42 diocesan voters voted two candidates for Metropolitan of Sliven today.
In the first round, Bishop Arseniy of Znepole (with 26 votes) and Bishop Gerasim of Melny (with 25 votes) were elected, bTV announced.
From now on, the word is the Holy Synod. On May 25, there will be a meeting to approve the election from the first round, and if there are complaints, on May 26 is the synodal election of the Metropolitan of Sliven.
The diocesan council in Sliven today was the second attempt to elect a metropolitan after the death of Ioanikiy.
After the counting of the first elections, there were protests by the local clergy.
The diocesan voters voted for six candidates: Bishop Sioni of Veliki, Bishop Arsenius of Znepol, Bishop Gerasim of Melny, Bishop Pachomius of Branica, Bishop Makariy of Glavinice and Bishop Isaac of Velbazhda.
In February, after two rounds, Bishop Ierotheus was elected with 27 votes and Bishop Michael with 22 votes. However, the Holy Synod counted the vote, and the two bishops were not on the electoral roll for today's vote.
The expectation is that the Sliven diocese will have a bishop before the elections for a new patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which should be held by the end of June.