Varna Metropolitan Appointed Locum Tenens of Sofia Patriarchate

In light of the recent repose of Patriarch Maxim (Minkov) of Sofia the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has appointed Metropolitan Cyril (Kovachev) of Varna as interim chairman of the Holy Synod and locum tenens of the Sofia Patriarchate until the election of a new patriarch. More in Bulgarian here.

Bulgarian PM Supports Religious Education in Schools

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has expressed his support for mandatory religious education in Bulgaria's schools at the recent consecration of the Church of St. Procopius of Varna by Metropolitan Kiril (Yordanov) of Varna of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. During his remarks in Varna the Bulgarian prime minister singled out atheism as the single greatest threat to the Bulgarian nation. More here.

Meeting of the Bulgarian Orthodox Holy Synod

At its first session in the New Year the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church approved the ongoing visit of Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech to Russia and also appointed Metropolitan Kirill of Varna as its representative at an upcoming planning meeting in Chambessy for a general council of the Local Orthodox Churches. More on those decisions here. The Holy Synod also approved a previous decision not to include Metropolitan Simeon (Dimitrov) of Berlin and Western Europe and Metropolitan Joseph of New York and the USA, Canada, and Australia in its rotating membership due to the logistical issues involved. More on that and other decisions here.