1. RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN BULGARIA: PRESENT SITUATION Georgeta Nazarska

2. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: STATISTICS Denominations/Cens us 1910192019261934194619922001 Number Total 4 337 513 4 846 971 5 478 741 6 077 939 7 029 349 8 487 317 7 928 901 Eastern Orthodox 3 643 918 4 062 097 4 569 074 5 128 890 5 967 992 7 274 592 6 552 751 Muslims 602 078690 734789 296821 298938 418 1 110 295966 978 Catholics 32 15034 07240 34745 704-53 07443 811 Protestants 6 3355 6176 7358 371-21 87842 308 Jews 40 06743 23246 43148 39843 3352 580653 Armenians (Gregorians) 12 25910 84825 40223 476-9 6726 500 Others 7063711 4561 80279 60415 2267 784 Unaffiliated ------308 116

3. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: STATISTICS Structure - % Total 100.0 Eastern Orthodox 84.083.883.484.484.985.782.6 Muslims 13.914.314.413.513.313.112.2 Catholics 0.7 0.8-0.6 Protestants 0.1 -0.30.5 Jews 0.9 0.8 0.60.0 Armenians (Gregorians) 0.30.20.50.4-0.1 Others 0.0 1.10.20.1 Unaffiliated ------3.9 Denominations/Cens us 1910192019261934194619922001

4. RELIGIOUS GROUPS: FORMATION Native population: Orthodox, Protestants, Pomaks (Bulgarian Muslims) Newcomers: Muslims – 14 th century Mixed origin: Catholics – 17 th century,1880s; Armenians – 1890s, 1920s; Jews – 13 th, 15-17 th 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. EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS 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): attendance at religious servicesTotal (%)Men, % Women, % once a week161.33.4 several times per month25.415.429.5 once a year49.3 rarely9.3

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 17 th 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 – Ataka Movement (Attack) [right wing party, parliamentary represented] Multireligious and multicultural education does not exists in the educational system (curricula, syllabuses, textbooks)