A regular clergy conference was held on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Sofia Holy Metropolis, bringing together rectors and clergy from churches across the Bulgarian capital.
The conference, held with the blessing of Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria, Metropolitan of Sofia, took place in the “Exarch Stefan” Hall and focused on the theme of “Pastoral Ministry.” It had been convened a week earlier in response to current issues concerning pastoral care and the spiritual guidance of the faithful.
Patriarch Daniel presided over the meeting, which was also attended by Bishop Yoan of Branitsa, First Vicar of the Metropolitan of Sofia, and Bishop Isaac of Velbazhd, Second Vicar of the Metropolitan.
In his opening remarks, Patriarch Daniel said that one of the principal reasons for convening the conference was the pastoral challenges surrounding the administration of the Holy Mystery of Repentance and Confession, which many priests face amid the difficulties of contemporary life.
The Patriarch stressed the need to revive the ancient Church practice whereby newly ordained priests receive explicit written permission from their diocesan bishop before being authorised to hear confessions.
Particular emphasis was also placed on the conscientious and reverent celebration of the Holy Mysteries. Participants discussed various aspects of pastoral ministry, including the need for more frequent and sincere confession and the importance of repentance as a means of spiritual renewal and transformation in a person’s way of life and thinking.
Against the broader theme of repentance and personal responsibility, the conference also addressed the recent public and media statements made by Archimandrite Nikanor (Mishkov).
Stavrophore Economos Hristo Pudin, rector of the Church of St Naum of Ohrid in Sofia, together with a group of priests, presented a draft declaration expressing support for canonical order within the Church, the authority of Patriarch Daniel and the unity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church–Bulgarian Patriarchate.
The declaration was read to participants by Stavrophore Economos Kiril Didov, ecclesiastical supervisor of the Diocese of Sofia. After considering the text, the clergy attending the conference endorsed the declaration and added their signatures.
According to the Sofia Metropolis, the meeting was conducted in a spirit of brotherly love, openness and pastoral responsibility, reflecting a shared concern for proper ecclesiastical order, canonical discipline and the spiritual unity of both the Diocese of Sofia and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church–Bulgarian Patriarchate.
Sofia Clergy Back Patriarch Daniel, Call for Church Review of Archimandrite Nikanor’s Conduct
Clergy of the Sofia Diocese have issued a declaration expressing their full support for Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel and calling on the competent ecclesiastical authorities to examine the conduct and public statements of Archimandrite Nikanor, abbot of the Tsarnogorski Monastery of Saints Cosmas and Damian.
The declaration followed a clergy conference on pastoral ministry held in Sofia, during which participants discussed recent public and media statements by Archimandrite Nikanor. The priests said they had decided to speak publicly because his repeated accusations against the Bulgarian Orthodox Church–Bulgarian Patriarchate and Patriarch Daniel could no longer, in their view, be met with silence.
According to the declaration, the clergy were particularly concerned by an “official statement” issued by Archimandrite Nikanor on July 28, in which he reportedly described the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as a “semblance of a church” and a “lackey of Russian imperialism.”
The priests rejected that characterization, stressing that they regarded themselves as ministers of the Body of Christ rather than servants of any political interest. They argued that such rhetoric reflected a political and secular understanding of ecclesiastical life rather than a spiritual one.
The signatories also accused Archimandrite Nikanor of repeatedly using language resembling political slogans and of publicly attacking Patriarch Daniel, other clergy and laypeople. They said that his public activity had increasingly transformed ecclesiastical disagreements into political confrontation and had caused confusion and division among the faithful.
They further rejected allegations that Patriarch Daniel was acting as an instrument of Kremlin influence. According to the clergy, neither in his public statements nor in their personal interactions with him had the Patriarch demonstrated political bias or partiality toward another Local Orthodox Church. Instead, they said, he had consistently shown concern for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and its unity.
The declaration also addressed Archimandrite Nikanor’s criticism of ecclesiastical discipline and his calls for what he reportedly described as a “church-people’s struggle” to establish a “true people’s church.” The clergy said they categorically dissociated themselves from such statements, arguing that calls to remove the canonical Patriarch, engage in civil disobedience or refrain from attending churches were incompatible with clerical responsibility and canonical order.
The priests stressed that their declaration was intended as an affirmation of ecclesiastical unity and obedience to Patriarch Daniel in accordance with the dogmas and canons of the Orthodox faith.
They also maintained that ecclesiastical punishment should not be understood as revenge or personal humiliation. Rather, they described it as a spiritual remedy and a call to repentance when the words or actions of a cleric threaten peace, unity and trust between pastors and the faithful.
The signatories therefore called on the competent Church authorities to examine Archimandrite Nikanor’s actions and public statements “with the necessary strictness, impartiality and responsibility.” Should violations be established through the proper ecclesiastical judicial procedure, they said an appropriate penalty should be imposed in proportion to their seriousness.
They also requested that the declaration be formally included in the ecclesiastical disciplinary proceedings already initiated against Archimandrite Nikanor.
The clergy emphasized that their appeal did not stem from personal hostility or a desire for retribution. They said it was motivated by concern for the dignity of the priesthood, canonical order, the unity of the Church, the faithful affected by the controversy and, ultimately, the spiritual well-being of Archimandrite Nikanor himself.
Concluding their declaration, the priests said they were praying for humility and discernment, for those who had been troubled by the dispute, and for the preservation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church from division and schism.
Source: Patriarchate of Bulgaria
