site.btaBishop Grigory of Branitsa Elected Metropolitan of Vratsa

Bishop Grigory of Branitsa Elected Metropolitan of Vratsa

Sofia, March 12 (BTA) - The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Sunday elected Bishop Grigory of Branitsa Metropolitan of Vratsa. He received 13 votes, while the other candidate, Bishop Yerotei of Agathopolis, received none. The election of the new metropolitan was proclaimed by Patriarch Neophyte.

Grigorii succeeds to Metropolitan Kallinik, who died on December 26, 2016.

Metropolitan Grigory (secular name: Krassimir Marinov Tsvetkov) was born in Botevgrad (Northwestern Bulgaria) on September 19, 1970. He graduated from the Natural Science and Mathematics Secondary School in his native town and then attended a two-year course at the St John of Rila Seminary in Sofia. He took monastic vows on November 17, 1996 and became hieromonk in 1997 and archimandrite in December 1998. He earned a degree from the Department of Theology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 1999. On October 29, 2010, he was ordained titular Bishop of Branitsa. On February 8, 2011 Grigory was appointed Hegumen of the Troyan Monastery. On May 1, 2014 he was appointed Vicar to Patriarch Neophyte.