In an official address, the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox church calls on parliament not to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention.

The Holy Synod says that the convention “gives rise to concern for the future of the European Christian civilization because it includes a new understanding of human beings as masters unto themselves and persons without God, who follow their desires and passions to such an extent as to determine their own sex. The ideas underlying the convention of communication between the sexes and attitude to religion, traditions, customs, education run counter to the Bulgarian people’s fundamental understanding of faith, nationality, morality, honour, dignity, upbringing, family,” the address by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox church reads.