| Bulgarian Patriarchate
„The bishop must be ready to lay down his soul for his congregation, to be its good and faithful guardian. That is why you too are called to serve your flock with selfless love and dedication... The bishop must protect his congregation from disagreements, heresies and divisions, striving for unity in love and truth“ – with these words His Holiness Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil addressed Bishop Meletiy of Znepole. The episcopal consecration (cheirotonia) of Archimandrite Meletiy took place on 15th September 2024, at the Patriarchal Cathedral „St. Alexander Nevsky“. At their meeting on September 10th, at the proposal of Metropolitan Nikolay of Plovdiv, The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate decided to consecrate him to the episcopal rank with the title of Znepole.
During the Divine Liturgy, Archimandrite Meletiy knelt and the metropolitans and bishops placed the Holy Gospel and their hands on him, invoked the Holy Spirit upon him and entreated God's grace to bestow upon the new bishop. The Patriarchal Cathedral „St. Alexander Nevsky“ was filled with the exclamation „Worthy!“ for the new bishop, and His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil and the Metropolitans Gavriil of Lovech and Nikolay of Plovdiv successively presented the new bishop with the vestments and symbols of the episcopal ministry: a sakkos, an omophor, an engolpion and a mitre.
At the end of the Holy Liturgy, Patriarch Daniil handed the new bishop a staff and delivered a speech. Likewise, the newly consecrated Bishop Meletiy also delivered a speech. After the Divine Liturgy, the bishops and relatives of the newly consecrated bishop went to the Reception Hall in the Synodical Palace, where welcoming speeches and congratulations were extended to the Bishop Meletiy of Znepole.
