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The Struggle Against the Bulgarian
Church
There were 378 Bulgarian churches with 300 priests in Aegean Macedonia.
Enemy No.1 of the fighting Greek phanariots was the Bulgarian Orthodox
church. The leading role played by the Greek church in winning the
so-called "Macedonian Struggle" was stated above.
As early as July 31 1913, the Governor of Kostour invited the Head of
the Bulgarian Orthodox church and all priests and told them about the
Greek Government order that they were to leave Greek territory within 48
hours. The expelled priests, all born in Macedonia, were presented with a
document which stated that they were returning to Bulgaria because they
were Bulgarians. ,,There cannot be Bulgarians in Greek Macedonia! any
more" /,,Report..... " p.199/
On July 3 and 4 1913, 200 Bulgarian priests and teachers were arrested
and sent to the Thessaloniki prison. On June 30 the last Bulgarian church
was confiscated and occupied. All icons of ,,St. Cyril and Metodius"
were either burnt or covered with manure. Most of the priests were sent in
exile on various Greek islands. Their ups and downs are described in the ,,Mir"
newspaper from October 30 1913 /,,Report....... " p.199/
At present there are no Bulgarian churches in Macedonia and no place
where a divine service is carried in Bulgarian. It is made clear below
what is the attitude of the Greek state towards any attempt to deliver
Gods words in the local Slavo Bulgarian language.
THE ARCHIMANDRITE NIKODIM CASE
Archimandrite Nikodim is a Macedonian Bulgarian, who graduated
theology in Athens and was appointed for a reverend in a Salonica
village. There he carries the services in Slav language, as the majority
of the villagers speak Bulgarian. This brought over him the hatred of
the bishop who fired him. Here is the full text of the declaration of
this notable human rights fighter.
,,I have lived in Greece since my birth in the village of Aridea /Subotsko/,
in Northern Greece. In 1975 after completing my theological studies at
Athens University, 
I began to preach the word of God. My religious beliefs gave me the
strength to withstand all the trials and tribulations which I had to
endure as an activist for human rights of Macedonian people in Greece.
This is the country where I was born and a country where even the basic
human rights concerning the ethnic minorities are not observed. I became
an open fighter for human rights since 1980, but our movement for rights
for the Macedonians had started in the 70's. As a young man I witnessed
of the humiliation and discrimination of the Macedonian people by the
Greek authorities. I must state that the bishops of Lerin and Voden were
people appointed by the Military Junta which governed Greece from 1967
to 1974. The bishop of Lerin, Agostinos is still in office as of this
day. Since my colleagues and I made an open demand for the recognition
of the Macedonian language, culture and ethnic identity, we were
subjected to abuses and defamation of a most abominable kind. Our
telephones were tapped. There was no place where we could take our
grievance since this was the official policy. Although Greece has signed
some humanitarian international conventions, the respective commission,
where one can appeal, has still not been established.
In 1980, when I was a village priest in a village nearLerin and
openly stated my belief that Macedonians should be given basic rights,
bishop Agostinos had me expelled from the diocese, stating in public
that I was an ,,agent of Skopje", ,,autonomist" and ,,enemy
of Greece" and other similar lies.
In 1981 as a priest in Kukush for sturdy work in the name of God
Ibuilt a church in the village of KukushI I was promoted by the bishop
Ambrosinos to the rank of archimandrite. In 1983 the secret police
/KIP/ managed through pressure over the same bishop to. convince him
to shift me over to some more remote place in old Greece. This
decision was annulled since my fellow villagers made a massive
demonstration. In 1988 I received an honour award from the bishop
Ambrozias, since during this year we have completed and inaugurated
the church ,,Agios Atanasios" /village of Boriani/ in the village
with the same name. This was a church made possible by my activity
from idea to its realization. Thank God, that my fellow villagers
stood with their wisdom by me. In October 1989 the Secret police chief
visited me with a proposition to cooperate with the police concerning
the Macedonian question and so I would be promoted to the rank of
bishop. If I refused, I would be publicly overthrown and killed.
Immediately I told all this to the "Proti" newspaper
/liberal-progressive/, which supported me. The Secret police did not
bother me again. But rumours about immoral doings on my side were
spread along with faked pictures of these doings. These manoeuvers are
known to the world and my people knew they were fabricated.
In March 1992 the newly arrived bishop in Kukush Apostolus had me
removed from my parish without any explanation. I have been since then
without work and parish. It is now that I understand that I am fired
and removed forever.
There is much more I may add about the Macedonian minority in
Greece. God is my witness that I tell the truth about the things that
have happened to me.
I want to say it aloud before the world that I do not wish to become
a political outcast or runaway, since I wish to continue my just fight
together with my Macedonian brothers and sisters in the place where it
is most needed. "
It becomes evident from this declaration what is the attitude of the
Greek authorities towards the use of the mother language in local
churches and how Greek authorities act against anyone who dares to fight
for his right accepted by international conventions.
The harassment against Father Nikodim continues even today. Before
finishing the manuscript of this book we have learned that the public
prosecutor of Thessalonika has issued an accusation note against father
Nikodim and his aide Foti /Fotos Tzelepis/ because when they have
learned that the Kukush bishop was going to hold a service in the
village church, father Nikodim has said to the villagers: ,,You have
to show him that you do not want him and not let him in the
church." When the bishop after all came and started the
service, father Nikodim took the microphone from his hand and the
service carried out in Greek was interrupted.
Father Nikodim is accused also for encouraging 30-40 people from the
village Agios Atanasios /Boliyari/ to place a tractor in front of the
church door and with it or with their bodies to stop the bishop from
entry the church. A strong police squad was used to make this entering
possible. The Thessaloniki prosecutor, Dimitrius Papageorgiu has started
another prosecutor case. Accused is also the aide Fotius Tzelepis as an
accomplice. The accusation is based on articles 240, 320 and 321 from
the Greek Criminal code.
The Greek Orthodox Church continues to play its leading role in
debulgarization. As in the beginning of the century, now at its end, it
is the carrier of the Greek ,,megali idea" in the sphere of
intellectual life. Still encouraged today by the memory of Germanos
Karavangelis /see above/ who directly or indirectly destroyed physically
hundreds of our fellow countrymen in the region of Kostour.
THE CASE OF BISHOP KANTIOTIS
The Greek movie director Georgios Angelopulos decided to film a
documentary about the life of people in Aegean Macedonia and precisely
the day-to- day life of the people living in Lerin. A scene was shot
that showed locals coming out of church service. They did not hide their
Slavic identity, because of which the bishop of Lerin Agostinos
Kantiotis expelled from the church all the villagers that on the
question why they were not speaking Greek but Slavic, said that they
were not Greeks but Macedonians. One of the expelled, Konstantin
Papalazaridis, died because of ,,this shame". A funeral
service and burial was refused for him. The bishop secretary told in
public that: ,,Thus will be with everyone who took part in the film,
that did not repent and did not receive pardon from the bishop."
At the same time all local priests were given an order not to enter the
homes and not to carry any religious services for the people that stood
before the camera.
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