The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church rejected appeals filed by Archimandrite Nikanor on October 2, 2026, upholding his temporary suspension from conducting religious services and returning his church-penal trial to the Sofia Diocesan Ecclesiastical Court, offnews.bg reported.
Synod Rejects Appeals and Returns Trial to Sofia Court
Meeting in a full assembly functioning as a church court, the Holy Synod examined Archimandrite Nikanor’s challenges regarding the jurisdiction of his disciplinary case and his temporary prohibitions from ministry, known as argos. The full assembly voted to leave without respect an appeal against a prior decision from an August 10, 2026, reduced session, confirming that the Sofia Diocesan Ecclesiastical Court holds first-instance competence over the matter. According to the Synod’s motives reported by focus-news.net, the raised accusations concern Nikanor’s behavior as a cleric of the Sofia Diocese and his duties by rank and service rather than purely internal monastery rules.
Synod dismisses appeals against Patriarch Daniil decrees
In addition to the trial jurisdiction, the Holy Synod reviewed and dismissed as unfounded appeals against three separate orders issued by Bulgarian Patriarch and Sofia Metropolitan Daniil on August 10, August 26, and September 9, 2026. News.bg reported that these decrees imposed full temporary prohibitions from priestly ministry. The Synod emphasized that these short-term measures serve a preventive purpose to avoid general scandal and provide direct hierarchical intervention when necessary. The decisions are final under the statute of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Kiprian of Stara Zagora voted against the ruling, registering an opposing opinion regarding the precise legal status of Nikanor as a monk, member of the Gigin Monastery brotherhood, or igumen of the holy abode.
Broader Disciplinary Actions Within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Synod’s October 2 rulings coincided with parallel church actions involving high-ranking clerics. News.bg reported that the same Synod assembly reviewed the case of Archimandrite Dionisiy (Mishev), confirming a September 1, 2026 decision by the Sofia Diocesan Ecclesiastical Court to impose the punishment of reduction from rank without excommunication from the Church. The session drew nine hierarchs voting in favor, including Patriarch Daniil, Metropolitan Grigoriy of Veliko Tarnovo, Metropolitan Ignatiy of Pleven, Metropolitan Gavriil of Lovech, Metropolitan Antoniy of Western and Central Europe, Metropolitan Ioan of Varna and Veliki Preslav, Metropolitan Serafim of Nevrokop, Metropolitan Grigoriy of Vratsa, and Metropolitan Pahomiy of Vidin.
Holy Synod upholds prohibitions against Archimandrite Nikanor
What specific punishments were upheld against Archimandrite Nikanor?
The Holy Synod upheld temporary total prohibitions from priestly ministry—known as argos—imposed through three separate orders by Patriarch Daniil on August 10, August 26, and September 9, 2026. These measures were enacted as preventive steps to avoid public scandal.
Which court is now responsible for trying the case?
The church-penal trial has been returned to the Sofia Diocesan Ecclesiastical Court to continue judicial proceedings as the competent first-instance body for the charges.
Did any members of the Holy Synod disagree with the rulings?
Yes. Metropolitan Kiprian of Stara Zagora voted against the decisions, submitting an opposing opinion regarding whether Nikanor is being judged in his capacity as a monk, a member of the Gigin Monastery brotherhood, or as the igumen of the monastery.
“Against the above decision, with a special opinion on the issue of the status of the father, Metropolitan Cyprian of Stara Zagora voted: in his capacity as a monk, a member of the brotherhood of the Montenegro Monastery or abbot of the holy monastery, Archimandrite Nikanor was tried.”
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