ISTANBUL — A visit by Bp. Isaac of Velbuzhdsk, vicar of the Sofia Metropolis of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, has drawn controversy after the hierarch reportedly declined to participate in several festive events at the Ecumenical Patriarchate during Holy Week, citing concerns over preserving Orthodox canonical tradition.
According to a report from Pravblog, Bp. Isaac traveled to Istanbul at the invitation of the local Bulgarian Orthodox community to lead Holy Week services. However, on Pascha, he left the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George in the Phanar after finding representatives of the Roman Catholic, Armenian, and Syriac Jacobite churches present and invited to take part in the Gospel reading during the Resurrection service.