The Eastern Orthodox Church has deep roots in Bulgaria, dating back to the 5th and 7th centuries, when the Slavs and the Bulgars, respectively, were converted to Christianity by the Byzantine Empire. Prior to that date, Christianity had spread in the area during the Roman and early Byzantine times. After the Great Schism, the Bulgarians remained faithful to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Today, most Bulgarians (82.6%) are, at least nominally, members of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the national church. The church has 13 dioceses in Bulgaria, and another 2 in Europe and America.

See also

Bulgarian Orthodox Church