The Holy Synod will elect a new metropolitan of Sliven and its surroundings between Bishop Arseniy of Znepole and Gerasim of Melnysh, dariknews.bg reported.
This has been reached after yesterday (May 25) the Holy Synod legitimized the choice that was made on May 19.
Bishop Arsenius of Zneopol is 37 years old. He was ordained a bishop by the late Sliven Metropolitan Ioanikiy.
Arseny is the youngest bishop in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
He was born on November 18, 1986 in Stara Zagora with the real name Atanas Dimitrov Lazarov. He graduated from the Sofia Theological Seminary “St. Ioan Rilski” in 2006. After that, he was admitted to the Faculty of Theology of the Sofia University “Saint Kliment Ohridski”. He continues his studies at Plovdiv University “Prof. Paisius Hilendarski” - "Theology" major, which he graduated in 2009. Received monastic tonsure with the name Arsenius from Plovdiv Metropolitan Nikolay on August 11, 2007 in the Puppet Monastery "St. St. Cosmas and Damian”. He was ordained as a hierodeacon and hieromonk in 2008. He was raised to the rank of archimandrite on December 6, 2009 in the cathedral church “Assumption of the Virgin” in Plovdiv by Metropolitan Nikolay of Plovdiv.
From 2008 to 2010, Arseniy was a parish priest in the villages of Borets and Govedare, Plovdiv Spiritual District. Since 2009, he has been the director of Plovdiv Orthodox Television. Since 2010, he has been appointed as the spiritual supervisor of the Plovdiv Diocese, and since 2012, as the chairman of the metropolitan church "St. Marina” in Plovdiv.
On July 2, 2014, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, he was named the bishop of Znepol, and on July 6, 2014, in the metropolitan church “St. Marina" in Plovdiv he was ordained and from the same date he was appointed vicar of the Metropolitan of Plovdiv.
Then Arseny was 28 years old. According to the statutes of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, a cleric who has reached the age of 35 can be ordained as a bishop. Since Arsenius has passed the other degrees in the canonical ministry, his ordination to the episcopal rank is by decision of the Holy Synod and the blessing of Patriarch Neophytus.
Bishop Gerasim of Melniš was ordained a bishop in 2016 personally by Patriarch Neofit. Bishop Gerasim is the chief secretary of the Holy Synod.
Gerasim was born on November 2, 1979 in Sofia with the secular name of Alexander Georgiev Georgiev. He graduated from the 31st secondary school for foreign languages and management “Ivan Vazov” in Sofia, as well as the "Krastyo Sarafov" National Academy of Theater and Film Arts.
On December 9, 2009, he was ordained as a monk with the name Gerasim in the Divotin holy monastery “St. Trinity”. He was ordained in hierodeacon and hieromonastic ranks by the then Znepol Bishop John (now Metropolitan of Varna and Veliko Preslav). By decision of the Holy Synod, Gerasim was sent to a specialization in Moscow, which he completed successfully, and in June 2017 he defended his master's thesis in “Theology”.
On September 17, 2014, he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite by the Bulgarian Patriarch Neofit and, by decision of the Holy Synod, on the same day, he was appointed its chief secretary. According to the decision of the Holy Synod of May 20, 2016, he was appointed as the chairman of the Church Board of the PCKSHP “St. Alexander Nevsky“. By a unanimous decision of the Holy Synod of December 14, 2016, he was ordained a bishop with the title of Melnyshki on December 18, 2016 in "St. Aleksandar Nevsky”, continuing his ministry as chief secretary of the Holy Synod and chairman of the Church Board at the PCSHP “St. Alexander Nevsky“.
This has been reached after yesterday (May 25) the Holy Synod legitimized the choice that was made on May 19.
Bishop Arsenius of Zneopol is 37 years old. He was ordained a bishop by the late Sliven Metropolitan Ioanikiy.
Arseny is the youngest bishop in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
He was born on November 18, 1986 in Stara Zagora with the real name Atanas Dimitrov Lazarov. He graduated from the Sofia Theological Seminary “St. Ioan Rilski” in 2006. After that, he was admitted to the Faculty of Theology of the Sofia University “Saint Kliment Ohridski”. He continues his studies at Plovdiv University “Prof. Paisius Hilendarski” - "Theology" major, which he graduated in 2009. Received monastic tonsure with the name Arsenius from Plovdiv Metropolitan Nikolay on August 11, 2007 in the Puppet Monastery "St. St. Cosmas and Damian”. He was ordained as a hierodeacon and hieromonk in 2008. He was raised to the rank of archimandrite on December 6, 2009 in the cathedral church “Assumption of the Virgin” in Plovdiv by Metropolitan Nikolay of Plovdiv.
From 2008 to 2010, Arseniy was a parish priest in the villages of Borets and Govedare, Plovdiv Spiritual District. Since 2009, he has been the director of Plovdiv Orthodox Television. Since 2010, he has been appointed as the spiritual supervisor of the Plovdiv Diocese, and since 2012, as the chairman of the metropolitan church "St. Marina” in Plovdiv.
On July 2, 2014, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, he was named the bishop of Znepol, and on July 6, 2014, in the metropolitan church “St. Marina" in Plovdiv he was ordained and from the same date he was appointed vicar of the Metropolitan of Plovdiv.
Then Arseny was 28 years old. According to the statutes of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, a cleric who has reached the age of 35 can be ordained as a bishop. Since Arsenius has passed the other degrees in the canonical ministry, his ordination to the episcopal rank is by decision of the Holy Synod and the blessing of Patriarch Neophytus.
Bishop Gerasim of Melniš was ordained a bishop in 2016 personally by Patriarch Neofit. Bishop Gerasim is the chief secretary of the Holy Synod.
Gerasim was born on November 2, 1979 in Sofia with the secular name of Alexander Georgiev Georgiev. He graduated from the 31st secondary school for foreign languages and management “Ivan Vazov” in Sofia, as well as the "Krastyo Sarafov" National Academy of Theater and Film Arts.
On December 9, 2009, he was ordained as a monk with the name Gerasim in the Divotin holy monastery “St. Trinity”. He was ordained in hierodeacon and hieromonastic ranks by the then Znepol Bishop John (now Metropolitan of Varna and Veliko Preslav). By decision of the Holy Synod, Gerasim was sent to a specialization in Moscow, which he completed successfully, and in June 2017 he defended his master's thesis in “Theology”.
On September 17, 2014, he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite by the Bulgarian Patriarch Neofit and, by decision of the Holy Synod, on the same day, he was appointed its chief secretary. According to the decision of the Holy Synod of May 20, 2016, he was appointed as the chairman of the Church Board of the PCKSHP “St. Alexander Nevsky“. By a unanimous decision of the Holy Synod of December 14, 2016, he was ordained a bishop with the title of Melnyshki on December 18, 2016 in "St. Aleksandar Nevsky”, continuing his ministry as chief secretary of the Holy Synod and chairman of the Church Board at the PCSHP “St. Alexander Nevsky“.