A dispute over liturgical language has forced the cancellation of a religious service at the historic St. George Church in the northwestern city of Edirne after the local Bulgarian Orthodox community revolted against plans to conduct the rite in Greek.
The service had been scheduled to mark the church’s feast day dedicated to St. George, one of the most revered saints across the Balkans.
Bulgarian Orthodox worshippers gathered at the church in Edirne expecting a ceremony in Bulgarian, but tensions emerged when representatives sent by Greek Metropolitan Amfilohios announced that the liturgy would be held in Greek, local media reported.
The decision prompted objections from the Bulgarian Exarchate Orthodox Church Foundation, which subsequently cancelled the service.
Instead, only a prayer ceremony was held under the direction of priest Karalampi Nichev from the Istanbul Bulgarian Church.
Dimitri Yotef, head of the Bulgarian Exarchate Orthodox Church Foundation, said the church administration would suspend all liturgical services at the site until Bulgarian-language worship is permitted again.
He added that the church would remain open for visitors, private prayer and candle lighting, but no formal services would be permitted.
Yotef also said the foundation had decided to bar the metropolitan from entering the church for services until the dispute is resolved.
According to Yotef, tensions surrounding the issue intensified following the death three years ago of the church’s late priest, Father Alexander Çıkırık.
“After his passing, we experienced serious pressure from the metropolitanate,” he said, adding that the foundation plans to hold meetings with senior officials to determine its next steps.
Bulgarian Consul General Kafedzhiyska described the incident as part of a longer-running disagreement over the use of Bulgarian in worship.
“In Türkiye, religious communities are generally free to conduct services in their own language,” she said. “What is at stake here is the community’s right to preserve its language, culture and faith.”
