Biography == ==
From 1956 to 1961 - a student of [[St. Sophia Seminary | Sofia Seminary]]. In 1970 he graduated from the [[Sofia Ecclesiastical Academy | Sofia Theological Academy]].
April 12, 1970 in [[Troyan Monastery | Troyan Monastery]] Metropolitan Lovchanskim [[Maxim (Patriarch of Bulgaria) | Maxim (Minkov)]] became a monk with the name [[Joseph]] in honor of the righteous [[Joseph of Arimathea | Joseph of Arimathea ]]. May 3 of that year, the Metropolitan Lovchanskim [[Maxim (Patriarch of Bulgaria) | Maxim]] was ordained [[ierodiakon]] and, on 27 December - [[Fr]] and appointed a protosinkellom Lovchanskoy diocese.
From July 1971 - [[protosinkell]] [[Diocese of Sofia | Sofia diocese]].
From 10 October 1971, at the direction of the Holy Synod passed specialization in [[Moscow Theological Academy | Moscow Theological Academy]]. July 21, 1973, after defending his doctoral thesis with the blessing of the Patriarch of the Bulgarian [[Maxim (Patriarch of Bulgaria) | Maxim]] was elevated to Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia [[Pimen (Patriarch) | Pimen]] to the rank of [[Fr]] and .
On his return to [[Bulgaria | Bulgaria]] was again appointed protosingelom [[Diocese of Sofia | Sofia diocese]].
December 7, 1980 was consecrated bishop and appointed second Velichskogo vicar of the Diocese of Sofia.
On March 24, 1981 - Superior [[Troyan Monastery | Troyan Monastery]].
April 1, 1983 appointed manager [[Akronskaya Diocese | Diocese Akronskoy]] and April 17, 1986 approved its [[Metropolitan]] om.
December 19, 1989 the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church joined the New York and Akronskuyu diocese in one [[Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia | American and Australian Bulgarian diocese]]. Metropolitan Joseph was her Metropolitan with faculty in [[New York]] is
Published in the Bulgarian church periodical series of articles on Church Public Affairs.
In June 2009, Metropolitan Joseph used his right to consult with his government before the secret dossier, found that from 1980 to 1988, was listed as the informant intelligence [[People's Republic of Bulgaria | Bulgarian Socialist]], although the order is not fully realized. He read out the information of your files in an open letter, and according to his former promises, has resigned. However, {{Untranslated 3 | The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church | The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church | bg | Saint Synod of the Orthodox Blgarskata tsarkva}} 1 December of the same year, decided not to accept his resignation, praising his pastoral work in America and calling to continue this ministry there.
February 15, 2013 at the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the purpose of which was to determine the three candidates for the patriarchal throne, was appointed Chairman of the Central Commission for the preparation of the elected cathedral <ref> {{cite process izbaniya new Bulgarian Patriarch / Pravoslavie.Ru [1608] | Orthodox social network Ekkleziya.Ru |
At the end of February 2013 filed a petition for retirement. Lord Joseph notified that it has prepared a candidate for a place and wants to return to live permanently in Bulgaria. In the Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia have accumulated a lot of problems: many years of continued litigation Bulgarian parishes in Chicago and the Bulgarian church communities in Australia, the diocesan bishop has not visited for 20 years. Metropolitan Joseph is considered the successor to his vicar - Bishop Dragovitiysky [[Daniel (Nicole)]] <ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.sedmitza.ru/news/3513127.html|title=Болгарский metropolitan U.S., Canada and Australia decided to retire - News - Church Research Center "The Orthodox
