Suspension extended for Bulgarian cleric who concelebrated with OCU

Epifaniy Dumenko with Archimandrite Nikanor. Photo: Nikanor (Mishkov)’s Facebook page

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel extended the suspension from ministry of Archimandrite Nikanor (Mishkov) for another 15 days. On the website of the Sofia Metropolis, the extension of the suspension was explained by the ongoing proceedings in the eparchial court.

Metropolitan of Sofia and Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel issued Decree No. 146 of August 26, 2026, according to which the Sofia Eparchy imposed an "argos" (prohibition from priestly ministry) on Archimandrite Nikanor for a period of 15 days until September 11. Thus, the cleric's total suspension will have lasted 45 days.

The Patriarch made this decision due to the pending ecclesiastical criminal case No. 2/2026 before the Sofia Eparchial Court. The ecclesiastical judges are examining the actions of the abbot of the Chernogora Monastery based on the articles of the Statute of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The court case covers actions incompatible with the priestly rank and violations of monastic vows of obedience.

Previously, the cleric had concelebrated with OCU head Epifaniy Dumenko and attacked the hierarchy of his own Church, calling Patriarch Daniel "Atanas Trendafilov playing 'patriarch,'" and the Church itself merely "a pitiful imitation of a church, a lackey of Russian imperialism."

As the UOJ reported, the Bulgarian cleric who concelebrated with the OCU hired lawyers for a court case against the Patriarch.

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