These religious disputes between Greek and Bulgar were agreeable to
the Porte, which encouraged the Bulgars to persevere with the
Catholic plan. Russia continued to be very embarrassed, not wishing to
make a permanent enemy either of the Greek Church or of the Bulgarian
people. Finally the Bulgarian efforts to secure a national Church met
with reward. The Turkish authorities--Fuad Pasha, the Grand Vizier,
being an enlightened man--did not persist in the impracticable plan
that this Church should be in communion with Rome. One of the
consequences of the establishment of their autocephalous Church was
that many of the Bulgarian Catholics at Constantinople and Kuku[vs]
abandoned that religion. The Vatican complained--and not
unreasonably--that it had been fooled. The Russians are generally
given much credit for this Bulgarian success, but although they
participated in the negotiations--and their Ambassador, the
resourceful Count Ignatieff,[50] would make it seem that they were
gratified with the result--their situation was so delicate that they
preferred to play for safety. When the news was brought to Serbia it
gave rise to great rejoicings, for the Exarchate was the charter of
liberty for the Macedonian Slavs. No one dreamed at this time that, on
account of Macedonia, Serbs and Bulgars would be some day flying at
each other's throat.