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RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN BULGARIA: PRESENT SITUATION

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN BULGARIA: PRESENT SITUATION. Georgeta Nazarska. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: STATISTICS. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: STATISTICS. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: FORMATION. Native population: Orthodox, Protestants, Pomaks (Bulgarian Muslims) Newcomers: Muslims – 14 th century Mixed origin:

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RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN BULGARIA: PRESENT SITUATION

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  1. RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN BULGARIA: PRESENT SITUATION Georgeta Nazarska

  2. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: STATISTICS

  3. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: STATISTICS

  4. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: FORMATION • Native population: Orthodox, Protestants, Pomaks (Bulgarian Muslims) • Newcomers: Muslims – 14th century • Mixed origin: Catholics – 17th century,1880s; Armenians – 1890s, 1920s; Jews – 13th, 15-17th century

  5. LEGISLATION.STATE – CHURCH BALLANCE • 1878-1947: Religious freedom, equal dignity; Bulgarian Orthodox Church - protected by the state • 1947-1989: Limitation of religious freedom; separation of Church and State; secularization of religious property; Catholic and Protestant priests - sentenced of death; atheistic propaganda; state control over the denominations • 1989-2009: Religious freedom; separation of Church and State; restitution of property; EU legislation is applied

  6. Traditional and major denomination (6 552 751, 82,6 % ) Consists of: Bulgarians, Vallachians, Roma, Russians, Greeks Independent, autonomous church - Bulgarian Patriarchate (1953); Synod; 14 eparchies Deep crisis in the Church (‘schism’, 1992-2004) “Boom of Christian religiosity” (1990s) Frequency of attendance at religious services (survey, 2001): EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS

  7. MUSLIMS • Major minority religious group: 966 978, 12.2% (2001) • Consists of: Turks, Pomaks, Tatars, Roma • Regional distribution: NE and SE Bulgaria; compact population • Internal division: Sunni and Alevi (Shi'a) • Belonging to the 11 mufti regions; under the rule of the Grand Mufti in Sofia; Muslims’ Supreme Council • Mosques; Vaqfs; Religious institutes and schools; ‘Islam’ as a optional subject in public schools • Frustration and religious consolidation (1980s-1990s) • Identity problems: Pomaks (1990s) • Migrations: emigration, seasonal • Fundamental sects: Rhodope Mountain

  8. CATHOLICS • Small group: 43 811, 0.6% (2001) • Bulgarians in origin, converted in the 17th century • Belonging to the Latin Catholic Church (2 eparchies) and to the Eastern Catholic church (1 exarchate, Uniats) • Orders of the Capuchins and the Passionists • Churches and monasteries; Press; Festivals; Social support institutions; Religious schools • Zealous in their religious activity • Strong religious identity

  9. PROTESTANTS • Small group: 42 308, 0.5% (2001) • Bulgarians in origin, converted in the 1850s-1890s by American missionaries • Traditional churches: Congregationalist, Methodist Episcopal, Adventist, Lutheran, Baptist • New branches: Pentecostal • Variety: 1500 churches, 1100 prayers and pastors • Popular among the Roma population (Pentecostal) • Strong religious identity • Activity towards young peoples and in the cities • Press; Books; Charity

  10. ARMENIANS (GREGORIANS) • Small group: 6 500,0.1% (2001) • Native Armenians + Immigrants from the Ottoman Empire (after the genocide) • Urban and distributed population • Armenian Apostolic congregations under the rule of the Armenian Catholicos in Echmiadzin • Churches; Press; Societies • Religious identity - based on national identity

  11. JEWS • Very small group: 653, 0.01% • Native (Romaniots) + Immigrants (Sephardim and Ashkenazi) • Urban and distributed population • Sepharadim predominated • Own congregations leading by Rabbis; Synagogues (2 - Sofia, Plovdiv); Societies; Press • Low religiosity (survey, 2000): Keeping kashrut – 2 % Attendance at the religious services: regularly 5%, on the Shabbat 10%, never 85% Reading the Talmud – 6% Believing in the God: believers 2%, unaffiliated 41%, atheists 58% Celebrating holidays: Pesach 84%, Yom Kippur 53%

  12. RELIGIOUS PLURALISM • Freedom of conscience and its expression • Religious autonomy and state non-interference • Pattern of co-habitation and mutual support (particularly in the mixed villages and regions) • Mixed (interreligious) marriages • No Anti-Semitism and xenophobia, no religious conflicts and massacres • Political representation – Movement for Rights and Freedom (Muslims); in the Legislature, Executive and Judicial, in local governmental level • Social distances close: Jews, Armenians, Catholics • Religious stereotypes positive: Jews, Armenians

  13. RELIGIOUS PLURALISM? • Social distances Long: Muslims (Turks, Pomaks, Roma) • Religious stereotypes Negative: Muslims, Protestants • Elements of preserved caesaropapism state interference in the crisis of the Bulgarian Orthodox church (1990s) some of denominations were not recognized(Jehovah’ Witnesses, up to 1998) • Predominance of the ethnic nationalism as a state policy before 1989: assimilation attempt (change of names of the Turks Muslims, 1984-1989) exclusion (Turks, 1989) in the society, 2010s: exclusion and racist attitudes towards the Roma racist and xenophobic slogans – AtakaMovement (Attack) [right wing party, parliamentary represented] • Multireligious and multicultural education does not exists in the educational system (curricula, syllabuses, textbooks)

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