Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev

Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev (Bulgarian: Георги Иванов Йовчев) (born May 6, 1950, in Sekirovo, a part of the town of Rakovski, Bulgaria) is the current Bulgarian Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv.

The Most Reverend

Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev
Bishop of Sofia-Plovdiv
Native name
Георги Иванов Йовчев
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
DioceseSofia-Plovdiv
SeeSofia-Plovdiv
Appointed13 November 1995
PredecessorBogdan Stefanov Dobranov
Orders
Ordination9 May 1976
by Bogdan Stefanov Dobranov
Consecration31 July 1988
by Francesco Colasuonno
Personal details
Birth nameGheorghi Ivanov Jovcev
Born (1950-05-06) 6 May 1950
Sekirovo, Rakovski, Bulgaria
Previous postTitular Bishop of Lamphua (1988-95)
Apostolic Administrator of Sofia-Plovdiv (1988-95)

Early life and education

Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev was educated at Professional School of Agriculture in Belozem where he studied internal combustion engines. His military service was in Sofia. Because of the Communist regime, he secretly prepared for the priesthood, being parish priest in Plovdiv, Rakovski, Kaloyanovo, Duvanlii and Zhitnitsa.

Religious career

On May 9, 1976, Jovcev was ordained Catholic priest by Bishop Bogdan Dobranov. He studied theology at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, Italy.

On July 6, 1988, Jovcev became Apostolic Administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv and Titular Bishop of Lamphua. On July 31, 1988, he was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Francesco Colasuonno, Bishop Samuel Dzhundrin, AA and Exarch Methodius Stratiev, AA at Cathedral of St Louis, Plovdiv.

On November 13, 1995, he was appointed bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv. Jovcev is a member of the Episcopal Conference of Bulgaria. In the Episcopal Conference of Bulgaria is the chairman of various committees, including Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Tip for Families, Council for Secular Parties and Council Catechism.

Awards

Jovcev was awarded with the Grand Cross of the Order pro merito Melitensi, from the Order of Malta, on 19 June 2009 in the city of Rakovski, Bulgaria.[1]

False accusations of collaboration with Communist regime

In 2012, Bishop Jovcev was charged that in 1987 he was recruited by the Bulgarian secret service. Jovcev called all these accusations as slander.[2]

References
  1. radiovaticana.va
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-06. Retrieved 2014-09-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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