Bulgarian Church begins debate on increasing powers of Synod: CEN 10.10.08

Bulgarian Church begins debate on increasing powers of Synod: CEN 10.10.08 October 10, 2008

Posted by geoconger in Bulgarian Orthodox, Church of England Newspaper, Politics, Property Litigation.
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Delegates to the Holy Synod of the Church of Bulgaria have begun debate on a reform of the code of canon law that proposes an increase in the legal powers of the synod at the expense of bishops and clergy.

Meeting at the St John of Rila Monastery south of Sofia from Oct 6-8, the Sixth Church Convention of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church passed an ordinance forbidding the sale, mortgage or exchange of church properties — an action that vests trusteeship of property in the synod rather than with local bishops, abbots or congregations.

The push towards centralization of property ownership comes in the 16th year of a schism — a legacy of the Communist era in Bulgaria, and appears aimed at centralizing the control of property by the Synod and the leader of the church, Maxim, Patriarch of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia, at the expense of dissident clergy and bishops.

Read it all in The Church of England Newspaper.