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 BULGARIA

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BULGARIA

and enterprise of Januarius Aloysiua MacGahan, an American Catholic (b. in Peny County, Ohio, 12 June, 1844; d. at Constantinople, 9 June, 1878). As corre- spondent of the London "Daily News", and accom- panied by Eugene Schuyler, Commissioner of the United States Government, MacGahan was the only journalist to visit the devastated districts; he ob- tained the evidence of eyewitnesses and, supple- menting this with his own observation, published a mass of facts which enabled Mr. Gladstone to arouse among the English-speaking peoples a lively, sym- pathy for the Bulgarian Christians. A conference of the European powers demanded of Turkey the erec- tion of an autonomous Bulgarian province. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, however, and the Peace of San Stefano created an autonomous Bul- garian principality, tributary to the Porte. The Berlin Congress of 1878 abrogated some of the pro- visions of the Peace of San Stefano and divided Greater Bulgaria into an autonomous Bulgarian principality and a province of Eastern Rumelia under a Christian 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 a Servian invasion, received recognition as Governor-General of Eastern Rumelia (5 April, 1S86). The unexpected independence which Alexander had shown in the face of Russia, brought him into disfavour with that

Cower, and a military conspiracy, .secretly supported y Russia, was successful in having him transported across the frontier (20 August, 1886). He was re- called, it is true, by the popular voice, after ten days, but, not wishing to rule without Russia's favour, which Bulgaria found indispensable, and yet not being able to gain the Tsar's friendship, he abdicated, 7 September, 1S86. A regency, under Stambuloff, administered the national affairs until a new sovereign was elected by tin' National Assembly. The choice fell on the Catholic prince, Ferdinand of Saxe- Coburg-Kohary, 7 July. 1SS7. As Ferdinand at first left the national policy in the hands of Russia's enemy, Stambuloff, Russia, as well as the Porte, refused to recognize the new king. Only after the assassination of Stambuloff (189.5) was a reconcilia- tion with Russia effected. The Sultan then recog- nized Ferdinaml as prince ami governor-general, in view of the fact that Ferdinand had his son Boris, heir to the throne, baptized in the Greek ortho- dox faith (1896). The economic and intellectual progress of the country is retarded by financial com- plications, by partisanship in politics, and by the unrot incident to the so-called Macedonian ques- tion.

Statistics. — (a) Catholics, Lntin Rite. — The Catho- lics of Bulgaria are for the most part descend- ants of the Bogomili or Paulicians converted by the Franciscans during the sixteenth century, and are directly subject to the I lioeese of NicopollS with it- seal at Rustchuk. and the Vicariate Apostolic of Sofia and Philippopolis, with the seat at Philip- popolis. The Diocese ol Nicopolia (Dicecesis Si<-<>- a • contains, according to the Misaiones Cattoli- C33 (Rome, 1907. about 13.000 Latin Catholics, 1 1 parishes, 3 station-. I 18 regular priests,

a great seminary in Rustchuk, 3 parish schools for boys and 3 for girls, 3 houses of male religious orders

(Passionists, Marists, and Assumptionists); there are also houses of the Sisters of the Assumption, with a boarding school at Varna; Dames de Sion, with a day school at Rustchuk, and Dominican Sisters from Cette, France. The Vicariate Apostolic of Sofia and Philippopolis (Sofia; et Philippolis), established in 1759, contains 14,S80 Latin Catholics, 1000 Greek Catholics, 13 parishes, 23 secular and 27 regular priests, 31 Capuchin Fathers, almost all engaged in parochial work; 20 Assumptionists, Fathers and lay brothers, with 4 foundations, one a college at Philippopolis, the only Catholic college in Bulgaria; 2 Resurrec- tionists, 10 Brothers of the Christian Schools, with a boarding and a day school at Sofia; 40 French Sis- ters of St. Joseph de TApparition, with 6 houses, a boarding school, orphan asylum and hospital at Sofia, a boarding school and day school at Philip- popolis, and a boarding school and day school at Burgas; 13 Austrian Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul, with a hospital at Philippopolis; 22 Bulgarian Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis; and 7 Sisters of the Assumption. There are also 2 colleges for boys, 3 for girls, a seminary in Philippopolis, 12 parish schools for boys and 12 for girls, 2 hospitals, 3 orphan- ages and 3 asylums for girls.

(b) Uniat Bulgarians. — While the Bulgarians were contending with the Greek patriarchate for ecclesiastical autonomy, and the patriarch refused to make any concession, a movement was set on foot among the Bulgarians which pointed towards union with Rome. On 30 December, 1860, 120 deputies of the people petitioned the Apostolic Dele- gate to receive them into the Roman Church on con- dition of the recognition of their language and lit- urgy, and the appointment of a bishop of their own nationality; almost 60,000 of their fellow-countrymen joined in the request. Pius IX himself, 21 January, 1861, consecrated a priest named Sokolski as first Vicar Apostolic of Uniat Bulgaria. This move- ment, however, did not win the support of Catholic Europe, while the greatest obstacles were placed in its way by Russia and the patriarchate of Constan- tinople. Sokolski lapsed back into schism in June, 1861, and embarked for Odessa on a Russian vessel; the majority of the Bulgarian priests and laymen attached themselves to the recently founded na- tional exarchate. Only about 13,000 Bulgarians re- mained true to the Roman Church, and they live for the most part outside of Bulgaria in the Turkish provinces of Macedonia and Thrace. For these two Vicariates Apostolic have been erected. The Vicari- ate Apostolic of Thrace, with seat at Adrianople, contains 3,000 Catholics, 14 parishes and stations, 20 churches and chapels, 16 native secular priests, 25 Resurrectionists in 3 houses and 10 Assumptionists in 3 houses. 36 Sisters of the Assumption, with a boarding school, 3 Sisters of the Resurrection, 2 colleges, one in Kara-Agasch near Adrianopolis under the Assumptionists and the other at Adrianople under the Resurrectionists. The Vicariate Apostolic of Macedonia, with its see at Saloniki, contains 5,950 Grseco-Bulgarian Catholics. 21 churches, 33 Bul- garian priests of the Slavonic Rite, a seminary it Zeitenlink near Saloniki. 17 schools for boys and 10 for girls, 4 houses of the Congregation of the Mission, with 15 priests, 6 houses of the Sisters of Mercy, 4 of the Eucharistines, 3 orphan asvlums.

(c) Oriental Churches. — The Greek Orthodox church of Bulgaria is divided into 5 eparchies or

provinces. Tin- Bulgarians under tl xarcb (or

supreme head of the Bulgarian National Church) are divided into n eparchies, :: in Eastern Rumelia, with 2123 pan-he-, ,s monasteries for men, I women, lsnii churches an. I 1906 clergy.

Vaii.hk. in Diet. d> iMol. calk., II, 1174-1286, containing an extensive bibliography; Miklosich, Monumenta .svr&ica (Vienna. 1858); Hilfkrdino, OetchichU ,lrr Srrhm und Hul- garen, tr. from Ru.-sian | .' pans. Bautzen. 1S5G, 1864); d'Avril,