After the death of Patriarch Neophyte, in March, on Sunday, June 30, the election of his successor took place. At 52 years old, he was the youngest of the three candidates presented to the Church Election Council. The enthronement was held in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, in the presence of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Cardinal Koch, invited by the Patriarchate, representatives of the local Churches, Apostolic Nuncio Suriani and representatives of other religious confessions.
Vatican News
Metropolitan Daniil of Vidin, 52 years old, is the new Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and Metropolitan of Sofia. He succeeds the late Neofit, who passed away last March 13, at the age of 78, after a long illness. The new Patriarch was elected today, Sunday 30 June, by the Delegates of the Ecclesial Electoral Council of the Patriarchate, gathered in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, after a ballot with Metropolitan Gregory of Vratsa. Of the 140 Delegates of the Council – made up of clergy and lay people – 138 were present; to elect the Patriarch a 2/3 majority was required, subsequently a run-off took place.
The name of Daniil of Vidin was proposed, last June 20, to the Church Election Council by the 14 metropolitans. He was among a trio that included bishops Gregory of Vratsa and Gabriel of Lovech. The youngest of the Candidates was elected with 69 votes, against the 66 that went to Gregory of Vratsa.
The Enthronement
In the afternoon of the same day, the enthronement ceremony was held in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevski, reached with a solemn procession starting from the headquarters of the Holy Synod. Present at the celebration were the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, representatives of the local Churches and, on behalf of the Holy See, Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, accompanied by the Rev. Jaromír Zádrapa, Official of the Eastern Section of the same Dicastery, the Apostolic Nuncio, Monsignor Luciano Suriani, accompanied by Monsignor Nicolàs Pedro Guidi, Representatives of other Patriarchates and Representatives of Religious Confessions. Also present were Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and King Simeon. During the ceremony the new Patriarch received the various insignia of the new dignity. At the end, the Patriarch ascended the throne, accompanied by the Metropolitans, loudly proclaiming the formula “worthy” three times, repeated by the entire assembly.
The enthronement ceremony in the Sofia Cathedral
Who is the new Patriarch?
Metropolitan Daniil of Vidin was born on March 2, 1972, in the city of Smolyan, with the baptismal name of Atanas Nikolov. Having completed his primary and secondary studies in his hometown, he graduated from the “St. Clement of Ohrid” University in Sofia, where he began studying English philology, but subsequently enrolled in the Faculty of Theology. Since 1997 he has been a novice in the Hadjidimovo Monastery of St. George the Victorious. Two years later he became a monk and was ordained a deacon. In 2004 he was sent to Rozhen Monastery, where he will be ordained a priest. Two years later he will become Archimandrite. In 2008, by decision of the Holy Synod, he was appointed Bishop. First as Vicar of the Metropolitan of Nevrokop, Nathanail, and then of Metropolitan Joseph, of the United States, Canada and Australia. On 4 February 2018 he was elected Metropolitan of Vidin.
Daniil of Vidin, new Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
