Bulgaria Unveils Top Clerics Worked for Communist-era Intelligence
Bulgaria's commission charged with disclosing the names of senior officials who collaborated with the country's communist-era secret services announced on Tuesday that 11 of the 15 members of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's governing body, the Holy Synod, had worked for the former state security.
The name of Patriarch Maxim, who has headed the church for more than 40 years, was not on the list, online news portal Sofia Echo said.
However, the list of clerics identified as former collaborators includes metropolitans Kiril of Varna, Galaktikon of Stara Zagora, Dometian of Vidin, Ignatii of Pleven, Yoanikii of Sliven, Grigorii of Veliko Turnovo, Yosif of the United States, Canada and Australia, Kaliniki of Vratsa, Nataniel Nevrokopski, Simeon of Western and Central Europe and Neofit of Rousse.
The commission said that the process of check-ups among top clergy of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church will continue.