At a meeting of the Holy Synod today, a deputy president is expected to be elected, who will be responsible for the election of a new patriarch within the next 4 months, reported BGNES.
9 out of 13 metropolitans can be elected to the post of patriarch. According to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church statutes, they must have reached the age of 50 and have been metropolitans for at least 5 years. Late last night, however, Metropolitan Nikolay of Plovdiv announced that he would not run for patriarch.
Grandfather Nicholas announced his decision in an address to the laity, published on the website of the Plovdiv Diocese. The bishop was named as one of the favourites to succeed the deceased Patriarch Neophyte.
In his address, the bishop says:
"Even before the open coffin of His Holiness, the media intrigues and insinuations about the succession to the Bulgarian patriarchal throne began. The same "experts" on church matters, including former schismatics and agents of State Security, who in 2013 also obsessed the public space with their ridiculous predictions about who will succeed the blessedly rested Patriarch Maxim, have started again in the same anti-God and irreverent way to "frame" the next Bulgarian Patriarch".
“This is about a war against our faith and nothing less. Be prepared that in the coming months, there will be a war against the faith and the Church. Still, I assure you that the Church will win again, because "the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). This is another characteristic of hers that has been proven countless times and that her enemies refuse to understand. As in 2013, the main aggression related to the election of the next Bulgarian Patriarch is directed against me, your Metropolitan."
"There is nothing new and nothing surprising in this. Jesus Christ said to his disciples: "If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you ... If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:18-20). All of us who belong to the church clergy and His followers are duly warned, therefore blasphemies and slanders do not disturb us. I know what we have built and achieved together with you - the pious clergy and the faithful people of God of the God-saving Plovdiv Diocese during the past years of our joint ministry, and it is completely understandable why it causes such dislike."
"I cannot, however, allow the dislike of me, which has been systematically and methodically fomented during all the years of my ministry, to become today a cause of injury to the dignity of the Church, "which has no spot, or blemish, or anything like that." (Eph. 5:27) and in particular to cast any shadow of doubt upon its independence and the free choice of its superiors."
"Therefore, I announce and declare that I do not wish and will not accept to be included as a candidate for the patriarchal throne in the procedures that the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is about to conduct under its Statute. I am communicating this to you first, as I will also inform my fellow members of the Holy Synod about this unwavering intention of mine."
The Metropolitan of Plovdiv calls for humility during the days of Great Lent.
BGNES reminds that the Metropolitan of Stara Zagora and spokesman of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Cyprian already announced that the Metropolitan of Sliven will be elected first, and then the Patriarch.
The election of the vice president came after His Holiness Patriarch Neophyte died on March 13 after a long illness. Patriarch Neophyte was sent on his last trip by the Bulgarian society on March 16. A funeral Mass and funeral service were celebrated in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky. Representatives of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church took part in them, as well as the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the representatives of the local Orthodox churches.
After that, with a lithium procession, the mortal remains of our spiritual father were transported from "St. Alexander Nevsky" to "Palm Sunday" Church with the help of the same gun carriage with which the mortal remains of Tsar Boris the Third Unifier were transported in August 1943. Public opinion defines Patriarch Neophyte as the Unifier.
The grave of Patriarch Neophyte is located near that of another great spiritual leader of the Bulgarians - Exarch Joseph I. /BGNES
