The Non-canonized New Martyrs of Communist Bulgaria

Abstract

In the present study I try to answer the question: Why does the Bulgarian Orthodox Church did not canonize martyrs and confessors from the time of communism, thirty years after its end? Why does the Bulgarian society did not insist on their canonization? Is there a necessity to commemorate their feat in the context of the postmodern? We assume that today the issue of canonizations is an important topic because it is connected with the projection of sanctity in the modern world, moral positions in society, collective memory, making sense of the past. I researched the reasons for the above through the example of some holy people. The canonization validates their feat and is an occasion for rethinking the social public roles, it is directly related to the recovery of the collective memory, in which the martyrs, as well as the torturers, are visible.