Synod of Bulgarian Orthodox Church Shortlists Candidates for Sliven Metropolitan Election
OCP News Service – 23/01/2024
Sofia – Bulgaria: The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) has announced a shortlist of ten bishops eligible to take the Metropolitan See of Sliven, following the death of Metropolitan Ioanikiyon January 9, 2024. The election process is slated to unfold in February 2024.
Shortlisted Candidates:
- Bishop Sionius, abbot of the Troyan and Bachkov stauropygial monasteries
- Bishop Arsenij of Znepol, first Vicar Bishop of the Metropolitan of Plovdiv
- Bishop Polikarp of Belogradchi, first Vicar Bishop of the Metropolitan of Sofia
- Bishop Hierotheus of Agathopol
- Bishop Gerasim of Melnysh, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod and Chairman of the Central Committee of the Patriarchal Charitable Foundation “St. Alexander Nevsky”
- Bishop Visarion of Smolensk, second Vicar Bishop of the Metropolitan of Plovdiv
- Bishop Mihail of Constantia, Vicar Bishop of the Lovchan Metropolitan
- Bishop Pachomius of Branitsa, Rector of the Sofia Theological Seminary “St. John of Rila”
- Bishop Makary of Glavinice, Vicar Bishop of the Metropolitan of Ruse
- Bishop Isaac of Velbazhda, second Vicar Bishop of the Metropolitan of Sofia
On February 18, 2024, A diocesan election will be held in the Sliven Diocese to select the preferred candidate among the ten shortlisted bishops.
On February 25, 2024, The final, canonical election for the new Metropolitan of Sliven will be held at the Synodal Chapel “St. Tsar Boris-Mihail the Baptist”.
The Metropolitan See of Sliven is one of the oldest and most prestigious dioceses in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Late Metropolitan Ioanikiy held the See for over forty years.
Source:
OCP News Service
