Bulgaria: Archimandrite Nikanor’s case returns to Sofia Ecclesiastical Court

The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has rejected the appeals filed by Archimandrite Nikanor (Hristo Hristov Mishkov), during a plenary session held on October 2, 2026, in its capacity as an Ecclesiastical Court.

The case concerns objections raised by Archimandrite Nikanor regarding the jurisdiction and competence of the Sofia Diocesan Ecclesiastical Court, acting as a court of first instance, to hear the ecclesiastical criminal proceedings against him on charges of defamation, insults and other ecclesiastical offenses.

The Holy Synod also examined his appeals against the measures suspending him from priestly duties.

Case returns to Sofia Ecclesiastical Court The Holy Synod rejected the appeal against a decision it had adopted in a restricted composition on August 10, 2026, and confirmed that the Sofia Diocesan Ecclesiastical Court has jurisdiction to hear the case at first instance.

The case will therefore be referred back to the Sofia Ecclesiastical Court for proceedings to continue.

According to the reasoning behind the decision, the charges concern Archimandrite Nikanor’s conduct as a cleric of the Sofia Metropolis and the obligations arising from his…