Bulgaria

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AEuropean kingdom in the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula, bounded by the Black Sea, the Rhodope Mountains,Servia, and the Danube; it embraces an area of 37,200 sq. m. The population according to the census of 1900 numbers 3,744,283, divided according to religion into 3,019,296 Greek Orthodox, 28,579Catholics of theLatin Rite andUniat Greeks, 4524Protestants, 13,809 GregorianArmenians, 33,663Jews, 643,300Mohammedans, and 1112 of other creeds; according to nationality into 2,887,860 Bulgarians, 539,656Turks, 89,549 Gypsies, 75,223 Rumanians, 70,887 Greeks, 32,753Jews, 18,856 Tatars, 13,926Armenians, and 15,741 of other nationalities. The number of inhabitants in 1905 was 4,028,239.

History

At the beginning of theChristian Era, what is now Bulgaria constituted the Roman provinces of Moesia and Thrace, a territory in whichChristianity was preached at a very early period, asproved by theCouncil of Sardica in 343. During the migratory periodSlavic races pushed forward into this region. Some time after the middle of the seventh century, the Bulgars, a people of Hunnic and Finnic stock, who had been driven from their habitations on the Volga as far as the Lower Danube, began to make incursions into Moesia and Thrace. Completing their conquest of the country in awar with theByzantine Empire, they founded an independent kingdom about 680. The Bulgars gradually became amalgamated with the former inhabitants, adopting the nationality and language of the latter, but giving their own name to the ethnographic mixture. The new State often came into conflict with the neighbouringByzantine Empire, to which, however, in 718, it lent its support against theArabs. Prince Boris, or Bogoris (844-845 or 852-888), d. 907), acceptedChristianity for political reasons and wasbaptized in 864 or the beginning of 865; he first negotiated withPope Nicholas I for the creation of a Bulgarianhierarchy, but in the end joined theByzantine Church. During the reign of his younger son Symeon (893-927) the ancient Bulgarian State reached the zenith of its prosperity; its territories extended from the Danube to the Rhodope Mountains and from the Black Sea to the Ionian Sea. In 917 Symeon assumed the title of Tsar, and in 924 compelled Byzantium to recognize the Bulgarian Church as an autocephalouspatriarchate, with its seat at Ochrida or Achrida. Under his son Peter (927-969) the kingdom began to decline; during the reign of Shishman I the western part proclaimed its independence; two years after Peter's death the eastern section was pledged to the Eastern Empire. The western part, not able to preserve its autonomy, went to pieces in 1018 under the repeated attacks of the Emperor Basil II, surnamed Bulgaroktonos (the slayer of the Bulgarians). Though Basil left the Bulgarian Church its autonomy, the Metropolitans ofAchrida were no longer styled Patriarchs, butArchbishops, and after 1025 were chosen from the Greekclergy, instead of the Bulgarian.

After several futile uprisings against the oppressive Byzantine rule, a fresh Bulgarian insurrection took place about 1185. Two brothers, Peter and Ivan Asen, assumed the leadership, threw off the Byzantine yoke and re-established Symeon's empire. On their death (1197) their youngest brother Kaloyan, or Ivanitza, ruled alone until 1207; he entered into negotiations with theHoly See, promised to recognize the spiritual supremacy of thepope, and in November, 1204, wascrowned with the royal diadem by Cardinal Leo,legate ofPope Innocent III. At the same time Archbishop Basil of Tirnovo wasconsecratedPrimate of Bulgaria. This new Bulgarian Church embraced eightdioceses, Tirnovo being theprimatial see, but the union withRome was not of long duration. The new empire soon came into conflict with the recently founded Latin Empire (1204) of Constantinople; the Greeks fanned the dissensions in order to gain the Bulgarians over to their side. King Ivan Asen II (1218-41) formed an alliance with Emperor Vatatzes against the Latin Empire (1234), and again joined theGreek Church, which thereupon solemnly recognized the autonomy of theChurch of Tirnovo (1235). Since that time, with the exception of brief intervals, the Bulgarian Church has persisted inschism. In 1236Pope Gregory IX pronounced sentence ofexcommunication on Asen II, and in 1238 had aCrusade preached against Bulgaria. The history of the following period shows a succession of struggles with the Greeks, theServians, and the Hungarians, of internalwars for the possession of the throne, and of religious disturbances, as, for instance, those consequent on the spread of the Bogomili and theHesychasts, all of which weakened the State.

During the fourteenth century, theTurks, flushed with victory, invaded the Balkan Peninsula, and under Amurath I overthrew the Servian kingdom in the battle of Kossovo (Field of Blackbirds, 1389), captured Tirnovo, andimprisoned Ivan III Shishman, the last Bulgarian Tsar, thus destroying the Bulgarian hegemony. TheChurch shared the fate of the State, and the last Bulgarian patriarch, Euthymius (1375-93), was driven into exile. Only the Patriarchate ofAchrida continued as a Graeco-Bulgarianmetropolitansee, with Greek or hellenized occupants, until it was suppressed by the Porte in 1767 in consequence of the intrigues of the oecumenicalpatriarchs. The Greek language prevailed everywhere inschools and churches, and the remains of ancient Bulgarian literature were destroyed to a large extent by the Greeks. For almost five centuries the Bulgarian people groaned under the political yoke of theTurks and theecclesiastical domination of the Greeks, yet continuouspersecution did not avail to obliterate the memory of the nation's former greatness. The nineteenth century was destined to bring liberty to the Bulgarians, as well as to otherChristian peoples of the Balkan Peninsula. The self-sacrificing generosity of wealthy Bulgarians made it possible to establish Bulgarianschools (the first at Gabrovo, 1835) and printing presses (at Saloniki, 1839,Smyrna, 1840, Constantinope., 1843), by which the national culture and patriotic sentiment were elevated. The reawakened national feeling first manifested itself in theecclesiastical order.

In 1860 a representative body of the Bulgarian nation requested the Greek patriarch at Constantinople to recognize their national church, to accord them freedom in the selection of theirbishops, and to appoint Bulgarian, rather than Greekprelates to Bulgariansees. ThePatriarch of Constantinople refused these concessions. This act inflamed the national feeling and was followed by the expulsion of the Greekbishops and finally insurrections againstTurkish authority. To ensure its supremacy, the Porte sought to mediate between the parties, but fresh negotiations were productive of no further result, and the Sultan by a firman of 11 March, 1870, granted the Bulgarians an exarchate of their own, independent of the Greekpatriarchate. In 1872, the first Bulgarianexarch was chosen by an assembly of Bulgarianbishops andlaymen. In a council at which only twenty-nineorthodoxbishops assisted the oecumenical patriarch solemnlyexcommunicated the Bulgarian Church and declared itschismatical.

National autonomy followed close upon ecclesiastical independence. On May, 1876, theTurkish Government perpetrated unspeakable atrocities in the suppression of a Bulgarian insurrection. These horrors might never have touched theconscience of the civilized world had it not been for thecourage and enterprise of Januarius Aloysius MacGahan, an AmericanCatholic (b. in Perry County,Ohio, 12 June, 1844, d. at Constantinople, 9 June, 1878). As correspondent of theLondon "Daily News", and accompanied by Eugene Schuyler, Commissioner of theUnited States Government, MacGahan was the only journalist to visit the devastated districts; he obtained the evidence of eyewitnesses and, supplementing this with his own observation, published a mass of facts which enabled Mr. Gladstone to arouse among the English-speaking peoples a lively sympathy for the BulgarianChristians. A conference of theEuropean powers demanded ofTurkey the erection of an autonomous Bulgarian province. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, however, and the Peace of San Stefano created an autonomous Bulgarian principality, tributary to the Porte. The Berlin Congress of 1878 abrogated some of the provisions of the Peace of San Stefano and divided Greater Bulgaria into an autonomous Bulgarian principality and a province of Eastern Rumelia under aChristian governor-general, to be appointed by the Porte every five years, but subject to the approval of the Powers. On 22 February, 1879, the first Bulgarian assembly of notables convened in the principality; on 28 April the new constitution was signed; and on 29 April Prince Alexander of Battenberg was chosen as sovereign by the first national assembly. In Eastern Rumelia, from the very first the trend of events pointed to union with the Bulgarian principality. In September, 1885, an insurrection broke out, and a provisional regency proclaimed the union with Bulgaria. In September, Alexander announced from Philippopolis the union of the two countries and, after repelling aServian invasion, received recognition as Governor-General of Eastern Rumelia (5 April, 1886). The unexpected independence which Alexander had shown in the face ofRussia, brought him into disfavour with that power, and a military conspiracy, secretly supported byRussia, was successful in having him transported across the frontier (20 August, 1886). He was recalled, it istrue, by the popular voice, after ten days, but, not wishing to rule withoutRussia's favour, which Bulgaria found indispensable, and yet not being able to gain the Tsar's friendship., he abdicated, 7 September, 1886. A regency, under Stambuloff, administered the national affairs until a new sovereign was elected by the National Assembly. The choice fell on theCatholic prince, Ferdinand of Saxe-Koburg-Kohary, 7 July, 1887. As Ferdinand at first left the national policy in the hands ofRussia's enemy, Stambuloff,Russia, as well as the Porte, refused to recognize the new king. Only after the assassination of Stambuloff (1895) was a reconciliation withRussia effected. The Sultan then recognized Ferdinand as prince and governor-general, in view of the fact that Ferdinand had his son Boris, heir to the throne,baptized in the Greekorthodoxfaith (1896). Theeconomic andintellectual progress of the country is retarded by financial complications, by partisanship in politics, and by the unrest incident to the so-called Macedonian question.

Statistics

Catholics (Latin Rite)

TheCatholics of Bulgaria are for the most part descendants of the Bogomili orPaulicians converted by theFranciscans during the sixteenth century, and are directly subject to theDiocese of Nicopolis with its seat at Rustchuk, and the Vicariate Apostolic of Sofia and Philippopolis, with the seat at Philippopolis. TheDiocese of Nicopolis (Diocecesis Nicopolitana) contains, according to the Missiones Cattolicae (Rome, 1907), about 13,000 LatinCatholics, 14parishes, 3 stations, 5 secular and 18regularpriests, a greatseminary in Rustchuk, 3parishschools for boys and 3 for girls, 3 notaries of malereligious orders (Passionists,Marists, andAssumptionists); there are also houses of theSisters of the Assumption, with a boardingschool at Varna; Dames de Sion, with dayschool at Rustchuk, andDominican Sisters from Cette,France. The Vicariate Apostolic of Sofia a Philippopolis (Sofiae et Philippolis), established in 1759, contains 11,880 LatinCatholics, 1000 GreekCatholics, 13parishes, 23 secular and 27regularpriests, 31Capuchin Fathers, almost all engaged inparochial work; 20Assumptionists, Fathers andlay brothers, with 4 foundations, one acollege at Philippopolis, the onlyCatholic college in Bulgaria; 2 Resurrectionists, 10Brothers of the Christian Schools, with a boarding and a dayschool at Sofia; 40 French sisters of St. Joseph de l'Apparition, with 6 houses, a boardingschool,orphan asylum andhospital at Sofia; a boardingschool and dayschool at Philippopolis, and a boardingschool and a dayschool at Burgas; 13 Austrian Sisters ofSt. Vincent de Paul, with ahospital at Philippopolis; 22 Bulgarian Sisters of theThird Order of St. Francis; and 7Sisters of the Assumption. There are also 2 colleges for boys, 3 for girls, 2hospitals, 3orphanages and 3 asylums for girls.

Eastern Catholics

While the Bulgarians were contending with the Greekpatriarchate forecclesiastical autonomy, and the patriarch refused to make any concession, a movement was set on foot among the Bulgarians which pointed towards union withRome. On 30 December, 1860, 120 deputies of the people petitioned theApostolic Delegate to receive them into theRoman Church on condition of the recognition of their language and liturgy, and the appointment of abishop of their own nationality; almost 60,000 of their fellow-countrymen joined in the request.Pius IX himself, 21 January, 1861,consecrated apriest named Solkolski its firstVicar Apostolic ofUniat Bulgaria. This movement, however, did not win the support ofCatholicEurope, while the greatest obstacles were placed in its way byRussia and thepatriarchate of Constantntinople. Sokolski lapsed back intoschism in June, 1861, and embarked for Odessa on a Russian vessel; the majority of the Bulgarianpriests andlaymen attached themselves to the recently founded national exarchate. Only about 13,000 Bulgarians remained true to theRoman Church, and they live for the most part outside of Bulgaria in theTurkish provinces ofMacedonia and Thrace. For these, twoVicariates Apostolic have been erected. The Vicariate Apostolic of Thrace, with seat atAdrianople, contains 3,000Catholics 14parishes and stations, 20churches andchapels, 16 nativesecular priests, 25 Resurrectionists in 3 houses and 10Assumptionists in 3 houses, 36Sisters of the Assumption, with a boardingschool, 3 Sisters of the Resurrection, 2 colleges, one in Kara-Agasch near Adrianopolis under theAssumptionists and the other atAdrianople under the Resurrectionists. The Vicariate Apostolic ofMacedonia, with its see at Saloniki, contains 5,950 Graeco-BulgarianCatholics, 21churches, 33 Bulgarianpriests of the Slavonic Rite, aseminary at Zeitenlink near Saloniki, 17schools for boys and 10 for girls, 4 houses of theCongregation of the Mission, with 15priests, 6 houses of theSisters of Mercy, 4 of the Eucharistines, 3orphan asylums.

Other Oriental Churches

The Greek Orthodox church of Bulgaria is divided into 5 eparchies or provinces. The Bulgarians under theexarch (or supreme lead of the Bulgarian National Church) are divided into 11 eparchies, 3 in Eastern Rumelia, with 2123parishes, 78monasteries for men, 15 forwomen, 1800 churches and 1906clergy.

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