The Synod itself violates the rules for electing a patriarch . With the election of Gavriil Lovchanski and Daniil Vidinski, the statute was violated, because they need 10 votes each, and they have 9.
This is what the journalist and historian Goran Blagoev said in the program “Face to Face” on bTV.
„According to my inside information, in the first votes, the favorites were different, but they did not receive the required number of votes. Prof. Dilyan Nikolchev pointed out that the election of Gavriil Lovchanski and Daniil Vidinski violated the statute because they needed 10 votes each, and they had 9. There is reason to trust Prof. Dilyan Nikolchev, he pointed out.
The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church chose the three candidates from whom the new Bulgarian Patriarch will be elected on June 30.
These are Grigoriy Vrachanski - with 11 votes, Gavriil Lovchanski - with 9 votes, and Daniil Vidinski - with 9 votes, announced the Synod's spokesman, Metropolitan Kyprian.
„I have objections to the way these applications come out. Apparently there is a realignment of forces. If things went well, after the 20th vote we could hear the name of the first approved. I admit that there was an agreement, said the journalist and historian Goran Blagoev in the program "Face to Face".
„It is disturbing that Gavriil and Daniil are open conduits of Russian influence in the BOC. These are two metropolitans who came out with a position against Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who recognized an independent Orthodox Church in Ukraine. After there is an independent Ukrainian state, there should also be an independent Ukrainian church”, added the journalist.
According to him, the problem is that he will choose the least of the “three evils”.
„As it turns out, this is Metropolitan Grigory of Vratsa. My observations are that he leans towards the pro-Russian lobby. The Bulgarian Church needed an authoritative patriarch, he also commented.
„I want to remind the viewers of that key phrase of the Metropolitan of Plovdiv – “And it doesn't occur to you who will be elected”. Then people were mistaken that he was campaigning for Metropolitan Naum of Ruse. “It does not occur to you” meant – “As soon as I am forced to retire, come and see who I will appoint as your patriarch”. Grigoriy Vrachanski's biography does not stand out. This is a person who cannot be said to have a bright presence in the BOC. When he becomes patriarch, the diocese of Vrachan will be freed.
„We saw how Nikolai put his child in Slivenska. Silistrensky is also his child. The Metropolitan of Staro Zagora is in Nikolay's group. Western and Central European Metropolitan Anthony is also in Nicholas's group. The next metropolitan of Vrachan should also be in the group and Nikolay will again dominate and impose the agenda of the Synod, Goran Blagoev stressed.
„Perhaps, precisely because of the level of religiosity of the Bulgarians, and not because of actual faith, we get what we deserve. As it is in politics. The faceless players who once again filled the parliament, whom we are fed up with. It's the same in the church – we deserve it”, the journalist added.