Bulgarian Church elects new bishop of Vidin

New Bishop of Vidin, Pahomiy. Photo: Bulgarian Church's Facebook

Bishop Pahomiy of Branitsa has been elected as the new Metropolitan of Vidin in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Glasove reports. His candidacy was unanimously supported by all 14 members of the Holy Synod, led by Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil. The canonical election of the new Metropolitan of Vidin took place at the Synodal Palace in Sofia. Before his election, Bishop Pahomiy served as the first vicar of Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel.

Bishop Pahomiy (secular name Petar Lozanov) was born on April 25, 1978, in Sofia. In 2000, he completed a parallel course at the St. John of Rila Sofia Theological Seminary.

In 2002, during the Apostles' Fast, he was tonsured a monk at the Holy Trinity Divotino Monastery by Bishop Nicholas of Znepol (now Metropolitan of Plovdiv), who later ordained him as a hierodeacon and hieromonk the same year.

In 2004, he was officially appointed abbot of Divotino Monastery, where he gathered a monastic brotherhood. During his tenure, the monastery experienced a revival of spiritual life. Two chapels were consecrated – one dedicated to St. Anne and another renovated chapel dedicated to the Seventy Apostles. Additionally, major restoration and reinforcement work was carried out on the central Holy Trinity Church, as well as repairs to the monastery buildings.

In 2010, he graduated from the Faculty of Theology at St. Clement of Ohrid Sofia University.

On March 9, 2015, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite by then Vicar of the Sofia Metropolis, Bishop Grigory of Branitsa (now Metropolitan of Vratsa). By decision of the Holy Synod on June 12, 2017, he was appointed rector of the St. John of Rila Sofia Theological Seminary. On September 20, 2021, he was elected and named bishop, and on October 19, 2021, he was consecrated as Branitsa Bishop at the Rila Stavropegial Monastery.

It is important to note that the Vidin Diocese was previously headed by the current Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia, Daniil, who led the diocese until his election as Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on June 30, 2024.

Earlier, it was reported that the Bulgarian Church ordained a new Bishop of Leuka.

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