2024-06-02 22:22:26
The state of affairs is uncommon within the month by which the diocesan delegates elected this Sunday should vote on who would be the new patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The election will happen on June 30 on the Patriarchal Electoral Church Council in Sofia.
Among the many clergy, names of senior clerics who’ve the qualities to succeed the late grandfather Neophyte are being informally mentioned. Of the present 14 members of the Holy Synod, the names of Metropolitans Nikolay Plovdivski, Gavriil Lovchanski, Naum Rusenski, Ioan Varnenski and Grigoriy Vrachanski are most frequently talked about.
None of them have thus far declared their willingness to just accept being a part of the “quick listing” of three candidates, which will likely be made clear on June 20.
Apparently everybody’s place is to neither verify nor deny. That is what Metropolitan Gavriil of Lovčana did in a touch upon BNR the opposite day.
“I will not be a patriarch. That a lot I can say, eh
who will likely be patriarch
and it does not come to your thoughts”
the Bishop of Plovdiv commented yesterday in Burgas.
Some suspected that it was doable that what he mentioned was a play on phrases with the title of Metropolitan Naum of Ruse, and this additional strengthened the assumptions and conjectures concerning the upcoming occasions. An impression was additionally made by the truth that grandfather Nikolay refused to reply whether or not he had submitted his refusal to take part within the elections in writing.
Among the many listed names of bishops who’ve been talked about as doable candidates for the patriarchal throne, he’s essentially the most ruthlessly attacked.
A couple of hours after the loss of life of Patriarch Neophyte, orchestrated insults towards him began appearing on social networks, so the 54-year-old metropolitan hastened to reassure everybody that he didn’t need to be a patriarch.
A couple of days in the past, nonetheless, the Western and Central European Metropolitan Antony, who most frequently communicates with Bulgarians right here and around the globe by the media and social networks, mentioned out loud on BNT a undeniable fact that was already being mentioned unofficially – Grandpa Nikolay didn’t truly testify within the Holy Synod written refusal to run for patriarch.
Final Thursday, the Moscow Patriarchate attacked Plovdiv Metropolitan Nikolay, in addition to Staro Zagora Metropolitan Cyprian and Dorostol Metropolitan Yakov, who traveled with him to Istanbul, for collaborating in collaboration with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which separated from the Russian and all not but acknowledged by all native church buildings.
With this motion
Moscow possibly confirmed
whom she would not prefer it
for the successor of Neophyte in an try and someway affect the camps within the synod, and never solely among the many clergy, but in addition among the many laity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
It’s doable that the “Russian scandal” is a totally random coincidence, however alternatively, what occurred utterly confused the critics of Grandfather Nicholas himself in Bulgaria.
That’s the reason “24 Chasa” determined to begin a collection of supplies concerning the metropolitans who’ve an opportunity within the battle for doable successors of Patriarch Neophyte.
Yesterday, in all 15 dioceses of the BOC, together with the 2 abroad ones – European and American, elections have been held for diocesan delegates who should take part within the Patriarchal Electoral Church Council on June 20.
Based on the statutes of the BOC, 5 representatives of every diocese – three clerics and two laymen, and from the Sofia diocese ten representatives – six clerics and 4 laymen – should participate within the election for the Bulgarian patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia.
These 80 folks will vote on the finish of the month along with the 14 metropolitans from the Holy Synod and the others supplied for in response to the statute – one consultant every of the stauropygial monasteries – Rila, Bachkovsky and Troyan. And from the diocesan monasteries – two every – one monk and one nun from every diocese. And at last – additionally one consultant of secondary theological colleges.
