Displaying items by tag: Bulgaria

In response to protests which began on 9 July, Boyko Borisov proposed reforms to the constitution which have been decried by protesters as a means of keeping his government in power until the next elections. Rallies have been mostly peaceful, but there have been occasional clashes with police and some arrests. Transparency International ranks Bulgaria as the most corrupt of the 27 nations in the EU. The economy is said to be one of the poorest in Europe, mainly due to corruption. A 2019 report on corruption in Bulgaria said that at least 35% of public procurement contracts involve corrupt practices. Currently the European Parliament is discussing the ongoing anti-corruption protests, after some of the movement's leaders sent letters to Brussels requesting support, but the Bulgarian government isn't backing down. See

The Covid-19 pandemic will increase the number of deprived people, and make it harder for those who are already struggling. Often they cannot afford to pay rent or utility bills, keep homes warm enough, eat good quality food, run a car, own a washing machine or TV, or pay for a telephone. In 2019, 5.6% of the EU’s population - 24 million people - found themselves in this situation. The risk of increased poverty is especially high for young people, those with low levels of education, and single-parent families, especially those headed by women. The highest levels of severe deprivation in the EU last year were in Bulgaria (19.9%), Greece (15.9%) and Romania (12.6%). Portugal also has over 2 million people in poverty or social exclusion, and unemployment is set to double in 2020.

On 23 October 39 migrants, including one teenager, were found frozen to death in a refrigerated container (temperature -25C) on an Essex industrial estate. The truck carrying the container entered the UK from Dublin four days earlier. The driver, from Northern Ireland, was arrested on suspicion of murder, even though he may have been the one who alerted the authorities. Local MP Jackie Doyle-Price said, ‘Putting 39 people into a locked metal container shows a contempt for human life that is evil. The best way to honour their memory is to bring the perpetrators to justice.’ The cab was registered in Bulgaria under a company owned by an Irish woman, with possible links to a smuggling route and to Irish Republican gangs. Pray for the victims to be quickly identified and families sensitively alerted, and for those responsible to be brought to justice. See also the next article.

Bulgaria’s prime minister welcomed Pope Francis when he visited Bulgaria on 5 May, saying it reflects his interest in the peaceful economic development of the Balkans. Francis’ tour included a visit to a refugee camp in the outskirts of Sofia, where he said, ‘Bulgaria confronts the phenomenon of those crossing its borders in order to flee wars, conflicts or dire poverty in attempts to reach the wealthiest areas of Europe. They want new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge. To all Bulgarians, familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts, or your hands - in accordance with your best tradition - to those who knock at your door.’ The Orthodox Church rejected the idea of holding joint prayers with the pontiff.

Bulgaria Revises Proposed Restrictions on Churches

Update: After considering laws to halt training, foreign funding, and missionary outreach, the European nation eases its approach.

Following an outcry from evangelicals and other faith groups, Bulgaria opted to revise a controversial proposal to restrict religious activity before putting it up for another parliamentary vote.

The initial draft amendments to its Religious Denomination Act would have kept members of minority faiths, like Protestants, from operating seminaries, holding activities outside church, and obtaining legal status. It also regulated foreign missionaries and funding. (See CT’s initial reporting below.)

The revised version adjusts the formula for state subsidies so that groups beyond the Bulgarian Orthodox and Muslims—which together comprise 95 percent of the population—are eligible, the Sofia Globereported. The adjustments follow a round of feedback from religious groups and discussion between two political parties in the legislature, after a November 16 deadline.

The updated law also would allow greater freedom to foreign missionaries than the first proposal; they could preach in the country as short-term residents or as visitors coming with advance notification. The new amendment also does away with a ban on anonymous donations by foreign groups.

As of Tuesday, the parliament had not yet voted on the restrictions, according to the Baptist Standard. TeodorOprenov, a Sofia pastor and leader in the Baptist Union of Bulgaria, told the site that evangelicals expected “some softening” after the meetings.

Thousands of Christians have been gathering before the parliament building each Sunday to protest and pray against the restrictions. They plan to continue rallying this Sunday, November 25, Oprenov said.

Original post (November 16): A controversial new law before the Bulgarian Parliament would keep Protestants and other minority faiths from freely worshiping, teaching, evangelizing, and tithing in the southeastern European nation.

Today’s vote marks the legislature’s second hearing for amendments to Bulgaria’s religious denominations act, which were initially approved October 4.

Over the past month, leaders from all faith groups in the former communist country have condemned the proposed additions, which prevent minority religions from offering clergy training, restrict worship services to designated sites, and place new regulations on international missionaries and giving.

“Should the law pass, existing theological seminaries are at risk of shutting down, evangelical church pastors may no longer be able to conduct worship services, and the acceptance and use of donations will be subject to government approval and limitations,” stated the World Evangelical Alliance, which has joined with the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance to oppose the legislation.

About 2,000 Christians gathered at the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, on Sunday to pray and protest against the proposed amendments, The Baptist Standard reported, and they have continued smaller demonstrations in hopes that the law will be rejected.

Evangelical Protestants make up less than 1 percent of the population in Bulgaria, where about 85 percent of citizens consider themselves Eastern Orthodox and about 10 percent are Muslim. Because of their small size, Protestants—along with Catholics, Jews, and others—fail to meet the threshold for certain government recognition under the draft law, which legislators say is meant to protect against foreign threats but religious groups see as a threat to their own religious freedom.

Christian churches across the country—including the United Methodist Church, Bulgarian Baptist Union, Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance, Catholic Church in Bulgaria, and National Alliance United Churches of God—each released statements against the proposal, reportedVladyRaichinov, an evangelical leader and pastor in Sofia.

The European magazine Evangelical Focus summarizes the biggest concerns with the amendments:

Only Bulgarian citizens will be able to carry out liturgical activity if they have had theological training in Bulgaria or their foreign school is approved.

Only Eastern Orthodox and Muslim believers will be able to train clergy and run schools.

A foreigner will only be able to preach if doing so with a Bulgarian ordained minister.

Foreign donations will only be allowed for building construction or social aid and will need government approval. No salaries of pastors, for example, could be paid from abroad.

No religious activities can take place outside of buildings designated for them.

Only religious groups with +300 people will have legal status.

Two years ago, Russia adopted similar restrictions on missionary activity and evangelism, also citing national security concerns. The 2016 “Yarovaya law” bars the non-Orthodox from sharing their faith outside of government-recognized church buildings.

Though only about 60,000 Protestants live in Bulgaria, according to 2011 census figures, the population has received vocal support from evangelical leaders in Europe and beyond.

European Baptist Federation general secretary Anthony Peck and Baptist World Alliance general secretary Elijah M. Brown wrote Bulgarian Prime Minister BoyokovBorissov with concerns that “… the implementation of this law could lead to unintended restrictions on religious freedom and the direct persecution of churches and individuals of faith.”

“These efforts to interfere with theological education, restrict missionary and worship activity, and control international donations in fact wrongly extends government power into the internal life of Bulgarian religious communities,” they said. “No state, we believe, should be in a position to control the training and activities of ecclesiastic ministers, nor should a state favor one faith expression over another.”

The proposed law, opponents worry, would represent a step backwards for their country, which was under Communist rule until 1990.

“The legislative proposal is a sad reminder of a bygone Communist past, which we believed would no longer return,” Christo Proykov, Catholic bishop of Sofia and president of the Bulgarian Bishops, told SIR.

Bulgarian media report that larger religious groups have likewise condemned the restrictions. Orthodox bishops stated that the amendments are “ambiguous and will fail to deliver the expected results. They must be seriously reconsidered to shun any doubt on the consolidated, positive cooperation between the State and the Church.” Major Muslim leaders also met with the prime minister to object to the law, including the provisions against smaller faiths.

Protestants have had to fight for their place in Bulgaria, from being driven underground during Communist rule to fighting back against what Christianity Today called “a swelling wave of religious intolerance that includes government restrictions, vitriolic media attacks, and even violent assaults” in the 1990s.

A year before the 2002 religious denominations act was adopted in Bulgaria, Sofia-based religious liberty lawyer Viktor Kostov wrote for CT about the struggle to grow a healthy church in a country “stuck in a wounded culture” and “haunted by totalitarianism.”

Pray: That the full freedoms of the churches and missionaries are protected.

Pray: That this legislation will be overturned.
Pray: For the protection of those who are campaigning and representing the church on these important issues at the highest level.
Pray:for the Spirit of Antichrist to be bound.
Pray: for Bulgarian Christians to have a voice, and to be listened to.
Pray: for better relations between the Bulgarian Church and Government.

More: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/november/bulgaria-religious-freedom-restrictions-parliament-evangeli.html

Greetings and blessings from Bulgaria.

I’m writing this e-mail with a bit of a sadness since after many of our prayer efforts and political activities, we are heading straight back towards communistic regime regarding out religious freedom!

We expresses concerns over the current draft law put forward by Bulgaria’s parliament aiming at amending the Religious Denominations Act. If approved in its current form, it threatens to force evangelical churches and institutions to close or face unbearable and discriminatory administrative burdens.

The draft law which passed in first reading in parliament on October 11, 2018 has implications on the funding and financial management of religious communities as well as on the training and appointing of clergy. Should the law pass, existing theological seminaries are at risk of shutting down, evangelical church pastors may no longer be able to conduct worship services, and the acceptance and use of donations will be subject to government approval and limitations.

It puts unjustified and disproportionate restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief and is in direct violations of the democratic principles enshrined in Bulgaria’s constitution and in the legislation of the European Union, of which Bulgaria is a member since 2007.

Here is a summary of the main problems with the proposed legislation:

Only Bulgarian citizens will be able to carry out liturgical activity if they have had theological training in Bulgaria or their foreign school is approved.

Only Eastern Orthodox & Muslim believers will be able to train clergy and run schools.

A foreigner will only be able to preach if doing so with a Bulgarian ordained minister.

Foreign donations will only be allowed for building construction or social aid and will need government approval. No salaries of pastors for example could be paid from abroad.

No religious activities can take place outside of buildings designated for them.

Only religious groups with +300 people will have legal status.

We would like to ask you urgently to pray and encourage others to pray. There are other things that you can also do to help. All of this should be done in the next few days.

Contact the Bulgarian embassy in your nation and write to the politicians in Sofia. Write a short letter/email explaining the main problems in the proposed legislation as outlined above. Politely but firmly ask why Bulgaria would introduce legislation that is so excessive and also harmful to all faith communities. Demand that the legislative proposal be scrapped.

For those in EU Member States, write a short letter to the MEPs of your nation, explaining the main problems in the proposed legislation and asking them to speak urgently to their Bulgarian colleagues to ask why Bulgaria would introduce legislation that is so excessively controlling and would cause great difficulties for all faiths

External links with more information:

https://www.worldea.org/news/4905/wea-expresses-concern-over-bulgaria-draft-law-jeopardizing-religious-freedom
http://www.europeanea.org/index.php/press-release-new-religion-law-in-bulgaria/
http://evangelicalfocus.com/

Please Pray:

Pray: for Bulgarian Christians to have a voice
Pray: for the legislation to be voted down
Pray: for better relations between Church and Government
Pray: for the Spirit of Antichrist to be bound

Christians in Bulgaria are facing the prospect of a new law that will severely restrict the freedoms currently enjoyed. The Religious Denominations Act was presented to parliament on 4 October 2018 and is due to be considered again on Friday 16 November. In a show of unity, thousands of Christians across towns and cities in Bulgaria have taken to the streets in peaceful protest and public prayer. Transform Europe Network’s partners in Bulgaria are urging fellow-Christians from the UK, across Europe, and beyond to pray and make written representations to their MEPs, ambassadors, and Bulgarian government officials.