In 1946, the People’s Republic of Bulgaria was founded. In 1989, the communist party’s leader Todor Shivkov was overthrown, and the country went to democracy. The catholic church was strongly suppressed up to 1978; afterwards, slight improvements took place.
After World War II these prelates led the little catholic community:
Nicopoli: 1947 – 1952 Bishop Eugen Bossilkoff, C. P.
Nicopoli: 1975 – 1977 Bishop Vasco Séirécov
Sofia e Plovdiv: 1942 – 1953 Ap. Vicar Bf. Ioan Romanoff
Sofia e Plovdiv: 1965 – 1974 Administrator Bp. Simeon Kokov, O. F. M. Cap.
Sofia e Plovdiv: 1975 – 1983 Ap. Vicar Bp. Bogdan Stefanov Dobranov, 1979 Bishop
Sofia e Plovdiv: 1988 – 1995 Administrator Bp. Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev
Sofia of the Byzantine rite: 1941 – 1951 Exarch Bp. Ioan Garufaloff
Sofia of the Byzantine rite: 1951 – 1971 Exarch Bp. Kyril Kurteff
Sofia of the Byzantine rite: 1963 – 1971 Coadjutor Bp. Metodi Dimitrov Stratiev, 1971 Exarch
Bl. Bishop Eugen Bossilkoff, C. P.
Bishop Bossilkoff of Nicopoli was arrested in 1952 and executed immediately; nobody was told about his death. For a while, wrong rumours were spread he would live in a Siberian camp. Pope St. John Paul II. beatified this martyr. Bishop Romanoff, Apostolic Vicar of Sofia and Plovdiv, died in prison.
Clandestine consecrations by Mgr. Kyrill Kurteff, uniated Exarch of Sofia:
08.11.1959 Bogdan Stefanov Dobranov, Latin rite Bishop in Sofia, + 04.10.1983
04.12.1960 Simeon Kokov, Latin rite Bishop in Sofia, + 11.07.1974.
Both bishops Kokov and Dobranov were consecrated in secret. They were able to administer single episcopal functions only years afterwards. Simeon Kokov, two years after his election as Titular Bishop of Batne, was consecrated on 04.12.1960 by Bishop Kyrill Kurteff, Apostolic Exarch for the Byzantine rite, and Bogdan Stevanov Dobranov, Titular Bishop of Giufi, who was consecrated on 08.11.1959 in S. Ludovici Regis Cathedral of Plovdiv by Bishop Kurteff also, could act as Apostolic Administrator of Sofia and Plovdid from 1962 on, but without anybody knowing about his episcopal dignity.
Bishop Bogdan Stefanov Dobranov
Bishop Bogdan Simeon Kokov
Bishop Vasco Séirécov