The "Blue Bulgaria" coalition issued a declaration in support of the introduction of mandatory religious education in Bulgarian schools:
Bulgaria is part of Christian civilization. Christianity has been spreading in our lands since apostolic times, and representatives of local Christian communities participated in the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325. After its adoption as an official religion in Bulgaria during the reign of Prince Boris I, the Christian faith has played a decisive role in the formation of our national identity, culture and moral foundations. Over the centuries, it and its values have been a supporting pillar in important moments of our history – from preserving the nation during Ottoman rule, through sheltering refugees from the Armenian genocide and the White Guards fleeing the Red Terror in Russia, to rescuing Jews from Bulgarian territories during World War II.
Today, nearly 70% of Bulgarian citizens identify themselves as Christians, and this is an irrevocable civilizational choice. But it is our duty to upgrade this faith from its purely ceremonial dimension and form of community belonging to a fundamentally understood, conscious and meaningfully accepted personal choice.
We believe that school has never been and should not be value-neutral. It bears the responsibility not only to educate, but also to educate – to pass on to future generations the moral foundations of society, without which it would disintegrate. The main purpose of education is to provide knowledge, and knowledge of the difference between good and evil is the foundation on which all other forms of knowledge are built.
In a world where new totalitarian ideologies threaten the freedom of the individual and the moral foundations of society, religious education is a necessary defense against the loss of values and the pathlessness of extreme materialism. We approve the introduction of a mandatory subject "Religion and Values" in the educational system of Bulgaria, which would provide the opportunity to choose between three options - Christianity, Islam or the history of religions in the Bulgarian lands. In this way, we will restore a tradition that was forcibly interrupted after decades of an atheistic communist regime.
The approach must be inclusive, with respect for religious diversity and with the aim of building critical thinking, spiritual culture and a conscious moral compass in young people. The training should be conducted by qualified teachers to ensure high quality of the information provided, but also the absence of attempts to manipulate the minds of students.
The strength of religious ethics lies in its connection with absolute moral principles derived from God's authority, in contrast to the relativistic concepts of modern atheistic humanism, which often lose their sustainable foundation. Without returning to the roots of our faith and to the values that have built our society, we cannot expect a sustainable future.
For all this, we strongly support the introduction of mandatory religious education in school - as a duty to our history, to our children and to the future of Bulgaria as part of the free and enlightened world. We will continue to actively participate in the substantive discussions that accompany this public debate.