Иларион Ловчански - български екзарх

Българският духовник Илараион Ловчански е митрополит на Кюстендил и български екзарх.

Иларион,   с рождено име Иван Иванов, е роден  в гр. Елена през 1800 година.  Напуска родния си град рано и става монах в Къпиновскяи манастир.  Учи само в килийното училище на манастира, но през целия си живот се стреми към повече знания.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Иларион Ловчански е митрополит на Ловчанска епархия.  Ръкоположен е  и изпратен там от Търновския митрополит Неофит / грък /, поради желанието на ловчанци да имат за епископ българин. Той се грижи за българските училища в епископията си, търси учители за новите класове, преустроява църквата „Света Неделя “, помага  на бедните. На31 януари 1860 година Иларион  служи на български език във Видин -  събитие отразено от вестник "България".

През 1871 година Иларион заминава за Цариград.  Оставя за митрополитски наместник в Ловеч дякон Паисий, а след убийството му -  свещеноиконом Кръстьо Никифоров. Като най - възрастен митрополит  Иларион е избран за председател на Първия църковно-народен събор през 1871 г. Наричан е "дядо Ловчу".  

През януари 1872 година,  Цариградският патриарх, който не признава българската църква, го лишава от духовен сан и настоява пред Високата порта да бъде отстранен от Цариград, заедно с двамата български владици Панарет Пловдивски и Иларион Макариополски.

На 21 януари 1872 година  тримата са  заточени  в Измир, но на 30 януари  са освободени под натиска на цариградските българи, водени от Петко Славейков.  На 12 февруари 1872 година синодът на Българската екзархия избира Иларион Ловчански за български екзарх. Под натиска на Високата порта, обаче, след пет дни той  подава оставката си.  На извънредно заседание на 16 февруари 1872 година  синодът избира за екзарх Видинския митрополит Антим I,  който е утвърден от султана.

През 1873 година Иларион е избран от Синода за екзархийски митрополит на Кюстендил. Той участва като народен представител в Учредителното събрание и приемането на Търновската конституция.

Иларион Ловчански умира в Кюстендил на 2 февруари 1884 година. Погребан е  в митрополитската църква „Успение Богородично“. На камбанарията на църквата, на 21 май 2005 година,   е открита негова паметна плоча. Улици в Кюстендил и Ловеч носят неговото име.

Автор: Тони