The tension along the axis between Archimandrite Nicanor and Patriarch Daniel grew into a full-scale institutional and ideological clash. Today, at exactly 2:00 p.m., the archimandrite was supposed to appear at an official meeting at the Sofia Metropolis by order of the patriarch. However, Father Nikanor categorically refused to step foot in the building at 7 Kaloyan Street in Sofia, while it is occupied by the current head of the church. He made a sharp public statement on his personal Facebook profile (facebook.com), where he directly stated: "It is time for the so-called Patriarch Daniil to go!".
Accusations of pro-Russian politics and “Kremlin tracks“
The current drama is based on deep geopolitical and moral differences. In his position, quoted in detail by leading news agencies such as Dnevnik.bg (dnevnik.bg) and Mediapool.bg (mediapool.bg), Archimandrite Nikanor accused Patriarch Daniil of turning the church into „footman of Russian imperialism“ and put it in “demonic Kremlin tracks“.
The father highlighted several key reasons for his rebellion:
Lack of compassion for Ukraine: The Patriarch has repeatedly justified Russian military aggression and has shown no compassion for the suffering Ukrainian people. Administrative penalties: Archimandrite revealed to Bulgarian National Radio (bnrnews.bg) that after his monastery accepted groups of Ukrainian children, he was immediately summoned to the metropolitanate and sanctioned with "argos" (ban from clerical service). Ignoring serious signals: Daniil refused to meet with a young man who wanted to testify about potential pedophile acts in a monastery under his leadership. Canonical issues: The Patriarch has not indisputably cleared his name of suspicions of complicity in the murder of priest Stefan Kamberov 24 years ago.
The administrative war over the “dismissal letter“
The conflict also has a strongly expressed administrative side, which has been brewing for months. Even when Patriarch Daniil was elected in 2024, Archimandrite Nikanor resigned, but then it was returned to him with promises of joint work.
According to an interview with Nikanor in BNR News (bnrnews.bg), for a year and a half he has been waiting for an official “dismissal letter“ to move to ministry in the Ruse diocese under the omophorion of Metropolitan Naum. The Metropolitan of Ruse has sent two official reminder letters and regularly raises the issue before the Holy Synod, but Patriarch Daniil is deliberately delaying the document, which Nikanor defines as a pure form of administrative discrimination and underhanded warfare.
„They can excommunicate me from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, but not from God“
Representatives of the Sofia Metropolis have not yet come out with an official position after today's refusal to meet, but in church circles there is talk of initiating severe disciplinary procedures against the rebellious monk. In front of the national radio, the archimandrite demonstrated complete calmness regarding possible canonical consequences:
"They can excommunicate me from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, they cannot excommunicate me from God. If he decides to punish me again, this time I will not play church and will simply ignore him."
The case leaves the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in a state of serious internal division, once again bringing to the fore the clash between the pro-Russian wing of the Synod and the clergy with a pro-European and pro-Ukrainian position.