Bulgaria's Orthodox Church elects new patriarch in divisive vote

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Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church has raised eyebrows after electing a pro-Russian clergyman as its new head. 

The Church elected Daniil as its new patriarch in a vote that reflected the divisions in the church and wider society since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.  

Pro- and anti-Russian factions have been butting heads within the senior Bulgarian clergy since 2019 after the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was recognised as independent by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople. 

The ecumenical patriarch is regarded as the representative and spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide. Nevertheless, large portions of the Eastern Orthodox world are considered self-governing under their own patriarchs.  

His move formalised the split of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine from the Russian church. However, Russian and most other Orthodox patriarchs refused to accept this. 

Unlike his predecessor, Daniil has sided with the Moscow Patriarchy in its dispute with the Ecumenical Patriarch over the independence of Ukraine's Orthodox Church.  

Daniil was also critical of the expulsion of a Russian and two Belarusian clerics from the Church who had been accused of spying for Moscow. 

Born Atanas Nikolov, Daniil studied theology in Sofia before beginning life as a monk in a monastery. He is part of a generation of Bulgarians who joined the Orthodox Church following the fall of communism within the nation.  

He was elected to the post for life following two rounds of voting by 138 delegates to the Bulgarian church council in Sofia.  

Daniil succeeded Patriarch Neophyte, who passed away in March aged 78 after leading his church for 11 years.  

Though church and state are separate within Bulgaria, its national constitution names Eastern Orthodoxy as the “traditional religion,” followed by around 85% of its 6.5 million citizens.