Patriarch Maxim (Maximus) (Bulgarian: Патриарх Максим) (born Marin Naydenov Minkov, October 29, 1914[2][full citation needed] – November 6, 2012) was the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church from 1971 until his death.[1][3]
Maxim | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | Патриарх Максим |
| Church | Bulgarian Orthodox Church |
| See | Sofia |
| Installed | 4 July 1971 |
| Term ended | 6 November 2012 |
| Predecessor | Kyril |
| Successor | Neofit |
| Previous post(s) |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1941 |
| Consecration | 1956 |
| Rank | Patriarch |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Marin Naydenov Minkov October 29, 1914 |
| Died | November 6, 2012 (aged 98) Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Buried | Troyan Monastery |
| Education |
|
He was born in Oreshak, the second of the two children of Nayden Minkov Rachev and Pena Bordzhukova, but very little is known about his parents' background. He was educated only in his native mountain village of Oreshak but from his late childhood, he became a novice monk in the Troyan Monastery and then studied Orthodox Theology at Sofia University, from which he graduated in 1935 with honours. In 1942 he graduated from the Saint Clement of Ohrid State University of Sofia. He took Holy Orders in 1941 and became secretary general of the Holy Synod in 1955 and titular bishop of Branit on December 30, 1956.
In 1960, he was elected Metropolitan of Lovech on October 30, 1960, and won the election as Patriarch on July 4, 1971, after Patriarch Kyril died.
In the early 1990s, a split in the Bulgarian Church was stimulated by the government of the Union of Democratic Forces, based on the alleged cooperation and affiliation of Maxim with the former regime. However, Maxim was able to take control of the majority of the parishes and to prevent any schismatic threats within the Church. The faction against Maxim formed the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Alternative synod.
References
edit- ^ a b c d Патриарх Максим почина (видео) [Patriarch Maxim died (video)]. 24chasa.bg (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
- ^ novinite.com 29 October 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
- ^ "Patriarch Maxim, Orthodox Leader of Bulgaria, Dies at 98". The New York Times. 6 November 2012. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012.
Further reading
edit- "Bulgarians Celebrate 97th Birthday of Orthodox Church Patriarch Maxim". Novinite. Sofia News Agency. October 29, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- "Bulgaria's Patriarch Maxim to Be Named Honorary Sofia Citizen". Novinite. Sofia News Agency. November 21, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- "Head of Bulgarian Orthodox Church Patriarch Maksim Celebrates 94th Birthday". Novinite. Sofia News Agency. October 29, 2008. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- "Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria". Novinite. Sofia News Agency. November 19, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
External links
edit
Media related to Maxim of Bulgaria at Wikimedia Commons
