Silistra, Bulgaria, September 30, 2020
Photo: sliven.net
On August 18, His Eminence Metropolitan Ambrose of Dorostol of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church reposed in the Lord at the age of 78 after becoming infected with the coronavirus.
On Saturday, September 26, hierarchs of both the Bulgarian and Romanian Churches came together at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Silistra, Bulgaria, to commemorate Met. Ambrose on his 40th day and to pray for the repose of his soul.
On this day, a memorial Liturgy was celebrated by Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe, who is temporarily governing the Dorostol Diocese until a new bishop is installed, together with Metropolitan Naum of Ruse of the Bulgarian Church, Bishop Visarion of Tulcea of the Romanian Church, and a number of Bulgarian and Romanian clergy, reports the official site of the Bulgarian Patriarchate.
Following the Divine Liturgy, a panikhida was served, with the participation of Archbishop Teodosije of Tomis of the Romanian Church. Following the memorial service, Met. Anthony spoke of Met. Ambrose’s ministry in the Dorostol Diocese, and called on everyone to continue praying for him, saying: “In such moments, prayer is the spiritual dew that waters the soul on its way to the eternal habitations!”
Abp. Teodosije also addressed the gathered crowd, emphasizing that the Diocese of Dorostol, which directly borders Romania, is a spiritual bridge between the Bulgarian and Romanian Local Churches. He assured that he would always remember Met. Ambrose with great love and respect and commemorate him at every Divine Liturgy.
The hierarchs, clergy, and faithful then processed from the cathedral to Met. Ambrose’s grave, where another panikhida was served.
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Met. Ambrose (Alexander Alexandrov Parashkevov) was born on June 9, 1942, in the town of Svishtov.
He graduated from the Higher Institute of Chemical Technology in Sofia, and later, in 1983, was accepted as a student at the St. Clement of Ohrid Theological Academy, from which he graduated in 1987.
He was tonsured as a monk at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Monastery near Berkovitsa on August 13, 1983, with the name of Ambrose. He was ordained as a hierodeacon on October 19 that year, serving in the Vidin Diocese through 1984.
He was ordained as a hieromonk on August 15, 1984, and resided and served at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Monastery until February 1988. He served as abbot of the Lopushan Monastery of St. John the Forerunner from February 3, 1988 to April 1, 1994, and was elevated to the rank of archimandrite on June 29, 1989.
When a schism in the Bulgarian Church arose in 1992, he joined the so-called Alternative Synod.
He was consecrated as a bishop in the schismatic church on April 3, 1994. By decision of the Pan-Orthodox Council in September-October 1998 in Sofia, he was received as a canonical hierarch by the Bulgarian Church. From 1999 to 2010 he served as vicar of the Vidin and then Vratsa Dioceses.
In January 2010, he was installed as Metropolitan of Dorostol.
