Bulgaria's Orthodox Church elects a new patriarch with professional-Russian sights
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church on Sunday elected Daniil, a 52-calendar year-aged metropolitan thought of to be pro-Russian, as its new chief in a vote that reflected the divisions in the church and wider society given that Russia invaded Ukraine additional than two years back.
Expanding divisions involving professional-Russian and anti-Russian factions inside the senior clergy started immediately after some of them attempted to heat relations with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was identified by the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople in 2019. Russian and most other Orthodox patriarchs refused to take the designation that formalized a split with the Russian church.
Unlike his late predecessor, who in his very last prayers criticized Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Daniil has taken the aspect of the Moscow Patriarchy in its dispute with the Ecumenical Patriarch around the independence of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church.
Daniil also criticized the expulsion final tumble of a Russian and two Belarusian clerics accused of spying for Moscow, and in his prayers he blamed persons who referred to as Russia an “aggressor.”
The 52-12 months-old bishop, born Atanas Nikolov, researched theology in Sofia and eventually went to provide as a monk in a monastery. He belongs to the to start with technology of younger Bulgarians who joined the church after the fall of communism.
The bells of the golden-domed Alexander Nevski cathedral in downtown Sofia declared the election of a new patriarch by the 138 delegates at the church council. Soon following, council speaker Cyprian reported that “Vidin metropolitan Daniil was elected by the clergy and the people today as Holy Bulgarian Patriarch and Sofia metropolitan.”
Daniil was clad in the inexperienced-and-gold patriarchal apparel and set upon his head the white veil, symbol of his place of work.
In a restricted second-round ballot, Daniil received guidance of 69 delegates towards Grigory, the metropolitan of Vratsa, who was backed by 66 delegates. The patriarch is elected for lifestyle unless of course he ways down.
Daniil succeeded the smooth-talking and charismatic Patriarch Neophyte, who handed away in March aged 78 immediately after primary the church for 11 many years.
A church procession accompanied the newly elected patriarch to the cathedral, in which he was enthroned in a luxurious ceremony, attended by other Orthodox church associates as effectively as Istanbul-dependent Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians.
Bartholomew is regarded to start with among equals among the Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, which presents him prominence but not the energy of a Catholic pope. Massive portions of the Eastern Orthodox entire world are self-governing under their own patriarchs.
Nevertheless the church in Bulgaria is totally independent from the condition, its constitution names Eastern Orthodoxy as the “traditional faith,” followed by some 85% of its 6.5 million persons.
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Connected Push faith coverage gets guidance by means of the AP’s collaboration with The Discussion US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely dependable for this articles.
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SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church on Sunday elected Daniil, a 52-calendar year-aged metropolitan thought of to be pro-Russian, as its new chief in a vote that reflected the divisions in the church and wider society given that Russia invaded Ukraine additional than two years back.
Expanding divisions involving professional-Russian and anti-Russian factions inside the senior clergy started immediately after some of them attempted to heat relations with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was identified by the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople in 2019. Russian and most other Orthodox patriarchs refused to take the designation that formalized a split with the Russian church.
Unlike his late predecessor, who in his very last prayers criticized Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Daniil has taken the aspect of the Moscow Patriarchy in its dispute with the Ecumenical Patriarch around the independence of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church.
Daniil also criticized the expulsion final tumble of a Russian and two Belarusian clerics accused of spying for Moscow, and in his prayers he blamed persons who referred to as Russia an “aggressor.”
The 52-12 months-old bishop, born Atanas Nikolov, researched theology in Sofia and eventually went to provide as a monk in a monastery. He belongs to the to start with technology of younger Bulgarians who joined the church after the fall of communism.
The bells of the golden-domed Alexander Nevski cathedral in downtown Sofia declared the election of a new patriarch by the 138 delegates at the church council. Soon following, council speaker Cyprian reported that “Vidin metropolitan Daniil was elected by the clergy and the people today as Holy Bulgarian Patriarch and Sofia metropolitan.”
Daniil was clad in the inexperienced-and-gold patriarchal apparel and set upon his head the white veil, symbol of his place of work.
In a restricted second-round ballot, Daniil received guidance of 69 delegates towards Grigory, the metropolitan of Vratsa, who was backed by 66 delegates. The patriarch is elected for lifestyle unless of course he ways down.
Daniil succeeded the smooth-talking and charismatic Patriarch Neophyte, who handed away in March aged 78 immediately after primary the church for 11 many years.
A church procession accompanied the newly elected patriarch to the cathedral, in which he was enthroned in a luxurious ceremony, attended by other Orthodox church associates as effectively as Istanbul-dependent Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians.
Bartholomew is regarded to start with among equals among the Eastern Orthodox patriarchs, which presents him prominence but not the energy of a Catholic pope. Massive portions of the Eastern Orthodox entire world are self-governing under their own patriarchs.
Nevertheless the church in Bulgaria is totally independent from the condition, its constitution names Eastern Orthodoxy as the “traditional faith,” followed by some 85% of its 6.5 million persons.
___
Connected Push faith coverage gets guidance by means of the AP’s collaboration with The Discussion US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely dependable for this articles.