The Bulgarian Principality officially recognizes several creeds: Orthodox Bulgarian, Mahommedan (Muslim), Roman Catholic, Jewish, Armenian, and Protestant. The Orthodox Greeks are under the spiritual authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Religious Population Distribution
The population of the Principality is distributed among the different faiths as follows:
3,100,000 Orthodox Bulgarians
643,000 Mahommedans
66,635 Greeks (Patriarchists)
33,569 Jews
28,569 Catholics
14,581 Armenians
4,524 Protestants
This shows that the Orthodox Bulgarian population is the largest, while Protestants form the smallest group.
Mahommedan Communities
The Mahommedan population is organized into religious communities led by muftis or assistant-muftis. These leaders are freely chosen by the faithful and confirmed by the Government, which pays them a monthly salary Balkan Tours.
There are 36 Mahommedan communities, managed by 16 muftis and 26 assistant-muftis.
The Mufti of Sofia is the head of this organization.
The duties of muftis are entirely spiritual. They supervise communal affairs, including divorce cases, inheritances, and religious education. Muftis also manage mosques, religious taxes, and charitable endowments (vakoufs). Each mufti is assisted by one or two secretaries and an administrative council, whose members are chosen by the local Mahommedan population.
The Mahommedan schools are subsidized by the Government and managed by committees chosen exclusively by Muslims. The muftis and councils report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship in the official national language.
Roman Catholic Representatives
The Catholic community in Bulgaria has two representatives:
Archbishop Menini at Plovdiv
Bishop Doulcet at Nicopol
They are appointed by the Propaganda of Rome and operate independently of each other. These representatives and their institutions enjoy certain privileges, giving them practical independence from the Bulgarian Government.
Bulgaria respects the organization and independence of religious communities. While the Orthodox Church is the largest, Mahommedans, Catholics, and other minorities have their own leaders, schools, and administration, supported and regulated by the state.