Church of Bulgaria

Patriarchate of Bulgaria
Founder(s)	King Boris I
Autocephaly/Autonomy declared	927, 1186, 1872
Autocephaly/Autonomy recognized	927, 1235, 1945 by Constantinople
Current primate	Neofit of Bulgaria
Headquarters	Sofia, Bulgaria
Primary territory	Bulgaria
Possessions abroad	N. America, Australia, W. Europe, Antarctica
Liturgical language(s)	Church Slavonic
Musical tradition	Byzantine Chant / Choral
Calendar	Revised Julian
Population estimate	6,500,000 [1]
Official website	Church of Bulgaria

The Church of Bulgaria is one of the autocephalous churches of the Orthodox Christian communion whose territory consists of the Republic of Bulgaria. The church is led by the Patriarch of All Bulgaria.

The primate of the Church of Bulgaria is His Holiness Neofit (Dimitrov), Metropolitan of Sofia, Patriarch of All Bulgaria, who enthroned on February 24, 2013, succeeding His Holiness Maxim who had reposed on November 6, 2012.

Organization

Dioceses in Bulgaria:

• Diocese of Vidin (Видинска епархия)
• Diocese of Vratsa (Врачанска епархия)
• Diocese of Lovech (Ловчанска епархия)
• Diocese of Veliko Turnovo (Търновска епархия)
• Diocese of Dorostol (Доростолска епархия) [2]
• Diocese of Rousse [3]
• Diocese of Varna and Preslav (Варненско-преславска епархия) (with seat in Varna)
• Diocese of Sliven (Сливенска епархия)
• Diocese of Stara Zagora (Старозагорска епархия)
• Diocese of Plovdiv (Пловдивска епархия) [4]
• Diocese of Sofia (Софийска епархия)
• Diocese of Nevrokop (Неврокопска епархия)

Dioceses abroad:

• Diocese of Central and Western Europe (with seat in Berlin)
• Diocese of America, Canada and Australia (with seat in New York)

• The St. John of Rila Chapel at Bulgarian St. Kliment Ohridski Base in Antarctica

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Related articles

• Bulgarian saints

External links

• The Church of Bulgaria: official website
• Eastern Christian Churches: The Orthodox Church of Bulgaria by Ronald Roberson, a Roman Catholic priest and scholar
• Orthodoxy Bulgaria: unofficial page in Bulgarian language