"Sexual or other orientation" - Part 11: Satan is a formalist!

[tilia_tomentosa]

So, 6 September is a national holiday in Bulgaria - the day of the Union of the Bulgarian Principality and the province of Eastern Rumelia, the two parts that formed present post- Ottoman-Empire Bulgaria.  But my post is not primarily about that.

Metropolitan Nikolay of Plovdiv chose this day to award Prosecutor Yanev for his amazing reflections on

Comments

[quirkstreet]

More than anything I want to let you know I read this, because I want to thank you for keeping people informed about what's going on in your part of the world. I really love and respect your commitment to working on these issues in your own country and, in that way, around the world.

I find myself intrigued by what it must be like for the Church to--I presume?--feel freer to express its opinions than it might have been twenty or thirty years ago? And sad that, as so often happens, it uses that freedom to meddle in civil society. That is certainly familiar from life in the US.

I hope they have less success at convincing Bulgarians to go along with them, than our zealots have had here.

HUGS!

[tilia_tomentosa]

Thank you, Pete. It's nice to know that my efforts are appreciated. :) (and I do know that some other people follow the story too, although they don't comment all the time).

Yes, the Church has much more freedom now than in the Communist era, but it doesn't have much actual influence. The secularization of Bulgaria turned out very successful, for which I am now grateful.

The trouble is that homophobia is very "fashionable" now as a form of populism, and much of it is perfectly secular. And what you saw in this entry is just another form of populism too.

I added a link to a video of part of the ceremony, but of course it's all in Bulgarian.

[inbhirnis]

What Pete said above...!

I always enjoy reading your posts, just like the posts from our mutual Slovenian friends, because it gives us a peek into the struggle in other countries - thank you, Internet, for making it happen! I hope that Bulgaria is sufficiently secular to shrug off these sorts of proclamations..

[tilia_tomentosa]

I believe it is secular enough, Roy, although I won't be surprised if some people perceive this as a "patriotic" act.

All that Satan talk is way over the top for a sensible modern Bulgarian, Christian or not.

You can follow the link on my update to this entry or go to my FB profile to see His Eminence in full liturgical vestments making a fool of himself.