Reactions of the Eastern Orthodox churches to the 2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism

The Greek government has announced the creation of 600 new clerical positions to support the ancient patriarchates of Constantinople (in Turkey), Alexandria (in Egypt) and Jerusalem (in Israel), and the Monastery of Sinai in Egypt.

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil raised concerns about religious discrimination in Ukraine during a meeting with American Ambassador Kenneth Merten. The Patriarch highlighted the significant factual and legal constraints imposed on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, attributing these issues to discriminatory policies by certain elements within Ukraine.

The Bulgarian Patriarch has joined an initiative by church leaders who support the Moscow Patriarchate's stance on the non-recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). Alongside Patriarch Daniil, the Antiochian Patriarch John and Georgian Patriarch Ilia also participated.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania has conveyed a formal message to the newly enthroned Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria, celebrating his election on June 30, 2024. The Romanian Orthodox Church received the news with joy, expressing confidence that Patriarch Daniil will honor the spiritual traditions of his predecessors with dedication and vigor.

The organizers of the Ukraine Peace Summit, held earlier this month in Switzerland, removed the Ecumenical Patriarchate from the list of signatories of its final statement following protests from Turkey, according to reports. 

Easter and its central message of the resurrection "serves as the motivation for the struggle against the presence of evil and its consequences in the world, acting as a powerful transformative force," Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has said in his Easter encyclical.

President Macron is expected to acknowledge the commitment of the Ecumenical Patriarch to interfaith dialogue and tolerance

The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church convened on Tuesday to address the vacancy left by the passing of Patriarch Neophyte, who served as the spiritual leader of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia. According to reports from the Bulgarian National Radio, the Synod's primary agenda was the election of a temporary head to oversee the Church's affairs during this transition period.

The Russian Patriarch Kirill published condolences on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church yesterday evening regarding the passing of the Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church faces a period of transition following the untimely death of Patriarch Neophyte. In an extraordinary meeting convened by the Holy Synod today, discussions centered on determining the temporary leadership of the church, as well as setting crucial dates for pilgrimage and burial arrangements for the late patriarch.