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ited.”The1975Constitution,whichisconsistentwithallofitspredecessors,identifies
onlytheOrthodoxChurch,andtheJewishandMuslimreligionsasknownreligions,or
as„legalpersonsofpubliclaw.”Allotherreligionsareconsidered„legalpersonsof
privatelaw,”andassuch,theyhavenolegalpersonality;indeed,theCatholicChurch
wasnotextendedthestatusof„legalpersonalityofprivatelaw”until19996.Theune-
qualstatusofallnon-OrthodoxreligionsinGreecehasledtoacontinuousandvery
ardentdebateregardingreligiouslibertiesandtheoptionsforpracticingtheseliberties7.
AndwhileGreekstrytoassureEuropethattheydonotrestricttherightsonnon-
Orthodoxchurches,buttheGreekcasehelpstospecifythenatureofOrthodoxy’sam-
bivalencetowardspluralism,intheformofagapbetweensupportforthelegal-
constitutional,orformal(ist)rightsoffreedomofreligionandconscience,ontheone
hand,versuscontradictionsintheinterpretationandapplicationofthoserightsin
asubstantivelyexpansivemanner,ontheother8,thenexttwoOrthodoxcountries
–BulgariaandRomania–accessedtotheUnion.Intheircases,theaccessiontreaties
werealsoalignedwiththeconstitutions.Buthowarethingsarrangedinmycountry?
IwillconsideronlythecaseofBulgaria.
AfterthefalloftheCommunistregimein1989,asinmostformersocialiststates,
wewerealsowitnessinganintensivecome-backtoChristianreligiousvalues,institu-
tions,andtraditions.ButastheBulgarianOrthodoxChurchwasgoingoutofthedec-
adesoftotalitarianismwithaheavyburdenofaccusationsofcollaborationismwiththe
authoritiesandformorethanadecadewasstrugglingtoovercomeitsownschism9,for
longitwasnotsuccessfulintakingtheleadoftheseprocesses.Thus,there-
Christianizationoccurredmainlyatthelevelofeverydaylifeandwasoftenaformof
expressingapolitical(equaltoanti-Communist)stand.EventheleadersoftheSocialist
Partywerequicktore-orientateandbegantoshowatthetemplesduringmajorchurch
festivalsinanattemptatre-integratingthemselveswithinthecurrentlyadoptedforms
ofsocialization.Allthishappenedatthebackgroundoftherapidintrusionofallkinds
ofpreviouslyunknownfortheordinarybelieversChristian(butnon-Orthodox)and
non-Christianpreacherswhoaggressivelyandsuccessfullydisseminatedtheirteach-
ingsthusgivinggroundtothetalkaboutthereligiousdiversitynoteverseeninthe
6Е.Продрому,Православнотохристиянствоиплурализмът[В:]И.Мерджанова(съст.),
РелигияиполитиканаБалканите,С.,ДЕМОС,2004,с.191–228;с.199.[E.H.Prodromou,Orthodox
ChristianityandPluralism:MovingBeyondAmbivalence?[In:]ReligionandPoliticsintheBalkans,
I.Merdjanova(ed.),DEMOSFoundation,2004,pp.191–228]Iwishtoexpressmygratitudetothepublish-
erswhograntedmethechancetousetheEnglishoriginal.
7seesummarizedresultsfromthediscussionin:E.Prodromou,SomeNotesonReligion,State,andDe-
mocracy:TheUnexceptional,YetInstructive,CaseofGreece,January23,2002–http://www.bu.edu/-
cura/programs/working%20papers/Prodromou%20lecture.htm
8Е.Продрому,Православнотохристиянствоиплурализмът,с.191–228;с.194.[E.H.Pro-
dromou,OrthodoxChristianityandPluralism:MovingBeyondAmbivalence?,p.194].
9TheschismwithintheBulgarianOrtodoxChurchbeganin1992withthedisputeonthelegitimacyofthe
electionofPatriarchMaximandtheaccusationofcollaborationismwiththetotalitarianregimelaidagainsthim.
TheestablishmentofanalternativeSynodledtoasevereconflictonalllevelsintheChurch,andalsotodisorien-
tationandreligiousscepsisamongthelaity.TheschismformallyendedupwiththedecisionsoftheAll-Orthodox
CouncilofallEastOrthodoxpatriarchsheldinSofiain1998buttheconflictendured.Theadoptionofthenew
LawonConfessionsin2002didnotsolvetheproblemsbecauseofambiguousformulations.Fordetailscf.
http://www.pravoslavieto.com/docs/razkol_chronology.htm#71(usedon25September2007).
