For the second time in our recent church history, we will welcome Easter without an Orthodox head, BNT reported.
This also happened after the death of Patriarch Kirill. The services for the holiday will be officiated by the vice-president, Metropolitan Grigoriy of Vratsa. Patriarch Neophyte died on March 13 and now our church is in a complicated and difficult period. A new patriarch must be elected, and before that a new metropolitan of Sliven.
According to theologians, among the most likely metropolitans who can enter the trio are Nicholas, John, Gregory of Vratchan, Gabriel and Nahum. What is to come in the coming months, why some of the bishops were removed during the determination of the lists for Sliven and why Metropolitan Nikolay can still be nominated as a candidate-patriarch, see in Eliana Dimitrova's report.
After the death of Patriarch Neophyte, the Holy Synod announced that in this situation, a metropolitan of the Sliven Diocese, who has been widowed for almost four months, must first be elected. The goal - the Synod to be in full composition and to achieve a qualified majority in the election of a patriarch.
"So that the will of the metropolitans can be taken into account more fully," said Prof. Kostadin Nushev, theologian.
The first election in Sliven was canceled because of a complaint to the Synod about arrangements between diocesan voters on how to vote for the second candidate. For the second election, however, the list of ten bishops was unexpectedly reduced to six. The two who won the previous diocesan elections - bishops Hierotheus and Michael, as well as bishops Polycarp and Vissarion - were dropped. The Synod said that the reason is that they do not have administrative qualities.
"This is how many misunderstandings are created, we also see a protest on the part of diocesan voters, because it is precisely the winners of the first election who are absent," said Prof. Kostadin Nushev, theologian.
"Suddenly they decided they didn't like them. Someone didn't like them. Because they expected that "let them be on the list, but we will choose our man". But their person could not be elected", says Prof. Ivan Zhelev, theologian.
Thus, the removal of the two bishops Hierotei and Michael from the list can also be interpreted as clearing the way for the vicar of Metropolitan Nicholas Bishop Arsenius to the Sliven Metropolitanate.
"There is a majority around an influential metropolitan who likes to do as he pleases", thinks Prof. Zhelev.
Assoc. Nushev believes that the change of conditions at the last moment can negatively affect both the election of Sliven Metropolitan and Patriarch. According to Prof. Zhelev, one more loyal metropolitan to the already mentioned majority is being sought. The diocesan election in Sliven will be on May 19. On May 26, the Synod will elect the new metropolitan from the two elected bishops. The election of delegates to the Patriarchal Council is on June 2, the election of the troika - on June 20, and the election of the patriarch - on June 30. Currently, nine metropolitans can be elected to the post. However, Metropolitan Nicholas refused to be elected. Is this reversible?
"If the Holy Synod decides that he should be included in this trio of those proposed for the Patriarchal Electoral Council, it is possible that he will also accept this decision by virtue of obedience, which is leading among clerics," said Prof. Nushev.
"He will say that, you see, people insisted a lot, they begged him to participate, because they rely on him and without him the church will almost certainly fail, and that's why he decided to participate anyway,'' says Prof. Zhelev .
According to Prof. Nushev, the current election of a patriarch will be more dramatic and complicated than the previous one. According to him, the candidates will probably be from the middle generation of metropolitans who were vicar bishops in the Sofia metropolis - Metropolitan Nikolay of Plovdiv, Metropolitan Ioan of Varna, Metropolitan Grigoriy of Vrachan.
Prof. Zhelev adds to them two more possible ones.
"Some say it could be Lovchan Metropolitan Gavriil, Metropolitan Nahum could actually also be in the top three,", Prof. Zhelev thinks.
Kostadin Nushev expects that there will be tension during the election in Sliven, which will affect the election of the patriarch. At the very least, according to him, the balance of power in the Synod will be unbalanced. According to him, the metropolitans are grouped according to how they reacted to what is happening in Sliven, how the Statute should be applied and whether or not there should be a Church Council, which has not been held for 16 years. Prof. Zelev is more categorical. According to him, Metropolitan Nicholas gravitates around Metropolitans elected with his help - Antony, Cyprian, Jacob, Ignatius and Gregory of Turnovo. Metropolitan Nahum is included in this group. On the other side were metropolitans Joseph, Gabriel, John, Daniel and Seraphim. Is it so and how will the votes for the "Troika" we will see very soon.