Catholic Priest Attacked for Hosting Refugees Quits Bulgaria

A Catholic priest from the northern Bulgarian town of Belene has announced that he is going home to Italy after his decision to shelter a refugee family caused tensions.

In an emotional message on Facebook, Fr Paolo Cortezi explained that "his superiors" in the Church had withdrawn him from the parish, following days of tensions with the local community who objected to decision to host a Syrian refugee family on Monday.

"Now I am a refugee, too. I am leaving Bulgaria with my head up, proud, innocent," he wrote on Friday.

"I sought to protect the innocent, decent, educated, honest, kind, humble and scared Syrians. This is not politics ... I did not succeed, we did not succeed. God forgive me," he added.

BIRN tried to contact Fr Cortezi, but he did not reply to telephone calls.

Following the protests, led by municipal councillor Krasimir Todorov from the "Democrats and Patriots for Belene" coalition, the Al Bakri family, which had been granted refugee status by the State Agency for the Refugees in 2016, decided to leave the Danube river town.

On Tuesday, Fr Cortezi demanded the resignations of Belene's mayor Milen Dulev and of Krasimir Todorov for alleged ill treatment of the refugees.

A day later, he announced he was launching a protest after receiving threats and being accused of smuggling refugees and cancelled all liturgies in the municipality.

"It is not right to offend an honest man and for no consequences to follow. It is not fair to spark fear and hatred and no consequences to follow," he said.

The Bulgarian Catholic Church, which numbers about 50,000 believers, on Tuesday backed the controversial cleric, saying it upheld the evangelical and human principles of charity and compassion, which encouraged it...