Resolution in Sveti Vlas: Father Vladislav Baranov withdraws from the church

Priest Vladislav Baranov, a clergyman of Ukrainian origin, has submitted a voluntary request to be released from his ministry at the "Saint Athanasius" church in the town of Sveti Vlas. The decision was announced by Metropolitan Arseniy of Sliven during a meeting with Mayor Ivan Nikolov and representatives of the local community.

"I would not want my person to be a cause for tension and conflict among the congregation," Father Vladislav notes in his request to the metropolitanate.

Reasons for the decision

The Sliven Metropolitanate clarifies that the meeting was convened due to:

  • Public discussions that had arisen regarding the priest's ministry;
  • Speculations and ambiguities that had accumulated over the last few weeks;
  • The need to clarify the canonical order within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Arseniy emphasized that the request will be considered with due respect for the priest's previous work. For the time being, Father Dimitar Iliev remains the only parish priest at the church. The protest announced for Sunday in front of the church has been canceled, and the conversation between the parties proceeded in a spirit of dialogue and mutual respect.