BOC bishop: There was no authorization from the Synod to serve with the OCU
Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech said that the trip of several hierarchs of the BOC to Istanbul was their personal initiative, which was not known to the Holy Synod.
Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church said that the BOC hierarchs who concelebrated with Zoria and Lotysh at the Phanar did not have the permission of the Holy Synod to do so.
He said that the Holy Synod did not know that several hierarchs of the Bulgarian Church intended to visit Istanbul. “We don't have a relevant decision for such a trip, so it is a private, personal trip of the hierarchs. We learned about it from the media already after these events (concelebration with the OCU – Ed.) took place,” Metropolitan Gabriel emphasized.
“Before that there were some rumors, but we did not know whether it was true or not. Anyway, the Holy Synod did not have any debates, nor did it make any decisions on this matter,” Metropolitan Gavriil clarified.
Earlier the UOJ wrote that according to the pro-Phanarian media, thanks to Patriarch Bartholomew, Zoria and Lotysh made a liturgical mention of Patriarch Kirill.
