Russian Orthodox Church Mourns Death of Bulgarian Patriarch

Bulgarian Patriarch Maxim pictured July 17 at the feast of St. Marina. Photo by BGNES

The Russian Orthodox Church has expressed its condolences over the death of Bulgaria's Orthodox Patriarch Maxim who passed away Tuesday at the age of 98.

Maxim was a "wise man, who remained peaceful in the most involved life circumstances," Deputy Chief of the Moscow Patriarchate Foreign Relations Department, archpriest Nikolai Balashov said in a statement, as cited by The Voice of Russia.

The cleric said Patriarch Maxim was a true friend of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church, and that his demise was quite a loss to the entire Orthodox world.

Patriarch Maxim was the oldest Primate of Orthodox Church Patriarchs around the world, and he was at the helm for a record-long 41 years.

Patriarch Maxim died shortly before 4 am on Tuesday after spending a month in the Governmental Hospital in Sofia including several days on life support.

Maxim turned 98 on October 29, 2012.

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