The new Patriarch, Daniel, 52, who previously took pro-Kremlin positions after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was elected by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, traditionally close to Russia.
The new Patriarch of Bulgaria was elected by the Patriarchal Electoral Assembly in the second round of voting in which the Metropolitan of Vrats, Mr. Grigorios, and the Metropolitan of Vidin, Mr. 69 votes were received by the Metropolitan of Vidin, Mr. Daniel, 66 votes for the Metropolitan of Vratsis, Grigorios, with three invalid votes.
Daniel succeeds the charismatic Patriarch Neophytos, who died in March after more than ten years in office and who called for an end to the war in Ukraine.
Instead, the new Patriarch supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a lengthy video message broadcast in 2023.
He also strongly criticized the deportation decided by the Bulgarian government, in September 2023, of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia, Archbishop Vassianos, and two Belarusian priests accused of serving Russian geopolitical interests.
Russian Patriarch Kirill, who supports the war in Ukraine, was not present at the ceremony.
Instead, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew participated in the Patriarch’s enthronement ceremony.
In July 2023, Bartholomew held a church service in Istanbul in memory of the victims of the war in Ukraine, in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Ukrainian Church announced in May 2022 a break with the Russian Church, declaring “its complete independence” from Russian religious authorities.
A member of the EU and NATO, a Slavic and Orthodox country, Bulgaria is historically and culturally close to Moscow. But relations have been strained since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.