Rila, Bulgaria, July 2, 2025
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
The hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church consecrated a new brother bishop yesterday at the famous Rila Monastery on the feast of its holy founder, St. John of Rila.
The consecration of Archimandrite Ioan, former protosingel of the Sofia Metropolis, was celebrated by a host of Bulgarian hierarchs, headed by His Holiness Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria, together with His Eminence Metropolitan Andrei of Gori and Ateni from the Georgian Patriarchate, His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Patriarchate, and His Eminence Metropolitan Gregorios of Peristeri of the Greek Orthodox Church, reports the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The bishops were joined by clergy from throughout the country, as well as Archpriest Vladimir Tishchuk, representative of the Russian Patriarch in Bulgaria, and Hieromonk Neluts (Opria), representative of the Romanian Patriarch in Bulgaria.
Before the start of the Divine Liturgy, Archim. Ioan pronounced his episcopal promises and confessed the Orthodox faith by reading the Nicene Creed.
The Liturgy was sung antiphonally by Bulgarian and Romanian choirs.
During the Liturgy, Archim. Ioan knelt and the Bulgarian Patriarch and hierarchs placed the Holy Gospel and their hands upon him, invoked the Holy Spirit over him and besought God’s grace to descend upon him.
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
After the people filling the cathedral church exclaimed “Axios!” Pat. Daniil presented the new bishop the vestments and symbols of episcopal ministry: sakkos, omophorion, encolpion, and mitre.
At the end of the service, Pat. Daniil presented Bp. Ioan with his episcopal staff and offered him a Patriarchal exhortation:
Today you, Most Reverend Bishop, received the gift of episcopal grace, which renews the depths of your being, strengthens you and sanctifies you, because the Holy Spirit Himself descended upon you and the power of the Most High overshadowed you. Truly great is this ministry and extremely heavy is the responsibility you undertake. But lift up your heart and raise the gaze of your mind upward, relying boldly on the boundless sea of God’s mercy and believing unshakably that He who looks upon our humility will place His right hand upon you, will lift you up and will never abandon you, if you trust in Him…
Always remember and keep the promises given today for faithfulness to the holy Orthodox faith, to the dogmatic teaching of the holy Church, to the sacred rules established by the Ecumenical and Local Councils, to the ordinances of the sacred hierarchy of our Church and of your diocesan bishop. Be ready to defend the truth, whatever it may cost you, following the example of such pillars of faith as St. Ambrose of Milan and St. John Chrysostom, who exposed injustice without fear of the princes of this world. Remember that a bishop is not an administrator or chief like secular leaders, but is above all the president of the Eucharistic assembly and a teacher in the faith.
In turn, Bp. Ioan proclaimed:
I want first of all to firmly confess the teaching of our holy Church, that the bishop is a successor of the Holy Apostles, a herald of the holy Gospel, a guardian of Christ’s truth, a symbol of unity in the holy Church, a steward of God’s grace, a teacher of piety and purity, flowing from the source of Orthodox faith.
Bp. Ioan has thus been entrusted with the ministry of first vicar of the Metropolis of Sofia.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
