Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s Holy Synod unanimously elects Pahomiy as new Metropolitan of Vidin
The governing body of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod, unanimously elected on February 9 Branitsa Bishop Pahomiy as the new Metropolitan of Vidin.
The 14 to zero vote means that Pahomiy, 47, becomes a member of the Holy Synod.
He succeeds as Daniil as Metropolitan of Vidin after Daniil was elected Patriarch on June 3 2024.
Pahomiy defeated Melnik Bishop Gerasim, who emerged from the diocesan election a week earlier with the second-largest share of votes.
Pahomiy was born on April 25 1978 as Petar Lozanov in Sofia.
He graduated from the theological seminary in Sofia in 2000 and became a monk in 2002.
He was appointed abbott of the Divotinsky Monastery in 2004.
In 2010, he graduated from Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski’s theology faculty.
In 2017, the Holy Synod appointed Pahomiy as rector of the Sv Ivan Rilski Seminary, and in 2021, became Bishop of Branitsa.
(Photo montage: Bulgarian Orthodox Church Patriarchate, and Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
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