Photo by D. W. Iddiugs. Copyright Dy Keystone View Co. 

 BULGARIAN PEASANT AND TlJAM OF DOMESTIC BUFFALO 



THE BULGARIANS RFVOLT AGAINST THE 

 ; SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY OF THE 



; ; ' GREEK HIERARCHY 



A revolt against the spiritual authority 

 of the Greek hierarchy followed. The 

 history of this remarkable struggle, 

 which reveals the peculiar tenacity and 

 perseverance of the Bulgarian character, 

 has never been adequately written. The 

 conflict continued for 40 years (1830- 

 1870). The Bulgarians addressed inces- 

 sant memorials and petitions to the Pa- 

 triarchate, which sometimes appeared 

 disposed to negotiate, but in general op- 

 posed a resolute non possumus to all 

 their demands. The Greeks denounced 

 the leaders of the movement as guilty of 

 "phyletism" — that is, the introduction of 

 racial questions into the government of 



the church" — and induced the Porte to 

 banish some of them to Asia AIi.::or. 



On their part the Bulgarians main- 

 tained a continual agitation in the dis- 

 tricts which now constitute the princi- 

 pality and in Macedonia, and some of 

 the Greek prelates were compelled to 

 take to flight. At length the Bulgarian 

 leaders, despairing of a compromise with 

 the Patriarchate, determined to follow 

 the example set by some of the former 

 rulers of their nation and t^ transfer 

 their allegiance to Rome. Their design 

 was favored by the Emperor Napoleon 

 III who saw an opportunity for the in- 

 crease of French influence in the East ; 

 a deputation proceeded to Rome, and a 

 priest named Sokolski was consecrated 

 bishop of the Bulgarian Uniate Church 

 (1861). 



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