The Office of the Orthodox Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland informs that late in the evening of March 13, 2024, after a long illness at the Military Medical Academy in Sofia, His Holiness Patriarch Neofit, Patriarch of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia, passed away.
Eternity.
His Holiness Patriarch Neofit (Simeon Nikolov Dimitrov) was born in 1945 in Sofia. He graduated from the Theological Seminary and the Theological Academy in Sofia. In 1971-1973 he continued his education at the Faculty of Orthodox Church Music at the Moscow Theological Academy. Upon his return to the country, he taught church chant and liturgy and directed the student choir of the Theological Academy in Sofia. On August 3, 1975 Patriarch Maxim made a monastic tonsure, and on August 15 of the same year he was ordained a hierodeacon. Then, on March 25, 1976, the future hierarch was ordained a priest. In 1977 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. On January 1, 1981, he was appointed secretary of the Metropolis of Sofia. On December 8, 1985, he was consecrated Bishop of Levkovo, Vicar of the Metropolis of Sofia. In 1989 he became Rector of the Theological Academy in Sofia, and after the academy was transformed into the Theological Faculty of Sofia University in 1991. Kliment Ohridski was appointed dean. From January 27, 1992 to March 27, 1994 he was secretary of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church Churches of Bulgaria. On March twenty-seventh, 1994, the Holy Synod appointed Bishop Neofit to the Cathedral of the Metropolitans of Dorostol-Cherven, based in Rousse. As a result of the 2001 administrative reform, he received the title of Metropolitan of Rousse. On February 24, 2013, following the death of His Holiness Patriarch Maxim, the Electoral Council in Sofia elected Metropolitan Neophytos of Ruse as the new Patriarch of Bulgaria.
Eternity.
His Holiness Patriarch Neofit (Simeon Nikolov Dimitrov) was born in 1945 in Sofia. He graduated from the Theological Seminary and the Theological Academy in Sofia. In 1971-1973 he continued his education at the Faculty of Orthodox Church Music at the Moscow Theological Academy. Upon his return to the country, he taught church chant and liturgy and directed the student choir of the Theological Academy in Sofia. On August 3, 1975 Patriarch Maxim made a monastic tonsure, and on August 15 of the same year he was ordained a hierodeacon. Then, on March 25, 1976, the future hierarch was ordained a priest. In 1977 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. On January 1, 1981, he was appointed secretary of the Metropolis of Sofia. On December 8, 1985, he was consecrated Bishop of Levkovo, Vicar of the Metropolis of Sofia. In 1989 he became Rector of the Theological Academy in Sofia, and after the academy was transformed into the Theological Faculty of Sofia University in 1991. Kliment Ohridski was appointed dean. From January 27, 1992 to March 27, 1994 he was secretary of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church Churches of Bulgaria. On March twenty-seventh, 1994, the Holy Synod appointed Bishop Neofit to the Cathedral of the Metropolitans of Dorostol-Cherven, based in Rousse. As a result of the 2001 administrative reform, he received the title of Metropolitan of Rousse. On February 24, 2013, following the death of His Holiness Patriarch Maxim, the Electoral Council in Sofia elected Metropolitan Neophytos of Ruse as the new Patriarch of Bulgaria.
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