| Bulgarian Patriarchate
After the opening of the Patriarchal Electoral Church Council (PECC) in the hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and with the Electoral Commission already elected by the delegates, the PECC members walked in the building of the Holy Synod in accordance with the pre-defined order and went to the second floor where are the Reception Hall and the Meeting Room in which the Patriarchal elections started.
After the first round of the elections, the Metropolitan of Vratsa Grigoriy had 64 votes, the Metropolitan of Vidin Daniil – 51 votes and the Metropolitan of Lovech Gavriil – 19 votes. Four of the ballot papers turned out to be invalid. Voting was conducted in the following order: the Deputy Chairman of the Holy Synod His Eminence the Metropolitan of Vratsa Grigoriy and the Council Commission voted first, after that – Their Eminences the metropolitans of the Holy Synod by seniority; Their Graces the bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church by seniority and the Patriarchal delegates who are diocese representatives in accordance with the order determined by the seniority of their metropolitans; the representatives of the three stauropygial monasteries – Rila, Bachkovo and Troyan Monastery; and the appointed representatives of the theological schools: Sofia and Plovdiv Theological Seminary, Plovdiv Theological Academy, the Theological Faculty of the Sofia University and the Theological Faculty at Veliko Tarnovo University.
After they signed in the list, the delegates of the Fourth Patriarchal Electoral Church Council were taking a ballot paper signed by the five members of the Electoral Commission and stamped, then they were entering the voting booth and were marking their choice, as the voting was done by circling the number of one of the three candidates for the Patriarchal throne. After the end of the voting, the ballot box was opened and 138 votes were counted. After opening the envelopes and the ballot papers, there was ascertained that 64 of the votes were for the Metropolitan of Vratsa Grigoriy, 51 votes were for the Metropolitan of Vidin Daniil and 19 votes were for the Metropolitan of Lovech Gavriil. According to the Statute of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, due to the fact that no one from the candidates had a majority of two-thirds from the votes, there was conducted another voting at a second round.
After an extremely disputed voting, on the second round, with 69 votes, for a Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia was elected the former Metropolitan of Vidin Daniil. The Metropolitan of Vratsa Grigoriy received 66 votes. Three of the ballot papers were invalid.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOUR HOLINESS!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR CHURCH!
GOD BE WITH US!
