An archimandrite of the Bulgarian Church who concelebrated with Dumenko was suspended for 15 days

The Sofia Metropolis of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church announced a 15-day suspension from priestly ministry for Archimandrite Nikanor, the abbot of the Tsernogor Monastery of “Saints Cosmas and Damian, the Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers.” The decision takes effect on July 29, 2026, in accordance with Decree No. 134 of His Holiness Daniel, Metropolitan of Sofia and Patriarch of Bulgaria, as reported on the official website of the Bulgarian Patriarchate.

The reason for the sanction was conduct deemed incompatible with the priestly office and the monastic vows of obedience, which, in the opinion of church authorities, undermines the authority of the institution. The metropolitanate clarifies that an attempt to deliver the order in person at the monastery was unsuccessful, as the archimandrite was absent from the monastery without the explicit blessing of his diocesan bishop; consequently, he was notified of the punishment by telephone.

In parallel with the imposition of the temporary ban, the Sofia Diocesan Court initiated ecclesiastical criminal case No. 2/2026 against Archimandrite Nikanor. The Metropolis emphasizes that all actions are being carried out in accordance with the Statute of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church—Bulgarian Patriarchate and the Regulations on Judicial Proceedings in Ecclesiastical Courts.

As a reminder, Archimandrite Nikanor (Mishkov) had previously expressed support for the OCU, calling it a “grace-filled and canonical Local Church.” During his visit to Kyiv, the clergyman emphasized that he sees no obstacles to Eucharistic communion with the clergy of the OCU.