Changes

The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia had its origins before World War II as the ''Bulgarian Diocese of North and South America and Australia''. However, a result of the establishment of a Communist government in Bulgaria after the war, relations of the diocese with the Church of Bulgaria were disrupted. Under [[MetropilitanMetropolitan]] [[Andrey Andrei (Petkov) of New York]], the diocese attempted, in the late 1950s, to join the [[Metropolia]] but was unsuccessful.

In 1964, Metr. Andrey Andrei petitioned the [[Holy Synod]] of the Church of Bulgaria for his return to the Bulgarian episcopacy and to continue to lead the diocese in America. With the return of Metr. Andrey Andrei and his diocese to the Church of Bulgaria, a group under [[Archimandrite]] [[Kyrill (Yonchev) of Pittsburgh|Kyrill (Yonchev)]] broke with Metr. Andrey Andrei and joined the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia ([[ROCOR]]) as the [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile]]. The ROCOR bishops [[consecrate]]d him [[bishop]]. Later the Bulgarian Diocese in Exile became part of the [[Orthodox Church in America]].