Bulgaria's Metropolitan Joseph Quits

Metropolitan Joseph, the head of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia, has resigned, according to Bulgarian media.

According to the Trud daily, Joseph wants to return to his home country and has already picked his successor.

Bulgarian Holy Synod sources have told dnevnik.bg that Joseph has considered withdrawing from the post for a while now.

Metropolitan Jospeh is very close with newly elected Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarch Neofit and is likely to head his office.

The news about Neofit's election was announced Sunday by interim Patriarch and Sofia Metropolitan, Kiril. Bulgaria's Patriarch Maxim, who led the Church since 1971, passed away on November 6, 2012, at the age of 98.