Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA
Introduction
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people and to teach both by word and by deed, and to inspire all people to lead an Orthodox Christian life and service to others. They started as a mission of the Holy Synod of Sofia to Bulgarian and Macedonian immigrants in North America following World War II. Connection with the Holy Synod, which was under Communist rule, was broken when the community disputed its relationship to the Mother Church. There were some Bulgarians that rejoined the Mother Church in 1962 while others disagreed. The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA was first organized under the Russian Church in exile.
History
Christianity was introduced in Bulgaria around 864 by the Tsar Boris I with an archbishop appointed from Constantinople. It was St. Clement of Ohrid who trained a large number of Slavs to be ministers. The Bulgarians are considered to be among the Slavic people. The original Bulgarians were not Slavic in origin. They were descendants of the Mongolian warriors. They arrived in the area of Bulgaria near the Danube River in the 7th century. The Bulgarians overpowered the Slavic tribes. Many of the Slavic tribes were converted by the Byzantine Empire. The first to be converted to Orthodoxy was Bulgaria which included most of modern day northern Greece (then called Thrace), southern Hungary (then called Pannonia), Romania, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, and Turkey (the lands on the western side of the Bosporus Straits.
Bulgaria was under the Turkish domination for almost five centuries. The church was governed by the patriarch of Constantinople using a Greek clergy.
The Bulgarian Diocese accomplished its independence from the Ottoman Turks in 1876. It was at that time Bulgaria took control of all its churches. Those that had been converted to mosques were re-established into Bulgarian Orthodox functioning churches.
World War II found Bulgaria under the rule of Communism. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church life was nearly nonexistent under the direct control of the Communist government for forty-five years. Any of the Bulgarian people who pursued the Orthodox was of life were persecuted and imprisoned.
The Constantinople Ecumenical Patriarch pronounced the Bulgarian church “schismatic” and refused to recognize it until 1949. The same year there was a unilateral state law imposed on religious associations that restricted all church activities and held them to stringent control by the government. Progressive priests who opposed bishops were supported and encouraged by the government. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church managed to continue to grow and started a theological academy in Sofia was established to train priests.
The Communist government fell in Bulgaria around 1989. The church dramatically changed. Freedom came to the Bulgarian people so they could once again practice the Faith of their fathers and follow the Orthodox way of life. There were still some problems with the government and the Bulgarian Church especially regarding the properties of the Church and its lands that had been confiscated during the Communist occupation. Many of the churches, monasteries and religious centers were later returned.
Belief
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA believes and is based on tradition, the Holy Bible, the Nicene Creed, the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, the writings of the Fathers, the Canons, the Service Books and the Holy Icons. This is the whole system of belief that makes up The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA. The Holy Bible is a part of the Holy Tradition. They are not two separate sources of the Christian Faith; they are one and the same. The Holy Bible exists and is formulated within Tradition.
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA believes in a single God who is the three and one Triune; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are one in essence and undivided. The Father is the eternal source of the Godhead, the Son is begotten eternally, and the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally.
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA believes the Nicene Constantinopolitan Creed as their Symbol of Faith. God is the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Only begotten of God. Christ is Light of Light, True God of True God that He was begotten not made and is one essence with the Father. It was for man and the salvation of man that Christ came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered, was buried and rose on the third day. Christ ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom shall have no end. The Holy Spirit is the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father.
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA believes man was created in perfect communion with God and it was by his own turning away that caused sin. It is this corruption of sin that man entered into death from God. When Jesus came into the world He Himself was a Perfect Man and Perfect God united. Because of this human nature was recreated and this allowed humans to participate in the divine nature. Jesus assumed human form in order that death might be destroyed, and men could be renewed into the Image of God. This is the Incarnation Salvation, also referred to as being saved from the separation from God. The Orthodox Church refused to comment of the state of anyone outside the church; they only refer to the believers within the Orthodox Church.
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA believes there is nothing a person can do to earn an entrance into Heaven. This is a gift from God, and not forced upon him. The gift of His Grace is given so He can restore the original relationship with mankind. This gift has to be accepted by the believer who has free will. It is the ultimate goal of the Orthodox Christian to achieve Union with God. The greatest of all saints have achieved in their earthly life the process of becoming God; since they believe God became man so that Man might become God.
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA believes sin is more than breaking rules. Sin is the name of any behavior which leads a believer away from God. Original sin began with Adam. Christ combined His divine nature to man for the purpose of changing human nature and saving man from hell. It is this reason the Orthodox Church holds the theory of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. She was a participating human and therefore was affected by original sin. They believe the Virgin Mary was cleansed by original sin once Christ took form within her. Original sin is cleansed in humans through baptism. They believe Virgin Mary is the Theotokos, the birth giver of God.
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA believes before Christ was incarnated on earth man had to die because of the fall of Adam which caused them to be separated from God. It is fundamental for the Orthodox Christians to accept that Christ is both God and man and both natures are complete.
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA believes the Virgin Mary was and remained a virgin before and after the birth of Christ. The Orthodox Churches believe as a child, Mary was consecrated at the age of three to serve in the Temple as a Temple virgin. They believe the High Priest, Zechariah, had taken Mary into the Holy of Holies as a sign of her importance. Mary gave up her position at the age of twelve in the Temple to marry. It was her desire to remain forever a virgin in dedication to God. The Orthodox Church believes God allowed Joseph, her cousin, to care for her and allow her to remain a virgin.
The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA believes the Eucharist is the focal point of Orthodox Christianity. The bread and wine are considered to be the authentic Body and Blood of the Christ Jesus. Only the baptized, Orthodox Christians may receive Communion. They must be prepared by fasting and prayers. The priest administers Communion with a spoon directly into the mouth of those who receive communion.
Repentance is an important part of the preparation for receiving the Eucharist. Those who have committed sins and repent of them and desire to reconcile themselves to God must confess their sins to God before an icon of Jesus in the presence of a priest. The priest is to be a witness and prays for the forgiveness of God who confirms that forgiveness with a blessing. Since it is believed that a sin is an illness, a penance is given to those who have spiritual illness that require treatment.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of the USA: .” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2006.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2611,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006, January) “Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of the USA: .” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2611,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006) “Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of the USA: .” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2611, (accessed).
