Mt. Athos, May 13, 2025
Photo: romfea.gr
The enthronement of the new abbot of the Athonite Zographou Monastery (Bulgarian), Fr. Gavriil (Karatotev), was festively celebrated on Sunday, May 11.
On April 12, the Zographou brother elected Fr. Gavriil to succeed Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose who reposed in the Lord on January 27 after leading the monastery since 1997.
Hieromonk Gavriil was elevated to the rank of archimandrite on May 6, the monastery’s patronal feast of St. George.
And on Sunday, his enthronement took place in the Catholicon of St. George in the presence of abbots and representatives of the other Athonite monasteries, reports Romfea.
Photo: romfea.gr
Bulgarian and Greek public officials were also present at the festivities. The service was followed by a festive banquet.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov wished Archimandrite Gavriil to keep the bond with Bulgaria alive. “I am convinced that you will continue to lead the brotherhood according to Athonite tradition and will safeguard the purity of monastic life and the spiritual legacy of Zographou,” he wrote.
The PM stressed the importance of the monastery as “a holy house of prayer and hope, a school of spirituality and literary activity, a custodian of centuries-old tradition and a spiritual pillar for the Bulgarian people, where Bulgarian identity has been built and protected over the centuries and the indomitable Bulgarian spirit has been supported.”
“We’re grateful for the support voiced by the Bulgarian state toward our monastic community. This is extremely important for us. After all, we were born and raised in this country, in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, we were baptized there, we grew up and were shaped into people who would come to live in Athos,” Abbot Gavriil said earlier.
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