Archimandrite Nicanor, the Abbot of the Monastery of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Chernogorski submitted his resignation to the new Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria before even a year had passed since the election and enthronement of the new Patriarch.
The reason for the Archimandrite’s resignation, according to his statements to the local media, is “fundamental disagreements with the stance of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church regarding its role among the Orthodox Churches and its perspective on the situation in Ukraine.”
Notably, Archimandrite Nicanor’s statements were made while Patriarch Daniel was conducting his first Divine Liturgy with that title.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate the new Patriarch of Bulgaria and all those who can help him become the unifying and spiritual leader that a Patriarch is meant to be. He and I have long expressed different positions regarding the place of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church within the family of Orthodox Churches, the Primacy of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and the Russian aggression in Ukraine,” stated Archimandrite Nicanor in his remarks.
Patriarch Daniel rejected Nicanor’s resignation, who had expressed a desire to withdraw as a monk to Mount Athos.
After the completion of the Divine Liturgy, the Patriarch of Bulgaria reiterated his rejection of the resignation and expressed his commitment to working with the Archimandrite and discussing their issues, although the details of the meeting have not yet been finalized.
Photo: Archimandrite Nicanor
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
