church Foundation decided to cancel the service. Only a prayer led by Father Karalampi Nichev from the Istanbul Church was recited. Radoslava Kafedzhiyska, the Bulgarian Consul General in Edirne, Dimitri Yotef, the Chairman of the Foundation's Board of Directors, and members of the congregation attended the event.

Foundation Chairman Yotef: We are closing our church to services
In his statements regarding the matter, Dimitri Yotef, the Chairman of the Foundation's Board of Directors, emphasized that they are the owners and congregation of the church and that their decision is clear. Yotef explained the process as follows:

"When we arrived here, we were told that we could not hold services in Bulgarian through priests sent by the Metropolitan of Edirne, and that services would be held with Greek priests instead. We did not accept this. This is a Bulgarian church. As the board of directors, we are closing our church to services from today until services are held in Bulgarian. At the same time, we have decided to ban the Metropolitan from entering the church. Our church will remain open for visits; people can come, pray, and light candles, but this decision will continue until services are held in Bulgarian."

GREEK SERVICE CRISIS AT CHURCH FOUNDATION MANAGEMENT CLOSES CHURCH TO SERVICES