"I do not wish and will not accept to be included as a candidate for the patriarchal throne in the procedures that the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchy is about to conduct in accordance with its Statute", Metropolitan Nikolai of Plovdiv announced on the website of the Plovdiv diocese.

On March 19, the Holy Synod will elect a vice-chairman to head the church until the election of a new Bulgarian patriarch. The new Patriarch will be elected by a Patriarchal Electoral Council. Seven days before the Patriarchal Electoral Council, the Holy Synod must elect three candidates to be presented at the Patriarchal Electoral Council. One of them will become a new Patriarch.