The notorious Bulgarian abbot Nikanor has been accused of attempting to influence the results of the election for Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church

A recording of a phone conversation has been made public in which Archimandrite Nikanor (born Hristo Mishkov) attempts to lobby for Metropolitan Naum of Ruse as a candidate for the patriarchal throne of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC). According to “24 Hours,” in a conversation with a representative of the Roman Curia, the archimandrite attempts to involve the Vatican in manipulating the church elections by proposing to use political influence.

During a phone conversation that took place in March 2024, Nikanor presents himself as a “strategist” and insists that the Vatican exert pressure through high-ranking Bulgarian politicians, such as Boyko Borisov and Delian Peevski, to support the candidacy of Metropolitan Naum. He justifies his proposal by arguing that Naum is the closest to the policies of the Vatican and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. For his part, the representative of the Catholic Church reacted with obvious bewilderment and embarrassment, distancing himself from any attempts at intrigue.

During the conversation, the archimandrite voices sharp criticism and levels compromising accusations against other members of the Holy Synod, including Metropolitan Gregory of Vratsa and Metropolitan Nicholas of Plovdiv. It is important to note that, despite Nikanor’s active campaign, his plans were not carried out. In the Holy Synod vote on June 20, 2024, Metropolitan Naum received not a single vote, while Metropolitans Gregory, Daniel, and Gabriel emerged as the finalists.

In a comment to “24 Hours,” Archimandrite Nikanor himself denies that such a conversation took place, calling these allegations false. Currently, a church disciplinary case is pending against him in connection with financial misconduct and damage to the church’s reputation.

As a reminder, we previously reported that clergy of the Sofia Diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church officially voiced their support for Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel, , condemning the actions of Archimandrite Nikanor (Mishkov).