Metropolitan Pankraty (in the world of Pencho Nikolov Donchev ; December 14, 1926 , Zimnitsa village, Stara Zagora , July 16, 1998, Stara Zagora ) - Bishop of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church , Metropolitan of Stara Zagora .
Biography
He received his basic education in 1940 in the village of Vetren. In 1947 he graduated from the Plovdiv Theological Seminary .
Having a strong desire to gain knowledge and spiritual advancement, seminarian Pencho Donchev entered the Theological Faculty of the Sofia University of St. Clement of Ohrid . Studying in the first year, I entered obedience in the Bachkovo monastery .
At the suggestion of the monastir brotherhood and with the approval of the Holy Synod under the chairmanship of the Metropolitan of Vrachany Paisiy (Ankov) on February 15, 1949, Pencho Donchev was tonsured a monk with the name of Pankraty.
On September 21, 1949, the monk Pankraty was ordained to the rank of deacon , and on September 18, 1952, by decision of the Holy Synod, was ordained by the metropolitan Vrachansky Paisiy to the rank of hieromonk .
During his stay in the Bachkovo monastery, Hieromonk Pankraty served as head of the monastery museum, monastery library, monastic agriculture, etc. Thanks to his obedience, skill, hard work and justice, he won the respect, as hegumen of the monastery, Bishop of Troyanopol Simeon (Tsonev) , and so on. and brethren.
At the request of Metropolitan Clement of Stara Zagora and approval of the Holy Synod, on September 1, 1954, hieromonk Pankratius was appointed protosingel of the Stara Zagora Metropolis. And in this service, he showed devotion and rigor in the performance of his duties, which earned him the respect and love of the people with whom he served.
On April 14, 1957, on the feast of Palm Sunday, Hieromonk Pankratius was ordained to Archimandrite.
At the request of Metropolitan Clement, whose health deteriorated sharply, the Synod elected Archimandrite Pankraty as Bishop with the title Velichsky and was appointed Vicar of the Stara Zagora Eparchy.
On December 18, 1966, the consecration of Archimandrite Pankraty as Bishop of Velichsky took place in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky . Patriarch Kirill of Bulgaria headed the consecration in consecration of the members of the Holy Synod.
On July 12, 1967, the Holy Synod unanimously elected Bishop Pankratia as Metropolitan of Stara Zagora. Thus, the wishes of Metropolitan Clement, who, during his lifetime, expressed the desire for Bishop Pankraty to become his successor in the department, were fulfilled.
With the beginning of democratic changes in Bulgaria, Metropolitan Pankraty founded in Stara Zagora an educational center “St. Annunciation ", contributed to the publication of the church herald and magazine. Cared about nourishing the Bulgarian army.
For his merits, Metropolitan Pankraty was proclaimed Honorary Citizen of Stara Zagora.
For a number of years he was the representative of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on the World Council of Churches .
In 1990 he became a deputy of the Grand National Assembly (VII Supreme National Assembly ).
In 1992, he became one of the initiators of the schism in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. On May 18, 1992, together with the metropolitans Nevrokosky Pimen (Enev), Vrachansky Kalinik (Aleksandrov) , Velikotyrnovsky Stefan (Staykov) and Dorostolov-Chervensky Sophrony (Chavdarov) issued a statement in which he supported the decision of the “Directorate of Religions” on the illegitimacy of electing the Patriarch. year Metropolitans said that they consider the election of Patriarch Maxim illegitimate and begin the procedure for electing a new Primate. They elected Metropolitan Pimen as interim Vice-President of the Synod. Thus, on May 18, an alternative (anti-Patriarchal) Synod was actually created, consisting of five of the thirteen ruling bishops of the BOC. In addition, five vicar bishops joined the rebels [1] .
On July 22, 1992, the Council of Bishops who remained loyal to Patriarch Maxim for dissenting and committing illegal episcopal consecration was deprived of dignity (among other bishops who declined to split).
He brought repentance and on December 12, 1995, was restored at the Stara Zagora Department [2] [1] .
He died on July 16, 1998. Buried behind the altar of the Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St. Demetrius.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Vladimir Burega “Split in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Pan-Orthodox Council in Sofia” // bogoslov.ru , October 24, 2008
- ↑ Bishops who passed away in 1998, Mark Mark’s website
Literature
- Ignatiev A. Metropolitan Starozagorsky Pankraty [biographical information] // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1967. №10 (ZhMP). 57.