Metropolitan Kirill elected deputy-chairman of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church

His Excellency Kirill, the bishop of Varna and Veliki Preslav, was elected by the Holy Synod as deputy chairman of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

The other candidate was the Bishop of Sliven Yoanikiy and the meeting was held under the leadership of Bishop Gregory of Veliko Tarnovo.

The deputy chairman of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has the obligation to organize the election of a new patriarch within 4 months of the death of Patriarch Maxim.

Bishop Kirill rejected the possibility that amendments to the church statute might be adopted before the appointment of a new patriarch as well as the possibility of registering a new Orthodox church in this country which was stated yesterday as the official desire of the adherents of the so-called Alternative Synod.

Adapted from Bulgarian National Radio