Bulgarian Orthodox Church Prepares for Patriarch Election

A memorial service bieng held for deceased Patriarch Maxim at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in November. Photo by BGNES

The Buglarian Orthodox Church is holding Sunday an election of delegates who will elect the church's new patriarch at a council in February.

Some 2/3 of the council's members are to be elected by believers, the other 1/3 are appointed by members of the Holy Synod.

Each of Bulgaria's 15 bishoprics will appoint 5 delegates, 3 of them being clergy members and 2 lay persons, except Sofia Bishopric, which will elect double that number.

The Church Council will convene on February 24 to elect Bulgaria's new patriarch, out of the three candidacies proposed by the Holy Synod one week ahead.

A candidate must be a serving metropolitan bishop, to have been in that position for at least 5 years, and to be over 50 years of age.

Bulgarian Orthodox Church long-serving Patriarch Maxim passed away of old age on November 6, 2012.

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