Abbot of Zographou Monastery in Bulgaria Passes Away in the Lord

Mt. Athos, January 28, 2025

Photo: offnews.bg     

The abbot of Zographou, the Bulgarian monastery on Mt. Athos, reposed in the Lord yesterday after a brief illness.

Schema-Archimandrite Ambrose, who had lived and labored on the Holy Mountain since 1981, had served as abbot of Zographou since 1997. He was 85 years old.

“Archimandrite Ambrose will remain in the Church’s memory as a zealous monk, a spiritually gifted clergyman, and a wise mentor to many on the path of faith,” writes the press service of the Bulgarian Patriarchate.

Fr. Ambrose was among those Athonite abbots who took an Orthodox stance on the Ukrainian question, Athos abbots refuse to serve with monks from monasteries that recognize Ukrainian schismaticsThe monks aren’t heretics, but Abbot Nikodemos considers that they have concelebrated with schismatics and so are not welcome to serve at Philotheou, he told them.

“>refusing to serve with the schismatics or even the Athonites who have served with them. In the Zographou Monastery (Mt. Athos) supports Metropolitan Onuphry and Ukrainian ChurchMost recently, the abbot and brotherhood of Zographou Monastery, the Bulgarian monastery on Mt. Athos, sent a letter of support to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.”>spring of 2023, he wrote a letter of support to the persecuted Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.

A memorial Divine Liturgy for Fr. Ambrose was celebrated by the hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church at the St. Nedelya Metropolitan Cathedral this morning.

May Fr. Ambrose’s memory be eternal!

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Archimandrite Ambrose was born on November 10, 1939, in the village of Novakovo, Asenovgrad Province. He began his spiritual path from early childhood.

He graduated from a woodworking technical school, and subsequently completed the five-year course at the Sofia Theological Seminary.

In 1973, he entered Bachkovo Monastery as a novice, and four years later, in 1977, he took monastic vows. In 1981, he departed for the Zographou Monastery on Mount Athos.

On April 21, 1997, he was ordained a hierodeacon, and two days later a hieromonk. On the same day, he was enthroned as abbot of Zographou.

On August 7, 2007, he took the Great Schema.

During his time, Zographou Monastery developed its cultural and educational activities, and hundreds of Orthodox books were published, including saints’ lives, Patristic literature, and publications on current and contemporary issues. Thanks to the intensive work of Archimandrite Ambrose and the monastery brotherhood, part of the holy monastery that had been damaged by a severe fire was restored, a new building for pilgrims was constructed, and a new library was established.

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