Religion: In Bulgaria

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Bulgaria has a law securing religious freedom and immunity of worship to all religious sects. The Dunovisti make up a sect of 15,000 souls. For the last 21 years these Bulgarians, under the leadership of Peter Dunoff, a graduate of Boston University, have been holding annual conventions in the Tirnova district of Bulgaria. This year the meeting of the Dunovisti was forbidden. A delegation of three Dunovisti called on M. Russef, Bulgaria's Minister of the Interior, cited the law of Bulgaria concerning religious freedom, asked that the ruling of the district governor be set aside, as opposed to the national law. M. Russef replied that the gathering, which was scheduled for the end of August and beginning of September, had been forbidden by his own orders, and that these orders would not change. The Dunovisti are opposed to the use of force, and will not try to hold their convention in opposition to Government order. Their leader, Dunoff, attributed the Government opposition to enmity which the priests of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church hold for the apostolic simplicity of his sect. He also pointed out that during the ten-day convention members of the sect eat at a common table, like brothers and sisters, and share all things in common, according to the practice of the early Christians.* He also called attention to the fact that the present Bulgarian Government is reactionary, having attained power by murdering the peasant premier, Stambulski, Dunoff believes the Government is confusing his sect with the Communist party—a community of pacifist Christians with a party of violent proletarians.