Cyril of Bulgaria

{{Short description|Patriarch of Bulgaria and Righteous Among the Nations (1901–1971)}} {{Redirect|Kyril of Bulgaria|the son of Ferdinand I of Bulgaria|Kiril, Prince of Preslav|the son of Simeon II of Bulgaria|Kyril, Prince of Preslav}} [[File:BASA-1318K-1-5972-12-Cyril of Bulgaria.jpg|250px|thumb]] {{Righteous Among the Nations}} '''Patriarch Cyril''' ({{Langx|bg|Патриарх Кирил}}; secular name '''Konstantin Markov Konstantinov''' [{{langx|bg|Константин Марков Константинов|links=no}}]; January 3, 1901 – March 7, 1971) was the first Patriarch of the restored [[Patriarch of All Bulgaria|Bulgarian Patriarchate]].

Born in [[Sofia]], Bulgaria, to a family of [[Aromanians|Aromanian]] descent, he adopted his religious name of Cyril in the [[St. Nedelya Church]] on December 30, 1923 and became [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] of [[Plovdiv]] in 1938.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Detrez |first=Raymond |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Historical_Dictionary_of_Bulgaria/hywaBgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |title=Historical Dictionary of Bulgaria |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |year=2014 |isbn=9781442241800 |pages=272 |access-date=2 December 2024}}</ref>

On May 10, 1953 Cyril was elected [[List of Patriarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church|Patriarch of Bulgaria]], holding the position until his death.

Cyril was buried in the main church of the [[Bachkovo Monastery]], 189 kilometres from Sofia.

Cyril's historical role in the [[The Holocaust in Bulgaria|Bulgarian popular resistance]] to [[the Holocaust]] is recounted in the [[oratorio]] ''A Melancholy Beauty'', composed by Georgi Andreev with libretto by Scott Cairns and Aryeh Finklestein. The text describes "Metropolitan Kyril" in 1943 confronting the captors of [[Bulgarian Jews]] slated to be deported. Kyril first pledged to go with the deportees in solidarity and then told the guards he will block the train with his own body. The guards replied that they have just received new orders to release the Jews.

For his work in saving Jews, Cyril, as well as [[Stefan I of Bulgaria]], were recognized by [[Yad Vashem]] as the [[Righteous Among the Nations]] in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 November 2001 |title=Two Bulgarian Clergymen Recognized as Righteous Among the Nations |url=https://www.yadvashem.org/press-release/29-november-2001-10-23.html |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=www.yadvashem.org |language=en}}</ref>

Cyril was succeeded by [[Maxim of Bulgaria]].<ref name=":0" />

== References == {{Reflist}}{{S-start}} {{Succession box |before = Office restored |title = [[List of Patriarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church|Patriarch of Bulgaria]] |years = 1953–1971 |after = [[Maxim of Bulgaria|Patriarch Maxim]] }} {{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cyril of Bulgaria}} [[Category:1901 births]] [[Category:1971 deaths]] [[Category:Clergy from Sofia]] [[Category:Eastern Orthodox Righteous Among the Nations]] [[Category:Bulgarian Righteous Among the Nations]] [[Category:Patriarchs of Bulgaria]] [[Category:Bulgarian people of Aromanian descent]]