Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
Patriarch Maxim (born Marin Naydenov Minkov, October 29, 1914, Oreshak
) is the current head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
.
He was the second of two children of Nayden Minkov Rachev, 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
. 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 during this time, despite the atmosphere of persecution under Todor Zhivkov
, Maxim was able to win enough favour with the Politburo to be a certainty for election as Patriarch on July 4, 1971, after Patriarch Cyril
died.
His long reign as Patriarch has been fraught with great trouble - even after the collapse of Communism less than 1% of Orthodox in Bulgaria attend church on a regular basis. 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.
Oreshak
Oreshak is a village, situated in the middle part of the Balkan Mountains in Troyan Municipality, Lovech Province, Bulgaria. There is a famous ethnographic complex very close to the Troyan Monastery — one of the biggest monasteries in Bulgaria. In 2005, the village had a population of 2,306...
) is the current head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6.5 million members in the Republic of Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million members in a number of European countries, the Americas and Australia...
.
He was the second of two children of Nayden Minkov Rachev, 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
Troyan Monastery
The Monastery of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God or, as it is more commonly called, the Troyan Monastery is the third largest monastery in Bulgaria...
and then studied Orthodox Theology at Sofia University
Sofia University
The St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia or Sofia University is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October 1888...
. He took Holy Orders in 1941 and became secretary general of the Holy Synod
Holy Synod
In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod...
in 1955 and titular bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Branit on December 30, 1956.
In 1960 he was elected Metropolitan of Lovech
Lovech
Lovech is a town in north-central Bulgaria with a population of 36,296 as of February 2011. It is the administrative centre of the Lovech Province and of the subordinate Lovech Municipality. The town is located about 150 km northeast from the capital city of Sofia...
on October 30, 1960, and during this time, despite the atmosphere of persecution under Todor Zhivkov
Todor Zhivkov
Todor Khristov Zhivkov was a communist politician and leader of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from March 4, 1954 until November 10, 1989....
, Maxim was able to win enough favour with the Politburo to be a certainty for election as Patriarch on July 4, 1971, after Patriarch Cyril
Patriarch Cyril
Patriarch Cyril* Kirill I of Moscow * Patriarch Cyril of Bulgaria * Patriarch Cyril I of Alexandria * Patriarch Cyril II of Alexandria* Patriarch Cyril of Constantinople** Patriarch Cyril III of Constantinople...
died.
His long reign as Patriarch has been fraught with great trouble - even after the collapse of Communism less than 1% of Orthodox in Bulgaria attend church on a regular basis. In the early 1990s, a split in the Bulgarian Church was stimulated by the government of the Union of Democratic Forces
Union of Democratic Forces (Bulgaria)
The Union of Democratic Forces is a political party in Bulgaria, founded in 1989 as a union of several political organizations in opposition to the communist government. In February 1997 the Union was transformed into a single unified party with the same name...
, 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.