{{Short description|Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarch from 1971 to 2012}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = | honorific-prefix =His Holiness | name = Maxim | honorific-suffix = | title = {{big|{{ubl | Patriarch of All Bulgaria | Metropolitan of Sofia }}}} | image = Maxim of Bulgaria.jpg | imagesize = | alt = | caption = | native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|bg|Патриарх Максим}}}} | church = Bulgarian Orthodox Church | archdiocese = | province = | metropolis = | diocese = | see = Sofia | enthroned = 4 July 1971 | ended = 6 November 2012 | predecessor = Kyril | opposed = | successor = Neofit | other_post = | previous_post = {{ubil | Protosyngellos of Dorostolo-Cherven (diocese) (1947{{nbnd}}1950)<ref name="24chasa"/> | Primate of the Bulgarian Ecclesiastical Court at the Moscow Patriarchate (1950{{nbnd}}1955)<ref name="24chasa"/> | Secretary General of the Holy Synod (1955{{nbnd}}1960)<ref name="24chasa"/> | Titular bishop of Branit (1956{{nbnd}}1960) | Metropolitan of Lovech (1960{{nbnd}}1971) }} <!---------- Orders ----------> | ordination = 1941 | consecration = 1956 | rank = Patriarch <!---------- Personal details ----------> | birth_name = Marin Naydenov Minkov | birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|10|29}} | birth_place = Oreshak, Bulgaria | death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|11|06|1914|10|29}} | death_place = Sofia, Bulgaria | buried = Troyan Monastery | education = {{ubil | Sofia Theological Seminary | Faculty of Theology of Sofia University }} | signature = | other = }}
'''Patriarch Maxim''' (Maximus) ({{langx|bg|Патриарх Максим}}) (born '''Marin Naydenov Minkov''', October 29, 1914<ref>[https://www.novinite.com/articles/145254/Patriarch+Maxim+of+Bulgaria|"Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria"]. Novinite. Published 19 November 2012.</ref> – November 6, 2012) was the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church from 1971 until his death.<ref name="24chasa">{{cite news |url=http://www.24chasa.bg/Article.asp?ArticleId%3D1620966 |script-title=bg:Патриарх Максим почина (видео) |trans-title=Patriarch Maxim died (video) |language=bg |website=24chasa.bg |accessdate=2012-11-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108021603/http://www.24chasa.bg/Article.asp?ArticleId=1620966 |archivedate=2012-11-08 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/07/world/europe/patriarch-maxim-orthodox-leader-of-bulgaria-dies-at-98.html |title=Patriarch Maxim, Orthodox Leader of Bulgaria, Dies at 98 |website=The New York Times |date=6 November 2012 |url-access=subscription |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107035305/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/07/world/europe/patriarch-maxim-orthodox-leader-of-bulgaria-dies-at-98.html |archivedate=November 7, 2012}}</ref>
He was born in Oreshak, the second of the two children of Nayden Minkov Rachev and Pena Bordzhukova, but very little is known about his parents' background. He was educated only in his native mountain village of Oreshak but from his late childhood, he became a novice monk in the Troyan Monastery and then studied Orthodox Theology at Sofia University, from which he graduated in 1935 with honours. In 1942 he graduated from the Saint Clement of Ohrid State University of Sofia. He took Holy Orders in 1941 and became secretary general of the Holy Synod in 1955 and titular bishop of ''Branit'' on December 30, 1956.
In 1960, he was elected Metropolitan of Lovech on October 30, 1960, and won the election as Patriarch on July 4, 1971, after Patriarch Kyril died.
In the early 1990s, a split in the Bulgarian Church was stimulated by the government of the Union of Democratic Forces, based on the alleged cooperation and affiliation of Maxim with the former regime. However, Maxim was able to take control of the majority of the parishes and to prevent any schismatic threats within the Church. The faction against Maxim formed the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Alternative synod. thumb|300px|April 2011
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == * {{Cite news |url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/133425/Bulgarians+Celebrate+97th+Birthday+of+Orthodox+Church+Patriarch+Maxim |title=Bulgarians Celebrate 97th Birthday of Orthodox Church Patriarch Maxim |date=October 29, 2011 |work=Novinite |agency=Sofia News Agency |accessdate=March 16, 2024}} * {{Cite news |url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/134152/Bulgaria%27s+Patriarch+Maxim+to+Be+Named+Honorary+Sofia+Citizen |title=Bulgaria's Patriarch Maxim to Be Named Honorary Sofia Citizen |date=November 21, 2011 |work=Novinite |agency=Sofia News Agency |accessdate=March 16, 2024}} * {{Cite news |url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/98346/Head+of+Bulgarian+Orthodox+Church+Patriarch+Maksim+Celebrates+94th+Birthday |title=Head of Bulgarian Orthodox Church Patriarch Maksim Celebrates 94th Birthday |date=October 29, 2008 |work=Novinite |agency=Sofia News Agency |accessdate=March 16, 2024}} * {{Cite news |url=https://www.novinite.com/articles/145254/Patriarch+Maxim+of+Bulgaria |title=Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria |date=November 19, 2012 |work=Novinite |agency=Sofia News Agency |accessdate=March 16, 2024}}
== External links == * {{Commons category inline|Maxim of Bulgaria}}
{{S-start}} {{s-rel|eo}} {{Succession box | before = Kyril | title = Patriarch of All Bulgaria | years = 1971–2012 | after = Neofit }} {{Succession box | before = ''unknown'' | title = Metropolitan of Lovech | years = 1960–1971 | after = ''unknown'' }} {{Succession box | before = ''unknown'' | title = Titular bishop of Branit | years = 1956–1960 | after = ''unknown'' }} {{S-end}}
{{BgPatriarchs}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxim (Patriarch)}} Category:1914 births Category:2012 deaths Category:People from Troyan Category:Patriarchs of Bulgaria Category:Christian Peace Conference members Category:Sofia University alumni