Balgarianovinite.com The significance of today’s celebration is great because it speaks to the maturity of the respective local church, Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil told BTA. Earlier in the day, he led a liturgy at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral marking the 73rd anniversary of the restoration of the Bulgarian Patriarchate.
“On this day in 1953, the patriarchal dignity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – the Third Patriarchate, was restored,” the Patriarch said.
The First Bulgarian Patriarchate was associated with the First Bulgarian Empire. The Bulgarian Church received patriarchal status in the 10th century, during the reign of Tsar Simeon I the Great, or was definitively recognized under Tsar Peter I. Its centers were Preslav and later Ohrid.
The Second Bulgarian Patriarchate was restored after the uprising of the Asen dynasty and the reestablishment of the Bulgarian state in 1185, this time with its seat in Tarnovo. It was the patriarchate of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The last Patriarch of Tarnovo was Euthymius of Tarnovo. After Tarnovo fell under Ottoman rule in 1393, the patriarchate was abolished.
Following Bulgaria’s Liberation, the Bulgarian Church first existed as the Bulgarian Exarchate (from 1870). In 1953, it regained patriarchal rank. This is why people speak of the Third Patriarchate, or the third historical existence of the Bulgarian Patriarchate. This carries not only administrative but also symbolic significance, emphasizing the continuity between medieval Bulgarian statehood, church independence, and the modern Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
“God grant that in our own time we may succeed in living up to this high calling – that our Church may give rise to saints, enlighten the people entrusted to it in the Orthodox faith, uphold the Orthodox faith in these difficult times, and lead the people entrusted to our care toward salvation,” Patriarch Daniil added. Anniversary of Bulgarian Patriarchate’s Restoration Reflects Maturity of Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Patriarch Daniil 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-05-10 08:54:00 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