Balgarianovinite.com Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil said St Stephen Church in Istanbul is a reminder that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Bulgarian Patriarchate remain unwaveringly united at their core, despite periods of difficult relations in the past. The Patriarch led a liturgy at the Bulgarian St Stephen Church in Istanbul’s Fener neighborhood on Saturday, the feast day of St Stephen.
“Although relations between the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Bulgarian Patriarchate were not without difficulties for a long period of time, something this holy church of God itself always reminds us of, our Churches remain united in their deepest core as members of the Body of Christ, which in the world is always exposed to the ‘darkness of this age’ (Ephesians 6:12),” Patriarch Daniil said.
Addressing worshippers and official guests, Patriarch Daniil said that on the third day after the Nativity of Christ, and the third day of his peaceful visit to the Mother Church, the Holy Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople coinciding with the commemoration of St Stephen the Protomartyr, it is a joy to celebrate the Sacrament of the Holy and Divine Eucharist in St Stephen Church, which he described as dear to every Orthodox Bulgarian heart and a true adornment of the historic city.
He noted that as the first deacon and the first martyr, St Stephen reminds believers of two things: that all who bear the name of Christ, and especially those entrusted with sacred ministry, are called first and foremost to be servants of God and His faithful people; and that from its very beginning, Christian life has been confessional and martyrial in nature, requiring readiness to endure trials and suffering for the faith.
Patriarch Daniil said Christians cannot forget history, with everything in it that is good and inspiring, as well as “the darker aspects and the mistakes that we strive, to the best of our ability, not to repeat”, but Christians should not live in the past. He stressed that Christian faith is eschatological and calls believers to look towards the “fulfilment of time”, when God will unite “all things in heaven and on earth under one head – Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).
He added that the Lord teaches believers not to live in yesterday or tomorrow, but to live and work in the present day, loving God and neighbour and doing good in the time given by God’s will.
Patriarch Daniil said St Stephen Church will always remind Bulgarians of the strongest aspirations of the Orthodox Bulgarian people to restore their dignity, freedom and independence, together with their ecclesiastical and State sovereignty. He said the faithful stand in filial gratitude to all who contributed to this cause in the past, while recognizing that the task today is to build the present as Church and society, as people and State.
The Patriarch concluded with a prayer for the repose of all who worked for Bulgaria’s political and ecclesiastical independence. Patriarch Daniil: St Stephen Church Reminds Us Patriarchates of Constantinople and Bulgaria Remain Firmly United 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-27 12:26:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
