Bulgarian Patriarch Maxim to Be Buried Friday

Long-time Bulgarian Orthodox Church Patriarch Maxim, who passed away Tuesday aged 98, will be buried Friday at the Troyan Monastery in central northern Bulgaria.

Maxim was born Marin Minkov in the Oreshak village near Troyan in 1914, and began his monastic life at in the local monastery, one of the largest and most renowned in Bulgaria.

During an emergency meeting of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Holy Synod Tuesday, senior clerics scheduled the official funeral ceremony at 3.30 pm Friday at the Troyan Monastery.

Oldest serving metropolitan bishop, Veliko Tarnovo bishop Grigory will preside meetings of the Holy Synod before electing an interim patriarch, which must be done within a week.

Within four months, a Church Council must choose the new patriarch, out of three candidates approved beforehand, who have to be aged over 55 and have served at least 5 years as bishop.

Tuesday, the Holy Synod decided that hardline Plovdiv bishop Nikolay is to serve temporarily as Sofia bishop, a position occupied by the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

The official memorial service for Patriarch Maxim will be held Thursday at 9 am at the St. Nedelya Church in Sofia, presided by bishop Nikolay.

The funeral service and mass for the deceased patriarch will be held Friday at 9 am at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where Maxim's body will be laid in state before being interred in Troyan.

The Holy Synod has asked the Bulgarian cabinet to declare a national day of mourning for Friday.