On Sunday, top Orthodox Christian clergy from across Europe and Bulgaria's senior government officials gathered in Sofia's main cathedral for the enthronement of the new patriarch of Bulgaria's influential Orthodox Church.
Patriarch Daniil, 52, was elected among three candidates to succeed Neophyte, who passed away in March. Representatives from Orthodox Churches in Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, Russia, and Georgia, as well as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, attended the 3.5-hour ceremony, which began immediately after the bishops' vote.
"In the modern world in which we live, we witness how the rebellion of many people against God leads to the legalisation and imposition of sin as a norm in human society," Patriarch Daniil said following the ceremony.
Approximately 80% of Bulgaria's 6.8 million population are Orthodox Christians. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has faced challenges, including a 2012 history commission revelation that 11 of its 15 bishops had collaborated with the former communist-era secret police. Patriarch Neophyte, since his enthronement in 2013, had worked to restore the church's reputation, marred by allegations of corruption and ties to the communist secret police.
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