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Enormous Scandal in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church continues as the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Holy Synod acts as Masonic Lodge not venerating the people’s choice about future Metropolitan of the Eparchy

Thursday, April 25th, 2024

The times of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ seem to be really near, this is clear from the facts that the corruption and people's degradation has reached a state, where no truthfulness is existing neither in the worldly organizations Countries, governments, parliaments, courts, institutions, companies and even in the Most Holy Church of Christ which he has consecrated by his Holy Blood, through the Crucifixion and Death on the Cross for our sins.

It seems today, neither the low ordinary people neither the high and eligible and most honored Bishops and even Metropolitans are in a such a bad careless state, that they only care about their own wordly interests and the interests of a few of other servitudes nearby, neglecting the interest of the Holy Church of Christ (which is the Assembly of believers in the Lord Christ Jesus, who breath and live being in the world but , “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” John 18:36.

What happens now about 2000 years, later in Christ Church is absotely the same. Just like Jesus, his true followers has been rejected to be accepted by his own people. In same way his true people are always, being rejected to take their ruling place, but instead in the world the Lies and manipulations are taking place to crucify the true servents of God.

The Holy Gospel seems to repeat itself again and again all the time through the ages. This time the stage is different this is not ancient Israel with the Assembly of Synodrion and the Old Testament's Church of God and his People the Israelites. But the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church with his people the new Israel the Christians.

Get to know the facts on Bulgarian Church Scandal Escalasion for New Metropolitan of Sliven voting – situation as of 24th April 2024

The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church has made another and strange untransparent decision once again, right after the Enormous Scandal with the cassation of legal choice of People of Sliven for best candidates Ierotey and Mihail (amongs which Ierotey is preferred), as the Metropolia of Sliven is still mourining on the beloved pontiff his holiness Metropolitan Ioanikij, less than 3 months before his blessed passing to Christ.

The decision of Eparchal voters among which nuns, monks (archimandrites), priests and layman was cleartly to have Metropolitan to have Ierotey as a first and most wanted candidate and Mihail as a second that was made on 18 of February (Eparchy voters in Sliven elected the two bishops, of whom St. The Synod will elect a new Metropolitan of Sliven.

Map of Spiritual Eparchies in Bulgaria of Bulgarian Orthodox Church Bulgarian Patriarchy (BPC-BP)

Territorial Map of Sliven Eparchy according to the Local Spiritual districts belonging to Sliven Metropoly

Shortly after, it was decided to stop the legal procedure for choosing between bishop Ierotey and bishop Michail and overwritte the Synod accepted and agreed own legal document to follow on different church casuses, the ' the Church statuses regulations (Устав на БПЦ Българска Патриаршия = Bulgarian Orthodox Church Regulation Rules document decided to be followed by everyone in the Church including the bishops and metropolitans on a National Church Assembly) right during a procedure for enthronization of next Metropolitan of Sliven.

The new "regulation" they tried to push "in the shadows (illegally against the Church statues)" was written in a way to make the choice of new Metropolitans to be done only by Metropolitan assembly the Synod, without taking in considerating the christian people preference for such, something scandal as this was not so during the last 150 years since we have restored the Bulgarian Church Excharchy.

For more see whole case described in Enormous Church Scandal in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on the selection of new Metropolitan for one of Biggest Church Eparchies the Eparchy of Sliven.

Out of this a great number of discussions started by Christian laity in facebook, viber and in the media of multitude of people, priests and cleargy from Sliven Eparchy complaining and protesting first infront of the Metroplitan Palace in Sliven

Prayer-Vigil-peaceful-protests-in-front-of-Sliven-Metropolia
Sliven Church Priests, Monks and Layman gathered in front of Sliven Eparchy Metropolitan governing building

As this protests were not considered seriously by many of Elders of the Synod, the same protest with much more participant occured in front of Synodal Palace (the ruling ministry of the Bulgarian Church seat place) in Sofia as well as purely physical by presence with Prayer Vigils to the Holy Synod because of their unwillingness to accept the Synod unargumented decision to stop the procedure for choice of new metropolitan.

Unofficially it was was said the reason behind the solution is accusation against Ierotey and Michail for being involved in unwaful selling of Church lands. These facts were publicly checked by documents (see them here) presented by the court clearly prooving the accusations of two brother priests Silvester and Evgeny (which has a history of being involved in many anti-church activities and scandals) are fake.

Bishop Mihail has also been accused by others for the same illegal church land resell activities, and he came with official answer on the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (official site) see the document here.

Prayer-Vigil-Protest-in-front-of-Holy-Synod

Peaceful objection Vigil Prayer in front of Holy Synod by Sliven Clergy and Laymen, Poster reads:
"Do not exchange our Good shepherd, which gives his soul for the sheep with a mercenary, we do not know !"
Second Poster on the background is "Against the New Order", meant the new Order to not venerate People's choice during voting of new Metropolitans

The outcome of the protest in front of the Synodal bulding palace in Sofia, Bulgaria was to cancel the votings for Metropolitan and do the whole voting procedure from the beginning.
The people accepted the decision of the Synod even though the synod took this decision to not put in place 'new order' in favour if existing norms of the Churh statuses on the background of multitude of protesting priests, monks and layman from Sliven Eparchy and other eparchies which is well documented well in below video.

Synodal Prayer Vigil against the cassation of choice for future Metropolitan of Sliven

On the protests along with Church people and clergy from Sliven was present people from other Eparchies as well as key well known priests and monks that are from Sofia and the Sofia Metropolitan to tell their unwillingness for overriding the Church established rules "Statuses", as well as to express their support for Sliven Eparchy whose Church people will is to have venerated their up to the rules selection of Bishop Ierotey to become the next Vicar (Metropolitan) of Sliven.

On many TV medias this protest was not shown and the organized fake "contra-protest" of Metropolitan Nikolay and his people who were anti-protesting against people will was shown as it was paid for that (another proof for lack of enough freedom of speech and transparency of Bulgarian mass medias).

holy-synod-contraprotest-for-the-choice-of-new-sliven-metropolitan

The contra-protesters from Plovdvid Eparchy that came with buses from Plovdiv eparchy enforced by Metropolitan Nikolay, very much in the old spirit of manifestations during the totalitarian regime of communism (notice the obviousness of the protest is fake from the exactly same looking slogans held mainly by priests)

As a result people from Sliven Eparchy accepted the fact that the Holy Synod decided to finally cassate (cancel) the procedure for choice of new Sliven Metropolitan and organize a new list of Worthy and dostopochteni (venerable) Bishops among which Sliven's people should make the choice again.
The people accepted this as they hoped the Holy Synod elders, might have been misled by the false accusation reports of the two brother priests Silvester and Evgeny Yanakievi (who by the way are very active on facebook) against Ierotey, and thus by organizing the choice once again officially the choice will take case in a transparent way and according to the Church rules statuses and then they can again vote for bishop Ierotey and double verify their initial choice.

However what happened now is far from that. Contrary to any logic (and as provocation), the list of venerable Bishops was made by the Holy Synod, during the Great Lent on 22 of April, a time in which people should concentrate on their repentance and spiritual growing and spiritual preparation to accept the Fest of Feasts, The Resurresction of Christ Easter.

Contrary and again unvenerating the Church clergy and people's will of Sliven the new list of Bishops does not included neither Ierotey nor Mihail and included only 6 Bishops claimed to be venerable !!!

1. Velichki Bishop Sionij
2. Znepolski Bishop Arsenij
3. Melnishki Bishop Gerasim
4. Branitcki Bishop Pahomij
5. Glavnicki Bishop Makarij
6. Velbyzdhski Bishop Isaak

Here is a tiny biographies and only few rumored things about the Bishops, synod have been included and listed them according to seniority on when they become bishops.

1. The first listed Bishop Sionij (Velichki) completed Cherepish Spiritual Seminary (Academy) in 1990. Become monk in 1991.
Completed Theology in 1994 in Saint Kliment Ohridski. 1995-1996 specialezed in Erlangen Germany. Become monk from Metropolitan Dometian (Vidinski) in Klisurski Monastery soon after become hieromonk. In 1992 – 1995 has been abbot of Klisura Monastery. In 1996 has become deacon of Sofia's Theological Seminary Saint John of Rila (he was later removed because of scandals, a boy died and accused by pupil parents for pedophilia, a sad fact that was hidden with time, due to many publications you can find online …).
In 1998 has been raised to archimandrite by Patriarch Maxim in Dolni Lozen Monastery St. Peter and Paul.
In March 2007 has been ordinated as Bishop Velichki in Saint Alexander Nevski Cathedral. In 2009 become vicar of Vidin Metropolitan Dometian In 1 May 2014 become an abbot of Troyan monastery, 3rd April 2019 he has become an abbot also to Bachkovo Monastery.
Bishop Sionij is among the most scandalous persons in Bulgarian Orthodox Church, many scandals media scandals assigning his name tо pedophilia and homosexuality through the time. It is claimed by medias he is involved with mafia (and especially with Church mafia). There was even a person who says to have been involved in this affairs with him that publicly has given interview for "Tzanov"'s self financed youtube channel Napred i Nagore" (video titled: "The Church of Sin").
Currently paradoxically he is an abbot of 2 of the biggest and 2 second richest monasteries in Bulgaria Troyanski and Bachkovki.. His family is known in Sofia for years for being one of the most richest people in Sofia.
Currently aged 56 yrs.

2. Second one Arsenij gruaded high school 2006 in Stara Zagora in village Osetenovo. Completed Saint John of Rila seminary in 2006, was student in Saint Ohridski Theology and continued his education in Plovdiv University, saint Paisios of Hilendar, said to have graduated 2009. Tonsured monk in 2007, became hierodeacon and consequentially same year 2008 hieromonk. 6th December he was raised by Metr. Nikolay to Bishop. He has been a director of Plovdiv's Orthodox TV since 2009 and Plovdiv Seminary 2010 (seminary initiated again by by Metr. Nikolay). In 2012 he was given to be a head of Metropolitan cathedral in Plovdvid saint Marina.
On June 2014 he was raised to bishop after offer was to the Holy Synod, by Metr. Nikolay.
Hierotony was made by then very old Metropolitan Ioanikiy of Sliven in collaboration with Metropolitans Dometian of Vidinsky (now deceased), Grigoriy of Velikotarnovsky, Ignatius of Pleven and Nikolay of Plovdiv.

Iinterestingly he is titled as protegee of Metr. Nikolay who orchestrates the decisions in the Holy Synod for the last years (fact known by most people who even had a slight idea of what is going on internally in the Church). The backstage ruling of the Synod and the place is said to be easy for the Metr. Nikolay, since patriarch Neofit was severely sick and in practice inactive as patriarch. According to official information that leaked from Synod, it was exactly Arsenij the choice of Metr. Nikolay and his group of metropolitans (most of whom doesn't have the necessery support from anyone such as DS (Dyrzhavna Sigurnost) to which Metr. Nikolay is said to have the support and in which Metr. Nikolay's father was important ranked person). Thus the legative choice of Sliven people was cancelled by the Synod by Metr. Nikolay and his group in attempt to install the already pre-chosen Arsenij in any means.

Bishop Arsenij is known amoung the clergy in Church for becoming a bishop officially against the Church statuses, not having the Statuses set years, becoming bishop before his 30s in 28 years, according to Church rules of statuses regulations he should have had been at least 35 years, 2 more years than Christs age of crucifix. The other break of Church statuses regulations with his hierotony was that he did not have 10 years as a clergy person in Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Currently 37 yrs old (has 10 years served as Bishop)

3. Bishop Gerasim (Melnishki) is famous for having a professional Actors education, before deciding to become monk and start his new career in the Church. He has not have officially any Theological Education diploma till the moment he decided to walk the spiritual path, but received such by specialization in Moscow 2 years in a newly created faculty by Metropolitan Ilarion Alfeev (faculty created 2012) and no longer existing. The Diplomas from Russia are not really considered officially by Bulgarian Government due to legislative reasons. Even though that he managed to be chosen somehow and become the Secretary of Holy Synod, and have signed documents that he has a higher Theological education which he at that time doesn't.
He seems to have closed his eyes and signed the documents for requirements of higher education for the job of Synodal Secratary as a preliminary to the function of Secratary. He is known to often serve Liturgy in the Russian Church among which was a lot of scandals last year and which kept closed for quite some time, due to clergy in the Church being accused for serving for FSB (Russian Secret Services). He is also accused by some medias for organizing an official business dinner for donation to collect money from businessmen for the sake of restoration of Biggest Cathedral in Bulgaria St. Alexander Nevsky. It is strange why such a cathedral, has to collect donations for its restoration, especially since the Bulgarian church Sofia Metropoly has a lot of land properties and stores on the city center that given for rent and should be bringing money to mitropoly along with the so called "vladichnina" amount of whole profit which every Church on territory of eparchy has to pay to the metropoly. Church st. Alexander Nevsky is a common tourist destination in Sofia for people all around the world and that should be supposably another way to collect money for its restoration.
Currently he is aged 44 yrs. Served as Bishop 8 yrs.

4. Bishop Pahomij (Branicki) has been made a monk and hieromonk again by Metr. Nikolay, his elder was proto-abbot Benedict from Holy Mount Athos Zograph in Divotinski Monastery, near Bankya in 2002 in 2004 he become abbot of Divotinsky Monastery. For 2004 till 2010 he had managed to gather brotherhood and helped to recover a Chapel Saint Anna and rerecover the 70 Apostles Church buildings and the Main Church Holy Trinity. In 2015 he become hieromonk. bishop (hierotony by current Metropolitan of Vratza and some other bishops who is temporary substitute for patriarch Neofit's passing till the new choice of patriarch completes.). In 12.06.2017 he was made a bishop in Rila Monastery, again – according to some sources he did not have the Higher Theological education at that time for the post of bishopship, requirement according to Statuses of Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Currently he is aged 45 yrs. Served as Bishop 7 yrs

5. bishop Makarij (Glavnicki) has completed Plovdiv's Spiritual Seminary (whose deacan at that time was Bishop Evlogij Adrianopolski), finished Theology school in Bucharest in 2004 and Master degree in Thessaloniki (Solun) completed in 2010. In march 2007 become a novice monk in Rila Monastery Saint John of Rila. In 2008 during Lent become Hierodeacon, by bishop Evlogij. April 2011 become a hieromonk (priest monk). In March 2017 become a bishop. After becoming metropolitan he is now a vicar Bishop of Metropolitan Naum.
It is interesting fact that his hierotony as bishop did not happen in Saint John of Rila monastery but in Troyan Monastery, where currently a bishop is bishop Sionij. Also the person who pushed his career forward Bishop Evlogij of Rila Monastery did not take part in the hierotony in Troyan monastery weirdly.
Current aged 42 yrs. Serves as Bishop 7 yrs

6. Bishop Isaak (Velbyzhdski), started and completed aged 13 in Saint John of Rila seminary in Sofia, which he complated in 2001. In 2001 he started working in Seminary administration. Completed Sofia, Theological School saint Kliment Ohridski in 2008 (Bachelor). In 2009 in Vidin he become monk by Dometian of Vidin under spiritual guidance of Biship Sionij Velichki. In 2010, was raised to hieromonk in Saint Nicolas Church and in parallel works in Sofia Seminary as а tutor (ethnical bulgarians living abroad).
In 2011, with blessing of Metr. Dometian he has become episcopal vicar of Lom Spiritual district. In 2012 in Dormition of Theotokos Chapel (which he headed) he was raised to archimandrite. In 2012 he started studying postgraduate studies in Moscow. In June 2023 he was raised to bishop with the title Bishop Velbyzhdski and given the role of second patriarch Neofit's vicar, as first is Bishop Polikarp. According to rumors, he is said according to some media news to have some connections with FSB for his stay in Russia and some of the public appearances, staying behind Russia's official position for holy war, held against the evil.
Serves as Bishop 1 yr

Bishop Ierotey Agathopolski (Kosakov)

The Seventh Bishop that is excluded from list, Ierotey (Agathopolski) was selected by Sliven Eparchy Priest, Monks and Laity
to become the 7th Metropolitan of Sliven is Ierotey (The Voice of the People, The Voice of God) !

Bishop Ierotey (Agathopolski) in 2003 completed, Parallel course of Sofia Theological Seminary. December 22, 2003, Metropolitan Ioannikiy (Nedelchev) of Sliven tonsured him as a monk in brotherhood of the Holy Great Martyr George in the city of Pomorie.
Archimandrite Theodosius (abbot of) Pomorie monastery at that time became his spiritual mentor.
May 11, 2004, Metropolitan Ioanikiy of Sliven in the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Burgas ordained hierodeacon.
On May 16 of the same year, Metropolitan Ioanikiy of Sliven in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Nessebar was ordained to the rank of hieromonk.
On January 1, 2005, he was appointed abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Great Martyr George in Pomorie.
He made a significant contribution to the development of the Pomorie monastery and its influence on Christian life in the region.
Christian children's camps were organized annually at the monastery, a week of Orthodox singing introduced. Many hopeless and lonely and people with problems found a hospitality and spiritual help and resort in the monastery.
On May 6, 2008 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. In 2010 he graduated Master Degree of Theology of Shumen University, Bishop Konstantin Preslavsky.
September 18, 2014, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, he was elected vicar of the Sliven diocese, bishop with the title of Agathopol (Agathopolski).
October 1 was chiratonized to Bishop rank by Metropolitan Ioanikij (Nedelchev) Slivenski, Metropolitan Grogorij (Stefanov) of Tarnovo, Metropolitan Starozagorsky Galaktion (Tabakov), Metropolitan Nikolay Plovdivsky (Sevastyanov), Metropolitan Ambrosij (Ambrosius) Dorostolsky (Parashkevov), Metropolitan of Nevrokop Seraphim (Dinkov), Bishop of Trayanopol Cyprian (Kazandzhiev), Bishop of Znepol Arseniy (Lazarov).
Served as Bishop 10 years

I believe there is nearly no person who has even encountered to meet Ierotey (Kosakov) Bishop Ierotey and interacted and doesn't have a good memory of that time, or have some bad impression.
Not that I know him presonally but that person has always tried to help everyone in everything, this is really rare in our mostly egoistical world. Perhaps only envious and people obsessed with money or material goods can criticize him for the reason, he lives a true monk, and as every true monk and as Saint John of Rila adviced in His Covenant, "From all the things, most beware of money, for they are the root of all evil.".

It happens Slivens Eparchy is full of material goods due to its strategic location nearby see and due to tourism, and of course this eparchy is interested to be at the hands of businesses who can built freely and sell for cheap to big investors lands for the sake of increasement of tourism in the region, as Bishop Ierotey might be a factor against that (as he has refused to cooparete in building of 200 rooms Hotel accomodation at lands of Pomorie Monastery to Silvester Yanakiev, now there are some people leading fierce company to remove him from the vote and destroy his good name reputation.).

From the Holy Synod, there is no official explanation on why Bishop Ierotey is removed from the vote list during the new choice, but for everyone who has even the slightest idea of what is going on in the Church higher stages of power it is fully clear.

The wing of Metropolitan Nikolay and his protegees Metropolitans has risen their voices against the inclusion of Ierotey in the list. In order to make it not clear that Ierotey is the real target, few others were also removed who were in practice "un-votable" as their personal life has spots.

This just like the first time of decision to halt the process of voting even thugh two candidates for metropolitan were chosen (none of which that seems to fit the desires of the Dark Cardinal of the Bulgarian Church Metr. Nikolay and his synodal group of dependent people who are kept silent and obedient due to compromates against them or with financial donations).

It is not secret and not new the backstage dictation of Metropolitan Nikolay to his band (Synodal wing) of bishops many of whom are known to have a lot of homosexual (homophilia) and even pedophilia and other abnormal sexual activities, as well as activities related to the dark business schemes in bulgarian businesses and money laundary for which people know from mouth to mouth information spreading for years in the Church.

What is now stunning is that these people has become so unscrupulous, that they're ready to get over any person or group of people and even against a whole Eparchy of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church that perhaps nominally might be around 1 million people !!!

These peoples's believe, that us the ordinary believers of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church are stupid and easily managable and they can do with them whatever they want because they're a higher class and very few of people are really regularly going to Church or actively parcipating in the Church Mysteries (Holy Communion and the other 7 sacraments).

What is striking, the Synodal elders are shameless, they think they're the Church, forgetting the word Ecclesia meaning.

"Ecclesia (or Ekklesia) in Christian theology means both: a particular body of faithful people, and the whole body of the faithful."

Seems like now our many of our Synodal Elders understand the Church (Ecclesia) as them and the servitude of faithful to Christ people who should obey them for the only reason, they have taken the seat of the Holy Apostles (that is the metropolitan seat = bishopship seat + administrative obediences).

It is interesting to say the modern understanding of Ecclesia in Western Modern Catholicism does well fit the understanding that the powerful of the day in the Synod that are trying to push out their agendas against the people will and choice, below is a definition.

Christian understanding of Church

If one speaks of the whole body of Christian faithful, then there are included not only the members of the Church who are alive on earth but all who were members of the church before. Some churches therefore describe the Church as being composed of the Church Militant (Christians on Earth) and the Church Triumphant (Christians in Heaven). In Catholic theology, there is also the Church Suffering (Christians still in purgatory).

The Christian family, the most basic unit of Church life, is sometimes called the domestic Church.[2]

Finally, 'The Church' may sometimes be used, especially in Catholic theology, to speak of those who exercise the office of teaching and ruling the faithful, the Ecclesia Docens, or again (more rarely) the governed as distinguished from their pastors, the Ecclesia Discens.

What else is really not Okay with how the selection of Bishops are reduced from 10 to 6 venerable to take the seat of Sliven Metropolitan

All this events happen during the Great Lent and for every True Christian it is well known the old Church practice, that important decisions should not be taken during the great Lent period as usually such decisions are wrong and could create havoc, due to the highest degree of temptations that are let around by the Almighty God for the spiritual grow and healing of his faithful childs the Christians.

It is up to Christian people to now proof them once the Great Lent is over after the Glorious Resurrection Day they're wrong and that people will not let the God given eparchy of Sliven to be ruled by dependent Metropolitan to Metr. Nikolay.

It is up to us to proof we're not sheepsand that people's will on matters of higher hierarchy of Church and their deeds should not be unmonitored and unpunished as it was in a higher degree over the last years !!!

People should rise of their indifference and show they still care about the Pureness of the Church and the legitimity of the Church Law of Selection of new Highest Hierarchical heads of the Church.
It is last time and last chances until we still have Church, especially considering the Apocalyptic times in which we seem to be living.

If you dear brothers and sisters in Christ not react and not fight for the truthful selection of a list with really venerable bishops that is transparent and argumented as it should be, another satellite Metropolitan will be installed to fit the plans of the ex-communist DS (Dyrzhavna Sigurnost) and the Ruling elite. If that happens soon we'll not only have a Real Orthodox Church Hierarchy chosen according to canons and due to Church Statues as it should be but an Assembly of Pseudo Hierarchs who acts in secrecy and conspiracy schemes in the same way as any Masonic Lodge.

In other words, we'll have Church but a faked artificial business and party like organization, where decisions are not taken by the Creator of the Church the Lord Jesus Christ and his true followers the Apostles (that are the Bishops and Metropolitans), but we'll have a secular organization with Big beauty Church temple (museums without real cleargy) and a Monasteries full of pedophiles, gays and people who want to live an easy life and enjoy themselves instead of spiritually persevere and lead the hard spiritual fight and pray for the well-being of Bulgarians, Bulgaria and the Rest of the Christians.

Lets pray fervently until the end of the fasting, that the Metropolitans who took that bad decision will change their mind and put back in the list the real venerable people and not have a list of people who are dependent and unworthy due to lack of Higher education, a personal scandals, they were involved like Bishop Sionij or have another kind of spots, that can be easily researched even by a simple few Internet searches in Google.

Nomatter who is worthy or not, the main thing is that Sliven Eparchy should be headed by a person who is wanted in the Eparchy and such person according to the clear votes of Eparchical electors is Ierotey, the problem is that Ierotey is not playing well with the dark businesses and does count the interest of people, and does not randomly do what is being asked for with the only goal to make money and he doesn't follow blindly rules by Metr. Nikolay or whoever and thus he is automatically becoming unworthy.

Tags: again, Bulgarian Church, bulgarian orthodox church, Bulgarian Orthodox Church Holy Synod, choice, christ church, clear, due, during, followers, governments, Israel, list, Lord Christ Jesus, Masonic Lodge, Metropolitan, place, procedure, properly, Sliven Eparchy, spiritual, state, time, two
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Saint martyr Angel of Lerina – a Bulgarian saint confessor and the Day of Saint Archangel Michael and of all Angels Archangels and Heavenly Powers

Wednesday, November 9th, 2022

saint_archangel_Michaill_Joanikij_papa_Vitanov_1820_Trjavna_Bulgaria

Saint Archangel Michael (Church of Saint Archangel Michael Tryavna, Bulgaria) iconographer Yoanikij Papavitanov

On 8th of November in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, we celebrate the day to remember the gathering of Archangel Michael with all the Angels Archangels, Cherubims and heavenly powers that have kept loyal to the Holy Trinity God – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.
The same arch-angels and powers who could do what they want and were created in the beginning of time after God as a helper Spirits to God and man.

The same angels are also supporting the whole universe with their deeds of love. They sustain the waters, make the wind blow, the clouds to move and give rain, the earth to give its fruits, possess and give wisdom or transfer secret messages from God to man when sent.

Others do protect all Christians and people from the evils of the fallen-agels who choose to misobey the True God Christ and follow the master of the evil spirits whose place is in the burning Gehenah and whose time is running out.

They help the woman in birth-pain (like my sister Stanimira whose time to give birth is approaching), the make the organism of man to function properly. Or give the physics to make the stars shine on heaven, the Planet and heavenly bodies to move. Each and every place and Country and Church has its own guardian angels. And they're of a Big multitude the Church fathers says a lot about the Angels and many is still unknown and will be revealed in the that everyone will stand on the Judgement day in front of God and sees the Heaven and Hell realities and will stumble in fear seeing the gloriness of the archangels and cherubs (burning out of Love for God and man) made in a likeness of the Holy God.

The orthodox Church sticks clearly to the teaching of so called saint Dyonisious the Areopagites (often called in the Theology Pseudo Dyonisious), who was one of the important apostles of Christ, Athenian judge at the Areopagus Court in Athens, who lived in the first century. A convert to Christianity, he is venerated as a saint by multiple denominations.

The writings of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite hold great significance for the Orthodox Church. Four books of his have survived to the present day:

On the Celestial Hierarchy, On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, On the Names of God, On Mystical Theology

In additional, there are ten letters to various people.

The book On the Celestial Hierarchies was written actually in one of the countries of Western Europe, where Saint Dionysius was preaching. In it he speaks of the Christian teaching about the angelic world. The angelic (or Celestial-Heavenly) hierarchy comprises the nine angelic Ranks:

Seraphim
Cherubim
Thrones
Dominions
Powers
Authorities
Principalities
Archangels
Angels

The account of the Synaxis of the Bodiless Powers of Heaven is located under November 8.

The purpose of the divinely-established Angelic Hierarchy is the ascent towards godliness through purification, enlightenment and perfection. The highest ranks are bearers of divine light and divine life for the lower ranks. And not only are the sentient, bodiless angelic hosts included in the spiritual light-bearing hierarchy, but also the human race, created anew and sanctified in the Church of Christ.

There is too much to be said about Angels, Archangels, through the years from ancient times, they can heal and help, and grant special powers to man and many, many more. There were innumerable heresies who have over-deified heavenly powers, especially gnostics and that is a well known fact. For those who want to read about Angels, and their hierarchy there is a lot ot read and learn, angels has helped the saints in their hardship in fight with evilness, there is really a lot about this for those who want to further learn.

But what is less known is here in today's relatively small country of Bulgaria, we have a local saint Angel of Lerina who is born in Bulgarian family and stems from a Bulgarian village. As his endeveour and confession of his love for Christ and the Church was enormous he has suffered martyrdom for Christ in the 17th century during the times Bulgaria was enslaved by the Ottoman Turks. Thus as there is not much written about saint Angel Lerinski (Lerina), I dedicated this small article in glory of his memory. The article is also in memoriam of my grand-grand-grand Father who was also named Angel himself, perhaps in glory of Saint Angel of Lerina.

The Life of Saint Angel of Lerina

Saint New Martyr Angel of Lerina (Bitolski) – picture source Wikipedia

All the sources about the holy martyr Angel of Lerinsky that we have reached cite the story of Saint Paisius of Hilendar as the main source for the life of the new martyr, called Angel or Agathangel. This is what St. Paisius writes about him in the History of Slavonic Bulgaria":
"In 1750, in Bitol, where the Turkish and Macedonian Pasha sits, the Turks tortured and beheaded a young man, handsome in face and stature, for the Christian faith. Many forced and tormented him to renounce Christ, but he wisely and courageously denounced their godless faith. The Bishop of Bitola recorded many of his answers, described his sufferings in Greek. And God showed a great sign over his powers. His name was Angel from the village of Lerin. This holy martyr Angel shone in our time in the Bulgarian land."
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors the holy new martyr on November 8, the feast of the holy Archangels. Probably the veneration of the saint in our church dates from the time when he was martyred, because his martyrdom was described by Saint Paisius of Hilendar immediately after it happened, since Saint Paisius was his contemporary.

Greek information about the new martyr Angel Lerinski appeared only in recent years.

In the electronic version of "Οι Νεομάρτυρες της Булгариас" (New Martyrs Bulgarian) Αρχιμανδρίτου του Οικουμενικού Θρόνου Θωμά Ανδρέου Ιεροκήρυκος Ιεράς Μητροπόλεως Ελευθερουπόλεως (Archimandrite of the Ecumenical See Thomas Andreu, Preacher of the Eleftheroupolis Holy Metropolis), Kavala, 2011, p.88, we read :

"Another case of a new martyr of Greek origin is that of Angel (or Agatangel) from today's Florina (in Bulgarian Lerin). The 2009 calendar of the Holy Metropolis of Florin, Prespa and Eordei honors this new martyr, who was martyred in the monastery of Pelagonia (now Bitola, Macedonia) on February 17, 1727*. The book "History of Slavonic Bulgaria" by Paisiy Hilendarski talks about the martyrdom of the new martyr ("his name was Angel or Agatangel and he was from the village of Florina")

…..
Little is known about the new martyr. We know that he was born in 1732 in Florina, in the sanjak (prefecture) of Bitola (Monastery). When he grew up, he became a tall and handsome young man. At the age of 18, the Turks tried to convert him to Islam, but Angel – although very young – did not succumb to the temptations and then bravely accepted martyrdom. In his book Paisius Hilendarski mentions that: "In 1750 in the monastery… the Turks tortured and slaughtered a handsome young man because of his Christian faith… His name was Angel and he was from the village of Florina" His testimony in the monastery was attended by the local Greek metropolitan, who described his courage and the intelligent and logical answers he gave in court. Due to the fact that he condemned the Muslim faith with particular wisdom and courage, he was beheaded when he was only 18 years old in 1750. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors his memory on November 8, during the Feast of the Archangels…."

Additional information about the holy new martyr Angel Lerinsky can be found on one of Florina's sites (http://agiospanteleimonas-florina.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-post_8186.html.)

The Metropolitan of Florini, Prespa and Eordaia, Theoclitus, addresses the citizens on the occasion of the decision to start the veneration of the holy martyr Agathangel of Florina (June, 2010):

"With special feelings of joy, emotion, holy contentment and reverence, I turn to you, the blessed children of the Greek Macedonian land, to become participants in the great spiritual joy experienced by our local Church for the first official celebration of the memory of the holy new martyr Agathangel in the seat of our metropolis Florina. It is already known to all of you. that the holy new martyr Agathangel, martyred in the Pelagonian monastery, originated from Florina, is our fellow citizen. At an early age he left Florina and went to Vutelion of Byzantium, to the monastery, seeking better living conditions. There, exercising the profession of shoemaker, he soon distinguished himself by his honesty and his diligence. …. But what distinguished him from the young people of his time was the pure and firm faith he had in Christ and in His "orthodox church". He loved Christ more than anything else in his life. No other love could "steal" the love that Agathangel had in his heart for Christ, he loved Him simply, purely, with all his heart, with all his strength, he loved Him as his poor parents and his blessed ancestors loved Him.

Along with the love for Christ, the saint had love for his homeland, conquered Macedonia. Almost four hundred years of slavery count the long-suffering "Greek Macedonians".
The Turkish conquerors treated them with cruelty. Sometimes with flattery, sometimes with threats, sometimes with violence, they try to make them change their faith. To deny Christ. To renounce the Orthodox faith and become Muslims.
And whoever renounces his faith renounces his homeland.
Agathangel's heart was troubled by the fact that several of his fellow Roman Christians did not withstand the temptations or the violence, denying Christ and the country. His brave heart rebelled. He could not bear the Orthodox faith to be dishonored. For this, when during the three-day Bairam, which is celebrated after Ramadan, the forced conversion of the Orthodox increased, this young boy, not yet twenty years old, went to Constantinople, where he received a Sultan's firman, which forbade the forced conversion in the area of Pelagonia.

On his return to the Monastery, the saint was arrested by those outraged by the Turkish Sultan's decision, and after cruel torture, he was beheaded on February 17, 1727.

In a meeting we held in the Holy Metropolis, in which, in addition to the Metropolitan, the Honorable Prefect of Florini Mr. Ioannis Voskopoulas, the Mayor of Florini Mr. Stefanos Papanastasiou, the President of TEDC of N. Florinis, Mr. Dimitrios Iliadis, and the President of the monasteries of N. Florinis, Mr. Theodoros Vosdou, decided to jointly hold events in honor of the holy new martyr Agathangel…”

* 1727 is mentioned as the year of the martyrdom of St. Angel Lerinski in some sources, and sometimes it is mentioned together with 1750, in the same source. This discrepancy in the years of the martyrdom leaves the doubt that different martyrs are being talked about.

For this reason, we cannot say exactly whether the reliquary with the relics – the holy head of the new martyr Agathangel in the Kykkos monastery in Cyprus, which contains the same description of his life, but the date February 17, 1727 is indicated, refers to the same martyr, for which speaks Saint Paisius of Hilendar.

Tags: bulgarian orthodox church, faith, heavenly, life, love, make, martyrdom, Saint Paisius, times, years
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Saint martyr Trendafil of Starazagora (Starozagorski), little known Bulgarian saint martyred in XVI century

Monday, August 8th, 2022

In memory of the holy martyr Triandafil of Stara Zagora ( Starozagorski )

According to Venerable Nicodemus Agiorite, "Synaxaristis", Constantinople, 1845, and "Neon Martyrologion", Athens, 1961.

Holy Martyr Triandafil was very young Bulgarian, about 18 years old, a native of Stara Zagora, and he was a sailor.

svetogorskata-ikona-na-sv.Triandafil-ot-hrama-sv.Georgi-v-Zagora-saint-Trendafil

Suffered as a martyr for his Christian faith in Constantinople on August 8.

For the year of his death, Venerable Nicodemus Hagioritis in his work "Synaxarium" published in (Tsarigrad / Constantinople 1845) indicates year 1570 as a year of his martyrdom, and in his other work "Neon Martyrologion" (newly published in Athens in 1961) as a year of martyrdom 1680.

His memory was celebrated on his day (August 8) every year and the tradition continues today in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as saint Trendafil is one of the constellation of Bulgarian saints.

Nicodemus Hagiorite reports that his life was written by the biographer Ioannis Cariophilis, but it seems that he did not have the original of the living at hand to include in his works.

Ikona-Sveti-Trendafil-ot-hrama-na-sveteca-v-Zagora .

As Bulgaria has been under a Spiritual and Physical slavery both the country and the Church has been under yoke, the country under the yoke of ottoman turks and the Church under the yoke of Greek slavery, only two verses are preserved in honor of the martyr (as the Greeks custom do), those two verses are given by Venerable Nicodemus in his "Synaxarion":

The name Trendafil literally translated is the flower Rosa multiflora.

Thus the glorification verses in the sinaxarion says:

Triandafil appeared as the new trendafil (Rosa multiflora),
reddened by the flow of his blood.

So far, nothing else is known about this martyr of ours.

© Living of of the saints, translated into Bulgarian from the Church Slavonic text of Cheti-minei ("Chety-Minei") of St. Demetrius of Rostov.

Tags: bulgarian orthodox church, celebrated, country, glorification, little, living, martyrdom, translated, two, Venerable Nicodemus Agiorite
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Living of New Martyr Saint Onuphrius of Gabrovo, a Bulgarian saint martyred in year 1818

Friday, June 17th, 2022

sveti-Onufrij-Gabrovski-saint-Onufrius-Gabrovski

The New Martyr saint Onufrij ( Onuphrius ) (1786 – 1818) was born in Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo Diocese, to pious and noble parents.
(His father Decho later became a monk under the name of Daniel in the same Hilendar monastery on Mount Athos, where his son was then active).
The child Onuphrius was given the name Matthew in Holy Baptism.
When he grew up, he was sent to a one of scarce Bulgarian schools, where he studied well.
When he was 17 years old, his parents once punished him for some childish thing unrest, and out of frivolous childishness, he declared in the presence of Turks that he would accept the Muslim faith.

In such cases, the Turks immediately seized the person who gave the promise to convert to islam and performed the rite of Mohammedan circumcision on him.

To prevent this, his parents hid him and perhaps sent him to the "fotress" of Christian Orthodox FaIth and keeper of Bulgarian spirit, the Troyan Monastery "Holy Mother of God".
In Troyan Monastery, to this day there is a the mouth to mouth legend that the Venerable Martyr Onuphrius began his monastic feat and received his first monastic haircut here with the name Manasseah (Manasij).

sveti-Onufrij-Gabrovski-Bylgarski-svetec

He ascended diligently in spiritual life, but the voice of his conscience began to rebuke him more and more for his public denial of Christianity, even if only in words.
Probably because of this he went to Holy Mount Athos, hoping that there, under the guidance of more experienced elders, he would repent enough and calm his conscience.
Manasseah spent some time in the Hilendar Monastery (a monastery that at this time has been inhibited with many Bulgarian monks), where he was ordained a deacon.

But, as the holy fathers of the Church say, the more a Christian grows in virtue, the deeper he humbles himself and his small sins seem great., same happened with Hierodeacon Manasseah.

He was always impressed by the words of the Savior Christ:

"Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven; but whosoever denieth me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 10: 32-33).

And from the lives of the saints he was especially deeply moved by the example of the holy martyr Barlaam, who held his hand without trembling over the burning pagan altar until his hand burned completely, but did not drop incense on the altar, to protect the occusation that he has offered incense to the idols.
His heart was inflamed with jealousy when the Venerable Euthymius, Ignatius and Acacius (Agathius), performed their martyrdom.
Then Manasseah secretly left Hilendar and went to the Forerunner's Hermitage to the local clergyman (elder) Nicephorus with a request to prepare him for such a martyrdom.

For four months he worked hard on enormous spiritual and bodly feats under the guidance of this elder.
Every day Manasseh made four thousand bows; his prayer was unceasing; his remorseful mood brought tears to his eyes.

During these four months of preparation he ate two and a half kilograms of dried grapes, and in the strictest forty-day fast he ate 30 grams of bread every two or three days and drank water in moderation.
After Elder Nicephorus thus prepared him for the impending martyrdom, he cut his hair in a great scheme receiving the great-schema name of Onufrij ( Onuphrius ) and sent him to the island of Chios with the same companion, Elder Gregory, whom he sent with the other martyrs анд вхере тхеир feat would take place there.

On Island Chios Saint Onuphrius lived one Sunday in fasting and prayer, while on Friday, the day of Christ's suffering, he appeared in Turkish robes before the local turkish judge, openly blasphemed Muhammad and threw the green turban on his head.

holy-new-martyr-Onufrius-Onufrij-of-Gabrovo

He was exhorted, thrown into prison, tortured, and sentenced to death the same day.
On January 4, 1818, his head was cut off on the seashore and along with his blood his body was thrown into the sea, so that Christians could not take for granted his holiness any particle veneration of the Venerable Martyr.

Before his death, some asked him about his name and homeland.
The Venerable Martyr replied that his name was Matthew and that he was from Veliko Tarnovo.
In this way he wanted to save the Holy Mount Athos and his monastery from troubles by the Turks.
Soon after his martyrdom, the Greeks from Mount Athos, soon canonized him and compiled a (living) biography and a service in his honor.

Text Translated from:

© Lives of the Saints. Synodal Publishing House of Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Sofia, 1991, edited by Parthenius, Bishop of Lefkada and Archimandrite Dr. Athanasius (Bonchev).

Tags: about, after, and, ANY, Baptism, biography, bishop, blood, body, Bonchev, bread, Bulgarian, bulgarian orthodox church, Child, Christ, christian, christian orthodox faith, Christianity, christians, year
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Saint Hieromartyr Therapont of Serdika ( Sofia ) martyred year † 1555 for Christ

Thursday, May 26th, 2022

Saint Therapontius of Serdika is celebrated every year on on May 27 in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, together with St. Holy Martyrs Therapont of Sardis († 259). He is born and lived in the ancient city of Serdika (today Sofia).

He is part of the nine saints of Sofia, that are celebrated in the Church throughout the Liturgical year.

A little is known of him and just like the martyrologies of much of the ancient saints, we have only few sentences left mentioning his great martyrdom for Christ, along with other local Bulgarian saints. He has a written celebration service in the Minelogion Church book for 27-th of May.
Minelogion for those unaware is one of the service books used in the Night and Morning services songs and containing services details about the glorified saints for each day of the year.

Saint-Therapontius-Theraponti-of-Serdika-Sofia-Sveti-Terapont-Sofiiski

Troparion of the Holy Martyr, voice 4
He became a partaker of morals and viceroy of the apostles
in the way of your contemplation, inspired by God, you have done deeds,
therefore you have faithfully taught the word of truth,
for his faith he suffered even to the point of blood,
Holy Martyr Therapont, beg the Christ God to save our souls.

Saint Hieromartyr Therapont of Roman Fortress Serdika ( Sofia )
The famous Bulgarian medieval historian Matei Gramatik, who was a contemporary of Saint Nicholas of Sofia (a 15h century famous Bulgarian martyr saint) and a witness to his martyrdom in 1555, who wrote his biography with great skill, writes about this holy martyr. There he describes the situation in which St. Nicholas of Sofia lived – both geographically and spiritually.
In his description of the spiritual situation, he gives brief information about the saints of Sofia, including St. Terapont of Serdica (Sofia). He writes:

"When you listen for the inhabitants of Sofia, don't think about the current contemporary ones,
but for the heavenly ones, who were once co-inhabitants of us and now live with the angels.
So forth it is beneficial, to tell about 2 , 3 of them. The holy hieromartyr Therapontius, who
being a citizen of this place and a presbyter of the holy God's Church in Serdika (Sofia), lived filled
with lot of virtues and at the end, during the persecutions of Christians, has been detained by guards
by the lawless for his Christ confession. After a lot of martyrs and being enchained with a heavy
iron chains, he has been put out of the city and on a distance of one day walking, on
this place he was beheaded and henceforth he received a martyrs death for Christ.
They say on the place where his blood was shed, in that time a large oak tree has grown and it is seen until today and there a lot of miraculous healings occur,
whenever one comes with faith."

Today a part of this trunk of the oak is kept as a sacred relic in the ancient Sofia's capital ancient church "St. Petka", where the memory of the holy martyr is celebrated every year on May 27.

Translated from: © Lives of the Saints Book. Synodal Publishing House, Sofia, 1991, edited by Parthenius, Bishop of Lefkada and Archimandrite Dr. Athanasius (Bonchev).

Another Bulgarian saint Paisios of Hilendar / Paisij Hilendarski (1722 – 1773) also mentions in his history book History of the Slavo-Bulgarians states: "There are three holy martyrs in the city of Sofia:
1) St. George;
2) St. Nicholas;
3) St. Terapontius.

This saint was a priest in town of Tran, where many people now go for healing. Where in the Turks has slayered the saint a an oak greaw and with his prayers a lot of healing is given on the place of this oak. Same manner Saints George and Nicholas suffered from the godless Turks during Selim's reign; and their holy relics give healing in this city of Sofia. "

Icon Images of St. Therapontius are known to exist today from the XIX century. There are icons icons in the Sofia church "St. Paraskeva ”, in Pernik, in the church of " St. Petka ” in Sofia, fresco in the church“ St. Dimitar ” in the village of Yarlovtsi, Transko, wherein used to an icon also whose location now is unknown.

In Tran and Godech respectively there were folk customs associated with the saint and therein and in the region he is revered as a healer and protector of the harvests.
There is also a cave in Trun, which is indicated as a refuge for the saint.
A chapel in his name was in the city, burned by the Turks in the 30s of the XIX century.

In Glory of St. Terapontius of Sofia during the Second World War and until 1957 was dedicated the Revival church "Holy Trinity ", today – Saint Great-martyr (Mina) Menas, in the Slatina district of Sofia. The church was built on the remains of the monastery “Holy Trinity", according to mouth to mouth tradition kept for ages.

According to the legend, the saint was slaughtered here and this gives some reason to presume that St. Terapontius might have been one of the spiritual fathers who were serving in the monastery at that time.

Let by the holy prayers of Saint Terapont God gives forgives to our multitude of transgressions and grants more Peace, Love, Hope, Faith and goodness to everyone !

Tags: ancient, ancient saints, bulgarian orthodox church, bulgarian saints, celebrated, Christ, Christ God, city, faith, healing, history, Hope, lot, love, martyr, martyrdom, miracle healing, peace, place, serdika, sofia, today, year
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Saint Prophor Pchinski Saint Jochichim of Osogovo and Saint Gabriel of Lesnovo the three little known Bulgarian spritual followers of Saint John of Rila

Saturday, January 15th, 2022

Biography of St. Prohor Pshinski

St. Prohor Pshinski. Mural from the 15th century in the church "St. Archangel Michael" in Saparevo near Kyustendil. Source: bartol, bartol.blog.bg

St. Prohor Pshinski. Mural from the 15th century in the church "St. Archangel Michael" in Saparevo near Kyustendil. Source: bartol, bartol.blog.bg The Rev.

Prohor Pshinski was a Bulgarian by birth from pious parents in the Ovce Pole region of northern Macedonia. It was given by God to childless parents for their prayers and sucked in along with his mother's milk and her high piety. When he grew up, his parents insisted on marrying him. But he once heard in the temple the words of the Savior: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me," (Matt. 10:37). the town of Vranje in Yugoslavia. He lived in a cave where water springs for 32 years. Once a frightened deer ran to him, chased by a hunter who soon appeared.

Prophor Pchinski (Pshinksi) Byzantine Empire Icon

At his first meeting, the monk called the hunter by name and predicted that he would soon become a Byzantine emperor. At that time Bulgaria was under Byzantine slavery (1018 – 1186). And indeed, after some time this man reigned under the name of Roman Diogenes (1067-1071). Astonished by the fulfillment of this prophecy, he discovered the incorruptible relics of the late Prohor Pshinski and built a large temple in the name of the saint on the site of his asceticism. His holy relics were laid there and a monastic fraternity gathered.

This monastery still exists. The Venerable Prohor Pshinski died on September 14, but due to the great feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the celebration of his memory was postponed to January 15. His monastery celebrates his memory on September 19.

Saint Prohor Pchinski (Pshinski) Wall Painting icon XV century Kyustendil Bulgaria

The prologue biography of St. Prohor Pshinski is an original ancient Bulgarian writting, known in a single transcript in the New Prologue from the beginning of the 14th century (GIM, Uvar. 70). Under the date of October 19, the Venerable Hermit Saint is mentioned next to St. Ivan Rilski. Both texts are published by Kl. Ivanova (1977). D. Chesmedjiev (2009) points out that the cult of St. Prohor Pshinski is poorly fixed in the written tradition. All the details about the saint are known from his prologue. St. Prohor lived in the 11th century, working in the Kozyak mountain (near the village of Staro Nagorichino). After his death, his relics were transferred to the church he founded, called Pshinya, where he was healed.

Saint Prophor Pchinski in Modern Theology

His cult probably originated during the Byzantine rule. His memory is celebrated on September 13 and October 19. In the New Prologue, in addition to biographies of St. Ivan Rilski and St. Prohor Pshinski, there are also biographies of St. Achilles of Larissa, St. Simeon of Serbia and others. 30 years ago Kl. Ivanova (Ivanova 1977: 59) has suggested that the manuscript was compiled in the Pshin Monastery itself, but the spelling and language features of the collection are Serbian. According to the latest research by the same researcher, Nora's prologue originates from Jerusalem and was created in the Serbian monastery "St. Archangel Michael ”(Ivanova 2008: 68–70).

Biography of Saint Joachim of Osogovo

Images of St. Ivan Rilski and St. Joachim of Sarandapor from the Poganovo Monastery, end of the 15th century. It is not known where he came from, from his life it is known that he came from the west, according to Ivan Snegarov, perhaps from Zeta, in the Osogovo Mountains, where he sought monastic asylum.

An unknown boyar from the village of Gradets, not far from Kriva Palanka, today in northern Macedonia, shows him the place he was looking for monastic solitude – a cave by the Sarandapor River, today's Kriva River. Here St. Joachim spends his life as a hermit, in fasting and prayer, and the local Bulgarians revere him as a holy man.

Osogovo Monastery.

Osogovo Monastery Saint Joachim Icon

Joachim Osogowski died on August 16, 1105.On this date the Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates him.

Years later, the widowed priest Theodore of the Sheep Field settled in the place of Joachim's hermitage, adopting the monastic name Theophanes. After his saint appears, he discovers his miraculous relics, which are laid in the church built in his memory. In the 12th century, the cult of St. Joachim became so popular in northwestern Macedonia that a monastery of the same name was built around the temple.

Joachim-of-Osogovo-known-also-as-Sarandopolski-Poganovo_Ivan_Rilski

Images of St. Ivan Rilski and St. Joachim of Sarandapor from the Poganovo Monastery, end of the XV-th century ( the three most famous spiritual pupils of Saint John of Rila )

In the monastery, similar to the life of St. Ivan Rilski, a life of St. Joachim was created, known from later transcripts, as well as a service of the saint. Around the middle of the 14th century the cult of St. Joachim spread to the eastern Bulgarian lands, and at the end of the 14th century it was transferred to Russia.

Biography of Saint Gavriil (Gabriel) Lesnovski

Saint-Gabriel-of-Lesnovo-320px-Archangels_Chapel_in_Rila_Monastery_Gabriel_of_Lesnovo_-_year-1845

Saint Gabriel of Lesnovo fresco from Archangels Chapel Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

St. Gavriil Lesnowski.
Detail of a mosaic on one of the doors of the Patriarchal Cathedral "St. Alexander Nevsky" in Sofia St. Gavriil Lesnowski. Detail of a mosaic on one of the doors of the Patriarchal Cathedral "St. Alexander Nevsky" in Sofia

Reverend Gavriil Lesnovski is one of the three great followers of the Rila desert dweller St. Ivan Rilski. He lived in the XI – XII century. He was born in the village of Osiche, Palaneshko (Macedonia). He came from rich Bulgarian parents and received a good education. When he was old, his parents betrothed him to a good-looking bride. Soon, however, his fiancée died. Then he entered a monastery and became a monk. With the inheritance he received from his parents, Gabriel built a monastery with a church named after St. Archangel Michael in the Lesnovo Mountains, northern Macedonia, near the present town of Kratovo.

The Venerable Father gathered monks, appointed an abbot, and he himself secluded himself in the mountains of desert life and silence, doing so for 30 years. He then returned to his monastery and died on January 15. Thirty years after the death of the Venerable Gabriel, a Russian monk named Joseph in the town of Sredets (Sofia) – at the suggestion of the saint – went to the place where the Venerable struggled, found his grave, found his incorruptible relics, laid them in a coffin and provided for prayer worship to believers.

For many years the holy relics of the Reverend Gabriel rested in the Lesnovo Monastery and performed many miracles. Probably in the thirteenth century one of the Bulgarian kings of the Assen dynasty brought them to his capital Tarnovo and laid them in the church "Holy Apostles" in Trapezitsa. According to the Reverend's prologue of 1330, "they have lain there until now and give healing." After the Ottoman invasion of Bulgaria, traces of the holy relics of the Venerable Gavriil Lesnovski are lost. The monastery he founded was later named after him and became an important literary center. © Lives of the Saints. Synodal Publishing House, Sofia, 1991, edited by Parthenius, Bishop of Lefkada (Levkijski) and Archimandrite Dr. Athanasius (Bonchev).

Saint-Gabriel_Lesnovski-Saint-_Joachom_Osogovski_and-saint_Prohor-Pchinski-Saint_Alexander_Cathedral_Sofia Saint Gabriel of Lesnovo, Saint Joachim of Osogovo and Saint Prohor Pchinski mosaic saint Alexander Nevski Cathedral Church, Sofia, Bulgaria

The Saints Prohor Pchinski, Joachim of Osogovo together with Saint Gabriel of Lesnovo according to Bulgarian Orthodox Church tradition are considered to be 3 of the many pupil monks of Saint John of Rila who spread the light of Holy Eastern Orthodox Christian faith in whole Bulgarian lands and from there towards Russia and far west Serbia, Croatia, Hungary who historically has been orthodox and later converted to Roman Catholicism.

Tags: about, after, alexander nevski, ALL, Ancient Bulgarian, and, Apostles, Archangel Michael Ivanova, are, around, beginning, bulgarian orthodox church, Ivan Rilski, life, little, memory, named, Prohor Pshinski, Saints Prohor Pchinski, village, years
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17th of May Saint Martyr Nikolay Sofiiski (Nikolas of Sofia) – Bulgarian Martyr Confessor saint from the XV century

Friday, May 21st, 2021

Saint Confessor Nikolay Sofijski (Nikolay of Sofia) Short Biography

St. Nikolay (Nicolas) of Sofia has been born in Ioannina (city now in territory of Greece). He was a pious and with his honorable craft of shoemaking going through the stormy sea of life. When he arrived in Sofia (Serdica / Sredetz), one of the main cities of the Ottoman Empire of that time, a long remain of the glorious past when even the righteous emperor Constantine The great was considering to set as a capital of the Eastern empire either Constantinople today's Istanbul in Turkey or Sofia (Fortress of Serdika).

When Nikolay came to Sofia, he was immediately recognized by the Turkish authorities and rich people of the city and to have him part of their "nobel" turkish society and enrich the city ruleship, the Turkish tried to push Nikolay to accept Islam.
Once a time Turkish invited Nikolay, put a somniferous herb in his offered drink and once he fall asleep without his knowledge they have circumcised him according to Islamic tradition observance.
Once awaken Nikolay realised what has been done to him and fall in a deep regret and mourned over the abuse of his body which according the Christian faith is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Once he started appearing on the streets of Sofia, Turkish immediately invited him to attend the mosque considering him already a muslim due to the circumcision ritual commited on him.
He firmly rejected the offer publicly, considering himself a Christian as he never publicly resigned his Christian faith and never ever wanted to be muslim and never ever has attended another temple apart from the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church he belonged to.
Facing the rejection, the powerful of the day turks cannot believe their eyes as they already thought Nikolay accepted the fact he is already a muslim, not understanding that for a Christian the temporary flesh is nothing but a temporary hut and the Spiritual and Eternal Soul and The Spirit of God which enlightens it as well as the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven is everything. The turks thouhgt over it fleshly, thinking that having a sign of circumcision already puts a person belonging to his faith, not knowing that the the first desciples of Christ, the most holy apostles as belonging to the Jewish faith had their circumcision themselves, and this circumcision never ever hindered their faith in the Resurrected Messiah Jesus Christ.

Immediately facing the rejecting the Turks, arrested him as a traitor of their faith and put him into a harsh torments.

Combined icon with the living of saint Nikolay of Sofia

Putting him on trial In the local court, the judge announced his opinion that Nikolay doesn't hold a fault, neither against Islam neither against the claimants.
Nevertheless the crowd put Nikolay outside of Sofia (in a similar way the Jews resurrected Christ outside of the city of Jerusalem) in Sofia's near region called "Yuch Bunar", translated from Turkish as the ("The Tree Wells"), there they stoned to death on 17th of May year 1555 A.D., (the stoning a transgressor of the Islamic law, tradition is still followed by some countries even today, for example I heard similar cases do happen still in Saudi Arabia for sinners against islamic law).

Saint_Bulgarian_Christian_martyr_Nikolay-Sofiiski-year-1555AD-commemorated-17-th-of-May

Saint Nikolay icon in his traditional Bulgarian clothes wear (Nosia)
holding his shoemaking instrument

His holy body has been moved to the graveyear called (Търница) Térnitza and has been burned – and the dust has been scattered through the four directions of the world North, East, South, West following islamic tradition and in attempt to completely irradicate the memory of the saint in the relatives and the living Christians of that time. Even though due to the request of Matey Gramatik (Mathew the Gramatik – translated as Chronicler / Annalist), a boy managed to collect little burned part remains of the relics and a pious christian, secretly made a burial prayer for his Soul (Опело – called Opelo in the Slavonic Eastern Orthodox Church) according to the Christian tradition and buried him with honor.

saint_Nikolay-new-of-Sofia-sv_nikolay_novi

Soon after the martyrdom of saint Nikolay the New, the Metropolitan of Sredetz Iakov (Jacob), announced the canonization of st. Nikolay on a specially summoned for the consideration of saintship of St. Nikolay, a Local Church Metropolitan Council. Jacob received parts from holy relics (parts of the skull and the bones) of st. Nikolay, that has been secretly kept by a faithful Christians till then and placed the new received saint relics and placed them together in the ark (coffin) with the incorruptable holy relics of Saint King Stephan Milutin at that time located in Church of St. Archangel Michael, see my previous article pilgrimage to the incorruptable Holy relics of Saint Stephan Milutin in Cathedral Saint Nedelya, Sofia Bulgaria. Later parts of the holy relics has been housed in in a Wood maden Church.

The grave of saint Nikolay of Sofia is one of the few known graves of Bulgarian saints. Today, it is situated in the city center of Sofia capital city of Bulgaria in the district "Три кладенци" / "The Three Wells". Three hundred meters from there (in the tiny park like garden between the streets of "Pirotska" and "Opalchenska") lays a Beatiful Majestic Church, dedicated to the Holy Martyr st. Nikolay Sofijski. The Church of Saint Nicolas of Sofia is one of the biggest Cathedral Churches in Bulgaria (it is second by size in city of Sofia). The Temple has been rised following a project of architecture created by Anton Tornyov after the Liberation of Bulgarian following the Russian/Bulgarian-Turkish war on 3-rd of December 1900. Church saint Nikolay Sofijski has been consecrated by Metropolitan Partenij (Parthenius of Sofia was a senior Bulgarian clergyman and church figure, Metropolitan of Sofia from 1892 to 1918. Metropolitan Parthenius is an exceptional clergyman who has left a lasting mark in the history of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.).

Church-of-Saint_Nikolay-Sofijski-Cyrkva_Sv_Nikolaj_Sofijski

Church of Saint Nikolay of Sofia in Sofia Bulgaria (corner of street "Opalchenska" and "Pirotska").

Church-of-saint-Nikolay-of-Sofia-internal-view-Church-icons-and-architecture-decoration

Church Nikolay Sofijski view to Iconostasis Church interior

Saint-Nikolay-of-Sofia-Church-dome-Christ

Church dome paintings of St. Nikolay Sofijski

Saint-Nikolay-of-Sofia-Church-Iconostasis-icons

Iconostasis of the Church (notice the beatiful flower forms curved wood)

In the beginning of XXth century in 1870s on the exact place of the grave of the saint has been built a small chapel in his memoriam. It is situated in a small yard on today's Street of "Tzar Simeon / King Simeon" it is opened for pilgrim visitors everyday in the early afternoon every working day.
Chapel-with-grave-of-Saint-Nikolay-of-Sofia-1
The Chapel entrance door

Chapel-with-grave-of-Saint-Nikolay-of-Sofia-2

A Heavenly beauty roman like chapel

The Chapel on the grave of Saint Nikolas of Sofia, built on the place called "Terniza" (Tzar Simeon Street), where on 17-th of May, year 1555 A.D. where remains of the saint has been burned by turks – photo by Martin Mitov (C)

Chapel-with-grave-of-Saint-Nikolay-of-Sofia-3

The Grave of Saint Nikolay of Sofia (View to Alter dedicated to the matryr saint)

The holy relics of Saint Nikolay the new are now preserved in his Church and are brought for veneration by believers and pilgrims on each 16 and 17 of May and sometimes in a Church feasts of a higher importance.

Each 17-th of May in Sofia it is a tradition for clirics (clergy) to gather together with pilgrims and layman for a Lithia with the holy relics of saint Nikolay from the Church to the chapel, and for the following two days 18, 19th of May his holy relics are publicly displayed for veneration.

Sofia's mediaval historian and clergyman deacon Matey Gramatik (upmentioned), was a comtemporary of the saint and eyewitness of his martyrdom and death, soon after wrote his Church service and Biography (Saint Living). Today the original manuscript is preserved in the the Library of the church "St. Martyr Nikolai Novi Sofiyski" in Sofia.

Let by the holy prayers of Saint Nikolay Sofijski our homeland Bulgaria is given peace prosperity in The Hope, Faith and Love and every Good and firmness in the True faith given by Christ the Holy Eastern Orthodox faith. Let by his Holy prayers God gives peace and love to everyone in the world and grant, repentance for us the lost and spiritually poor and "fatherless" children of the 21st century.

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Posted in Christianity, Educational, Everyday Life | No Comments »

Exaltation of the Holy Cross day in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church / Veneration of the Holy cross church feast

Saturday, April 3rd, 2021

The Universal Exaltation of the precious and life-giving Cross XVII century – icon from village of Belovo Trqvna region

he Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (Elevation of the Cross)'s day is feted on 14th of September each year in accordance to the new calendar order, according to old church calendar, the Church celebrated it on 27th of September.

The day is marked by a strong fasting, for short we refer in Bulgarian to this big Church feast as (The day of the Cross / Krystov den).
The Holy Orthodox Christian Church does worship the cross 4 times a year on:

Third Sunday after the start of the Great Lent
Holy Friday (Good Friday)
1st of August
and
14th of September – The Exaltation of the Holy life giving Cross

On this day, we the orthodox christians go to the Church and admirationally bow and kiss the Holy Cross on which our Saviour Jesus Christ suffered for our salvation.Through his cross suffering our Lord has granted to all of us the Christians an unbeatable "weapon" against evil and sin.
Through cross Christ has been victorious over sin and death.

According to old Church tradition, on the day Christian people were asking for the priest to go to their homes and do vodosvet (sprinkle their houses with a blessed holy water).Vodosvet is one of the Orthodox Church mystics, there is a specific prayers begging God for forgiveness of sins, asking for good health and blessing. The prayers are being red over a vessel containing clean water. Finally he blesses the vessel with Water with the life Giving cross 3 times (as a symbol of the Holy Trinity). Then the priest uses a the cross and a tiny piece of twig to sprinkle all the people and objects in the house.

On the holy exaltation of the holy cross feast we also celebrate also the following 3 events:

1. The miraculous appearance of the Holy Cross to emper st. Constantine
2. The finding in Jerusalem of the Holy life-giving cross in Golgotha
3. The return of the Life-giving cross from persian captivity
On 14th of September, according to Church tradition saint John of John Chrysostom has give away his spirit and joined the assembly of saints of God, however because of the Exaltation great significance, the church holy fathers decided that this is celebrated on 13th of September.

The Antiphon for the Exaltation of the Cross feast is singed and translated from Slavonic its meaning goes like this:

Troparion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross voice 1 / Тропар на светия Кръст, глас 1

Спаси, Господи, люди Твоя и благослови достояние Твое, победы на сопротивныя даруя, и Твое сохраняя Крестом Твоим жительство.

Troparion voice 1

Save Oh Lord, your people and bless possession, grant us oh Lord a victory over our enemies and save your inheritance with your Cross

Troparion voice 2

You've been lifted willingly on the cross, grant you mercies to your inheritance oh Christ our Lord, stregthen the spirits of the pious king and to your people, grant us victory against our enemies, Surround us with peace and with peace give us unbeatable victory

In the Glorification part of the Holy Liturgy feast service its singed:

We magnify you, oh Christ life giver, and your Holy cross, because you have saved us from the enemy.

What does the Church tradition says about the finding of the holy cross of Christs sufferings?

After the Church crucifixion of Christ, according to the tradition of that times, the weapon for punishment from this kinds – the cross tree was buried in the ground on the same place, where the punishment was executed.
Following the tradition on Gologthas where Christ was crucified was buried the cross used for crucifixion.
In later times, emperor Adrian in his attempt to destroy christianity and the place of pilgrimage of Golgotha has issued an order to built a pagan shrine on the same place.
Later under the reign of Emperor st. Constantine the cross appeared in the sky in a miraculous way and again under his reign the Golgotha place which means literally translated( the place of the Skulls) was discovered.

Third Sunday after start of the Great Lent – Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross

Today 03.04.2021 we the orthodox are in the blessed period of the Great Lent. It is no coincidence the Church has set this feast on exactly this date. It is set on 3rd week of the 43 days (7 Weeks) that lasts the fasting period on the Eastern Orthodox Christian church because this is a little bit less than the half of the lent period. We know by the experience of spiritual fathers that once we start the job the hardest periods are nearby in 40% once the work is done and in that times it is a desire of the person to leave and quit the job but if he perseveres suddenly when the set goal is progressing this is overcome but then again in the end of the period of the goal to complete we start desiring to quit the started job and loose all energy put together, as a plan of the evil which wants us to always loose energy (both spiritual and physical) and never gain anything. Thus the Church set the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross to give us a way to attain new energy for the cross to be able to goodly continue in the deed of the lent. By the cross and his glorious power hence the spirit of despondency is crashed down and we're strenghtened and rejoice for the great glory our God has given us.

The exaltation of the cross is also a feast of everyone celebrating his own cross. The victory over death and everything was once fulfilled by Christ on the Cross. The humanity is saved already but it is up to everyone's free will to accept this salvation or not. The path is set it is the path of the Cross of Christ, meaning acceptance (humility) of all the unpleasant life events and situations, accepting everydays unexpected changes believing that this is God's providence and cross for each one of us, accepting the pain and suffering that is part of the personal cross we hold, accepting that one day our beloved and friends will pass away from this life, accepting the fact we age and the aging guarantees sufferings of the body but the spirit is refreshed by the grace of God, accepting all and enduring everyhing for the sake of the cross …

The cross is a holder of the Universe and there is no power that will ever overwhelm it as it is said in the Church singings The Cross is the Holder (binds together) the whole universe. It is by the Cross all the evil has been conquered and life eternal has been giving. The path of the cross is the suffering, this is hard for the modern man to accept as we have been set to believe the only measure for success is prosperity, personal well being, physical health, posessing things. On the contrary the Christian says the most blessed and best thing one can have is the cross meaning personal suffering for and with Christ. By the suffering of the Cross Christ has glorified the bodily flesh he was possessing while being on earth in the body. By the Cross Christ has become the one begotten of all the sons of God. By the cross saints has conquered all evils and has sanctified, by the cross we still continue to progress in the goodness.
Let with the Holy miracle making power of our Saviour's cross by the prayers of all the Saints and our Theotokos (Holy Virgin Merry) God grant to all of us christians victory of our enemies! Amen

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The Church feast of St. Tsar (King) Boris Mihail (Michael) I – Baptizer of Bulgaria – 2nd of May a Triumph for Bulgarian Autocephalous Church and Church Slavonic

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Today on Second of May every year in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church calendar we commemorate the memory of Saint King Boris (Michael) who is a baptizer of Bulgarian nation and among the greatest saint of Bulgaria, perhaps second in saintship after St. John of Rila.

St. King Boris was the ruler of the First bulgarian Empire (852-889) the actual title as we know it from the chronicles is not king but archont which literally means ruler, but as the main chronicles who came to us are Byzantine we have to take in consideration that Byzantine Chronicles aimed to discredit the Bulgarian rulers because of feeling inferior every non-Byzantines who in Byzantine terms were considered barbarians.

He had a notable correspondence with Pope Nicolas II head of the Western Church before the Great Schism.
Saint Boris I is famous with with 115 Questions (which are fully preserved). He beseech the pope to sent an apostoles of faith who will teach the new nation to faith in the same time he lead a correspondence with the Byzantine emperor and the Eastern Church.

The pope sent 2 missionaries cardinal Formiosa of Portuens and Bishop Paul of Papulon. King Boris requested for Cardinal Formiosa to become a future archibishop of Bulgaria, but the pope Nicolas II being afraid of loosing ground of a choice of future Bulgarian archibishop rejected king Boris request it is interesting fact that the same cardinal Formiosa become the next Pope of the Roman Western Church in period (891 – 896).

Taking in consideration the papal's desire to dominate over him and the more freedoms given by the Byzantine Church along with the fact that Saint Cyril and Methodius's pupils came to him with a ready Church Slavonic Glagolic version of the Holy Bible and a new Church language (and considering the fact that the seven pupils of St. Cyril and Methodius were being chased away from Great Moravia (Saint Clement of Ohrid (Kliment Ohridski) and Naum Ohrdiski with Sava, Angelarius and Gorazd) and seeing the fallacy of the filioque addition to the Creed of Faith finally King Boris received baptism by the hands of Patriarch Photius.

He received holy baptismal in year 864, receiving the Christian name Michael (Mihail) receiving his Christian name from his godfather, Emperor Michael III.

According to Church tradition the reason to Baptize in Christian faith was his amazement of an icon of the Judgement Day he saw in one of his visits to Constantinople.

The Church tradition also says saint Boris I's sister have lived for a long time in Constantinople, where she received baptism and once returning to the Bulgaria she bring the light of faith here too.

Besides that some of his family has already earlier converted to Christianity and some earlier Bulgarian Khans such as Trivelius (Tervel) who is considered to saved Europe from Muslim Invasion earlier were already Christians.

During his holy reign he has established mass Christianization of Bulgaria, where the traditional ancient pagan traditions and belief in fake gods like Tangra were abolished completely.

St. Tsar Boris has secured the Bulgarian Church an autocephalousy, he also received the saints Cyril and Methodius, when they were banished from Great Moravia.

Our saint king has secured a refuge for st. Cyril and Methodius and provided them with assistance to develop the Slavonic alphabet and literature.

After he abdicated in 889, his eldest son and successor tried to restore the old pagan religion but was deposed by Boris I. During the Council of Preslav which followed that event, the Byzantine clergy was replaced with Bulgarian and the Greek language was replaced with Old Bulgarian as an official language of the Church and the state.

In 889 Boris abdicated the throne and became a monk. His son and successor Vladimir attempted a pagan reaction (to return the Bulgarians to the old belief in Tanra), which brought Boris out of his monastic life in 893 out of zeal for Christ and a fatherhood for the future of Bulgarian nation.

Vladimir was defeated and blinded by a miracle of God as Boris had less soldiers than his pagan son but in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ he showed victorious.

Once defeating his unbelieving son, Boris gathered the Council of Preslav in which the Old Greek language in Church was replaced with Church Slavonic and most imporantly on the council King Boris on the Church assembly placed his third son, Simeon I of Bulgaria on the throne, threatening him with the same fate if he too apostatized.

Simeon I was reluctant to become a secular ruler as according to some of the written sources he was preparing to become a great spiritual leader a monk and perhaps a next archibishop or even patriarch in the newly established autocephalous Bulgarian Church but following the monk rule of humility he decided and accepted the throne but throughout his life he kept his great zeal for monasticism and enlightenment. His ruling become a golden age for the Church Slavonic he financed seriously and worked hardly to prepare educated monks and to translate a major works of the Holy Fathers such as Shestodnev (The Six Days of Creation), Simeonov Sbornik (Simeon's Collection) and many of the key works of saint Athanasius the Great, Saint Basyl the Great, Saint John of Damascus etc.

According to some historians it was King Simeon who later give birth to the second by size Monastic Community in Byzantine Emperire the Stone Monasteries of (Meteora).

Boris returned to his monastery, emerging once again in c. 895 to help Simeon fight the Magyars, who had invaded Bulgaria in alliance with the Byzantines. After the passing of this crisis, Boris resumed monastic life and led a holy life until he pass out in year 907.

Here is the daily troparion assigned by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church sang at the churches today (the text is translation from Bulgarian):

St. Boris-Michael, prince of Bulgaria, Troparion

Full of the fear of God, and enlightened by holy baptism, thou becamest a habitation of the Holy Spirit, O right-believing King Boris; and having established the Orthodox Faith in the land of Bulgaria, and set aside the scepter of kingship, thou madest thine abode in the wil derness, didst flourish in ascetic struggles, and found grace before the Lord. And now, standing before the throne of the Most High, pray thou, that He grant unto us who entreat thee salva tion for our souls.

Tags: alliance, baptizer, belief, Bulgarian Church, bulgarian empire, bulgarian orthodox church, byzantines, christianization, church calendar, cyril and methodius, eldest son, emperor michael, event, fate, feast, fight, future, godfather, greek language, John of Rila, King, king boris, magyars, mass, Monastery, monastic life, monk, Moravia, Old, pagan religion, pagan traditions, Preslav, pupils, refuge, religion, retirement, Saint King Boris Michael, saints cyril and methodius, simeon i, st cyril and methodius, successor, text, today, Tsar, tsar boris, year
Posted in Christianity, Curious Facts, Everyday Life | 1 Comment »

A living saint in Bulgaria Dqdo (Elder) Dobri of Baylovo village – The living Christ example we Christians should follow

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

elder-dobri-from-baylovo-a-great-saint-like-example-christians-should-follow

In this dark days of humanity, we can rarely find persons who live in a holy way like the saints from the Holy Bible or the Books of the Living of the Saints

Saintship has been slowly disappearing from earth just like it's prophecised by Christ our Saviour and the Holy Apostles and in later times by many monks, Church hierarchs, patriarchs and hermits.

In Bulgaria as in most parts of the Orthodox world the Christian faith apostacy is also clearly seen.
We can no longer see saint hermits like our patron saint of Bulgaria Saint John of Rila

Even in this dark days God still shows mercy to us and still present us some of his saints.
The topic of this article as you have already red in the title is Elder Dobri of the Baylovo village

Elder Dobri of Baylova has been a regular person like all of us with a family and children just until 12 years ago.
About 12 years ago the I would call him The Living saint has decided to let all the earthly passions and sorrows for Christ and his eternal salvation.
He despised the earthly goodness and become a beggar, all the collected money he got were distributed among other poor people or donated to Churches and monasteries belonging to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Day by day and a coin by coin, he has collected thousands of levs (the bulgaria national currency).
The gathered money were given to support the live of monasteries and Churches, by this very date. This old man is the greatest donator for the Cathedral Church St. Alexsander Nevski (situated at the heart of Bulgaria's capital Sofia)

His words spoken just like the saints are full of grace and goodness. One of his famous sayings are:

Man has Always two wills in himself in every moment of his life, the will to do good and the will to do evil
As all the truths his sayings are simple but represent the ultimate truth which was also said in many other forms in The Holy Bible Gospels and God's law.

The external outlook of Dqdo Dobri is also saintly, he has long beard a shining eyes and a national folklore dress.
He looks like he has been out of some old Bulgarian tale.

It's very striking fact that he that this old man is the biggest donator for our Cathedral Temple, we have many millionaires and businessman in Bulgaria but nobody has decided to donate to our Church such a high sum of money.

Elder Dobri's donation for the St. Alexander Nevski's Church is in value 35700 levs (around 19000 euros).
Dqdo Dobri is a beggar for Christ, this is one of the major types of saintship we read about in the living of the saints.
All the collected money from people are given for God's Glory. It's amazing heroism and an example, all we the Christians should follow to fulfill Christ's law of love and inherit the internal salvation.
A friend of mine who has the blessing to see Elder Dobri with her own eyes and have a small talk with him, has shared with me that even though he wears an old ragged clothes, his clothes and body emit a roses like odor!

As the fame about the same has grown these days, the Bulgarian National television has prepared a small video about the saint. I believe the video as a true blessing for us the Christians and will encourage us to persist in the good deads.
Here I present you the videos you can see the living saint, I hope by his holy prayers God will show mercy to all us who watch his graceful words:

The Living Christian Saint from Baylovo Village – Bulgaria

Elder Dobri from Baylovo – Bulgaria

Inteview with Elder Dobri in his house in Baylovo (the interview is in Bulgarian)

Tags: alexsander, apostacy, bible gospels, blessing, bulgarian orthodox church, capital, Cathedral, cathedral church, Christ, christian faith, church, Churches, dark days, day, days god, donator, Dqdo, dress, earthly passions, Elder Dobri, eternal salvation, family, famous sayings, folklore, full of grace, goodness, Gospels, grace, heart, hermits, hierarchs, Holy, holy apostles, holy bible, money, nationa, national currency, national folklore, nobody, orthodox world, outlook, patron saint, person, shining eyes, Temple, tians, topic, video, village
Posted in Christianity, Everyday Life, Various | 2 Comments »

☩ Walking in Light with Christ – Faith, Computing, Diary

Posts Tagged ‘bulgarian orthodox church’

Saint martyr Angel of Lerina – a Bulgarian saint confessor and the Day of Saint Archangel Michael and of all Angels Archangels and Heavenly Powers

Saint martyr Trendafil of Starazagora (Starozagorski), little known Bulgarian saint martyred in XVI century

Living of New Martyr Saint Onuphrius of Gabrovo, a Bulgarian saint martyred in year 1818

Saint Hieromartyr Therapont of Serdika ( Sofia ) martyred year † 1555 for Christ

Saint Prophor Pchinski Saint Jochichim of Osogovo and Saint Gabriel of Lesnovo the three little known Bulgarian spritual followers of Saint John of Rila

17th of May Saint Martyr Nikolay Sofiiski (Nikolas of Sofia) – Bulgarian Martyr Confessor saint from the XV century

Saint Confessor Nikolay Sofijski (Nikolay of Sofia) Short Biography

Exaltation of the Holy Cross day in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church / Veneration of the Holy cross church feast

Troparion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross voice 1 / Тропар на светия Кръст, глас 1

The Church feast of St. Tsar (King) Boris Mihail (Michael) I – Baptizer of Bulgaria – 2nd of May a Triumph for Bulgarian Autocephalous Church and Church Slavonic

A living saint in Bulgaria Dqdo (Elder) Dobri of Baylovo village – The living Christ example we Christians should follow

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Posts Tagged ‘bulgarian orthodox church’

Get to know the facts on Bulgarian Church Scandal Escalasion for New Metropolitan of Sliven voting – situation as of 24th April 2024

Synodal Prayer Vigil against the cassation of choice for future Metropolitan of Sliven

Contrary and again unvenerating the Church clergy and people's will of Sliven the new list of Bishops does not included neither Ierotey nor Mihail and included only 6 Bishops claimed to be venerable !!!

The Seventh Bishop that is excluded from list, Ierotey (Agathopolski) was selected by Sliven Eparchy Priest, Monks and Laity to become the 7th Metropolitan of Sliven is Ierotey (The Voice of the People, The Voice of God) !

"Ecclesia (or Ekklesia) in Christian theology means both: a particular body of faithful people, and the whole body of the faithful."

Christian understanding of Church

What else is really not Okay with how the selection of Bishops are reduced from 10 to 6 venerable to take the seat of Sliven Metropolitan

Saint Confessor Nikolay Sofijski (Nikolay of Sofia) Short Biography

Troparion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross voice 1 / Тропар на светия Кръст, глас 1

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The Seventh Bishop that is excluded from list, Ierotey (Agathopolski) was selected by Sliven Eparchy Priest, Monks and Laity
to become the 7th Metropolitan of Sliven is Ierotey (The Voice of the People, The Voice of God) !