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Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia

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Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia

The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia is one of fifteen dioceses of the Church of Bulgaria. The diocese is led by Metr. Joseph.

Contents

History

The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia had its origins before World War II as the Bulgarian Diocese of North and South America and Australia. However, a result of the establishment of a Communist government in Bulgaria after the war, relations of the diocese with the Church of Bulgaria were disrupted. Under Metropolitan Andrew (Petkov), the diocese attempted, in the late 1950s, to join the Metropolia but was unsuccessful.

In 1964, Metropolitan Andrew petitioned the Holy Synod of the Church of Bulgaria for his return to the Bulgarian episcopacy and to continue to lead the diocese in America. With the return of Metropolitan Andrew and his diocese to the Church of Bulgaria, a group under Archimandrite Kyrill (Yonchev) broke with Andrew and joined the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) as the Bulgarian Diocese in Exile. The ROCOR bishops consecrated him bishop.

The Metropolitan Andrew's diocese is currently led by Metropolitan Joseph (Bosakov) with parishes in the United States, Canada, and Australia as an overseas diocese of the Church of Bulgaria under Patriarch Neophyte and the Bulgarian Synod of Bishops. The diocesan cathedral is Ss Cyril and Methody Macedono-Bulgarian Orthodox Cathedral in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia is a member of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).

List of Parishes

Source: Official site of the Diocese

References

Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia Wikipedia