A scandal-plagued archimandrite of the Bulgarian Church, who had concelebrated with the OCU, enlisted secular lawyers to assist in the ecclesiastical inquiry

Archimandrite Nikanor (Mishkov), who has been temporarily suspended from the priesthood for concelebrating with representatives of the OCU and for actions undermining the Church’s authority, has attempted to legally challenge the ecclesiastical court. The cleric has retained secular attorneys to handle the case against Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria.

In a complaint filed at and drafted by attorney Plamen Borisov, Archimandrite Nikanor demands that the provisions of the secular Administrative Procedure Code be applied to ecclesiastical proceedings. In particular, he insists on recusing Patriarch Daniel from participating in the proceedings, and also demands the introduction of secular mediation and the provision of legal precedents—which, according to experts, constitutes an attempt to paralyze the canonical process.

The cleric’s actions are linked to allegations of financial irregularities: he had previously publicly admitted to collecting monastic funds without proper documentation. In addition, the archimandrite has repeatedly leveled sharp criticism against the Bulgarian Church, making offensive remarks on television. Despite the current conflict, representatives of the archimandrite have stated their readiness for “brotherly reconciliation” on the condition that he receives a certificate of absolution.