2024-02-18 15:01:53
With a liturgy in the Sliven Metropolis, the diocesan election of candidates for the new Metropolitan of Sliven began. It was led by the deputy of the Sliven Metropolitan See – Metropolitan John of Varna and Veliko Preslav.
Yesterday, when it was 40 days since the death of Sliven Metropolitan Ioanikiy, in the cathedral church “St. “Dimitar” Catholic Church in Sliven, a requiem holy liturgy and memorial service were celebrated.
Metropolitan John pointed out that perhaps once in a lifetime it happens that a person participates in the election of a metropolitan and understands the anxiety of the voters, deprived of their archpastor. “You have the heavy, spiritually responsible moment of choosing two of the candidates,” said Metropolitan John and called for choosing according to conscience and dignity.
He noted that the meeting begins with a full quorum of 42 diocesan voters.
Ten bishops are candidates for the Sliven metropolitan see: Velichki bishop Sionii, abbot of the Troyan and Bachkovo monasteries; Bishop Arseniy of Znepol, first vicar bishop of the Metropolitan of Plovdiv; Bishop Polycarp of Belogradchi, first vicar bishop of the Metropolitan of Sofia; Bishop Hierotheus of Agathopol, Vicar Bishop of the Metropolitan of Sliven; Bishop Gerasim of Melnysh, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod and Chairman of the Church Board of the Patriarchal Cathedral “St. Alexander Nevsky”; Bishop Vissarion of Smolensk, second vicar bishop of the Metropolitan of Plovdiv; Bishop Michael of Constantia, Vicar Bishop of Lovchan Metropolitan; Bishop Pachomius of Branitsa, rector of the Sofia Theological Seminary “St. John of Rila”; Bishop Macarius of Glavinice, vicar bishop of the Metropolitan of Ruse; Bishop Isaac of Velbazhda, second vicar bishop of the Metropolitan of Sofia.
The meeting of the diocesan electors is broadcast live on Facebook on the page of the Bulgarian Patriarchate.
Diocesan voters in Sliven will elect two of them, who have collected more than half of their votes. If the Holy Synod at its meeting on February 24, after listening to the report of the vicar of the widowed diocesan throne and considering the received documentation, considers that the election is valid and is organized in the proper order, on Sunday, February 25, the canonical election will also take place .
Sliven Metropolitan Ioanikiy died on January 9 this year. The pilgrimage took place on February 11 in Sliven, and three days of mourning were announced in the city, BTA recalls.