Balgarianovinite.com Bulgarian Orthodox Church has always encouraged, welcomed and blessed every initiative contributing to the study and promotion of Bulgarian and Slavic literature and the alphabet through which it has been expressed for twelve centuries, said Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil on Thursday. He addressed the opening of the second part of the Third International Cyrillic Forum on “Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age”, organized by President Iliana Iotova and held in the Icon Gallery of the Rila Monastery.
The Patriarch said that literacy and literature in Bulgaria emerged as a result of the apostolic and educational mission of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius and their disciples and followers, which already in the Middle Ages transcended Bulgarian borders, becoming a pan-Slavic spiritual, literary and cultural heritage. “The Word of God was the first to be written and sounded in our native language following the creation of our alphabet, laying the foundations of our literary tradition and rich Christian culture,” he emphasized.
He said that the Orthodox Church has always blessed initiatives that promote the study of Bulgarian and Slavic literature. “It is especially gratifying when such initiatives are international in scope, bringing together scholars from different countries devoted to Bulgarian and Slavic studies, whose participation bears witness to the importance of our Orthodox people’s contribution to European and world spirituality and culture. Even more significant is when such initiatives find a welcoming home in the spiritual center of our earthly homeland, the Rila Monastery,” Patriarch Daniil said.
“Over the centuries of our turbulent and challenging history, St. John of Rila has provided constant and powerful spiritual support to the Bulgarian people. He remains among the greatest heavenly intercessors for our nation before God’s throne. St. John of Rila is a source of spiritual awakening, comfort and encouragement in life’s difficulties, and a factor for the unity of the people,” the Patriarch said.
The Patriarch said that the Saint’s incorrupt relics have endured through the vicissitudes of time – Ottoman rule, plundering, destruction, and the atheist regime. “Even before the fiercest conquerors and rulers, St. John and the monks of the monastery stood with a free spirit and dignity, with which, after severe destruction, they rebuilt the monastery,” he stressed, noting that the Rila Monastery is a center of enlightenment and a beacon of spiritual and literary support.
He concluded by addressing the scholars participating in the forum, expressing the hope that, with collective effort, God’s grace and guidance, and under the protection of St. John of Rila, they would become worthy successors in the digital age of the millennia-old Christian spiritual and literary tradition, built on the foundations of enlightened lives, wise minds, and virtuous conduct.
The forum brings together scholars from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Bulgarian universities, as well as distinguished speakers from Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Kazakhstan and China. The first part of the forum took place at the National Palace of Culture (NDK) in Sofia on Wednesday. The conference is held under the auspices of the National Commission of the Republic of Bulgaria for UNESCO, with the assistance of the Ministry of Education and Science and the support of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Attending the second part of the forum are President Iotova, the Hegumen of the Rila Monastery, Bishop Evlogii of Adrianople, Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop, and Bulgarian News Agency Director General Kiril Valchev. Bulgarian Orthodox Church Blesses Initiatives Promoting Bulgarian and Slavic Literature, Patriarch Daniil Says 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-03-26 13:00:24 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