The episcopal ordination of His Eminence Father Petko Valov will take place today, July 6, at 10:30 a.m. in the cathedral of the Catholic diocese "St. John XXIII" on the capital's "Montevideo" Blvd. 15, reported the Sofia Diocese "St. John XXIII", BTA reported.
The new bishop takes office from H.V. Hristo Proikov, who ruled the diocese since 1995. According to the current statute in the Catholic Church, after reaching the age of 75, bishops resign before the Pope. Bishop Hristo Proikov submitted his resignation to Pope Francis in March 2021, which was accepted in April this year. and His Eminence Father Petko has been appointed bishop of the diocese, reported the Sofia Diocese "St. John XXIII".
The divine service with the ordination will be led by the previous diocesan bishop in collaboration with the Catholic bishops from Bulgaria, with the apostolic nuncio in Sofia, with bishops from Greece, the Republic of North Macedonia, Romania and priests from the country, Israel, Italy, the USA, Ukraine and other countries. Together with the faithful and the clergy in the country, who will share this important and festive transitional moment for the diocese, an invitation has also been sent to the National Council of Religious Communities in Bulgaria.
Reverend Father Petko Valov was born in Sofia, on January 8, 1966. The parents of the new bishop, his father Nikola Valov is Orthodox and was a political prisoner in the camp in Belene, and his mother - Dimitrina Valova, is a Catholic from the East rite One of his mother's sisters, Susana, is a Eucharistic nun in Sofia. He has a brother, Joakim Valov, who is married and lives in the USA.
The Reverend Father Petko Valov graduated from high school in Sofia, after which he did military service for two years in construction troops. From 1986 to 1988, he studied at the "Yordanka Filaretova" Medical College. in Sofia and graduated as a dental technician. In 1990 he was sent as a seminarian to the Urban Pontifical College in Rome and studied philosophy at the Pontifical University Urbaniana. From 1992 to 1997 he entered the Pontifical Greek College, graduating in theology at the Gregorian Pontifical University. From 1995 to 1997, he pursued a master's degree in moral theology at the "Alfonsiana" Academy. to the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on October 11, 1997 in the diocese of "St. John XXIII" in which he is archpriest.
Pastoral ministry of Father Petko Valov
Father Petko Valov has been a parish priest in the Assumption parish in the village of Novo Delchevo since 1999. Since 2008, he has been a delegate of the Catholic Church in the National Council of Religious Communities in Bulgaria. Since 2020, he has been the general secretary of the Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Church in Bulgaria. Since 2009, he has been the butler and chancellor of the Sofia diocese "St. John XXIII". Since 2022, he is the chairman of the Executive Board of "Caritas Sofia". Since 2013, he has been the chairman of the supervisory board of the charitable diocesan foundation for disadvantaged women "Nativity".