The Patriarchal Election Church Council has been convened on 30 June to elect a Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox church and Metropolitan of the Sofia diocese. The Bulgarian Patriarch and Sofia Metropolitan Neophyte passed away on 13 March leaving the patriarchal seat vacant.

• His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte has passed away

The choice of patriarch will be made among three metropolitan bishops nominated by the Holy Synod on 20 June – Metropolitan Gregory of Vratsa (elected in the first round of voting with 11 votes), Metropolitan Daniil of Vidin (elected in the 32^nd round of voting with 9 votes), and Metropolitan of Lovech Gavriil (also elected with 9 votes in the 42^nd round of voting).

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has 13 dioceses in Bulgaria and 2 abroad. To be nominated for patriarch with the Patriarchal Election Church Council, the statute of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church decrees that the metropolitan shall meet three requirements – he must be over 50, he must have served as metropolitan for 5 years or over, and he must have an Orthodox way of thinking and an exemplary life.

Five representatives of each diocese take part in the vote, and six from the Sofia diocese. Besides all metropolitans and bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, one representative of the Rila, Bachkovo and Troyan monasteries also take part in the vote, two representatives from each parish monastery – one monk and one nun, and one representative of the secondary religious schools. All attending members of the election council also have the right of vote. The nominee with at least two-thirds of the votes of the attending voters is declared the canonically and legally elected Patriarch of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia.

Compiled by Elena Karkalanova

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos: BTA, BGNES