Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrives in Bulgaria on Saturday to take part in the celebrations marking the 1,150th anniversary of the birth and the 1,080th anniversary of the dormition of St John of Rila the Miracle Worker, the Bulgarian Patriarchate announced.
In July, the Bulgarian Patriarchate reported that the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate had extended an invitation to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to visit Bulgaria. The visit is connected with Patriarch Bartholomew’s participation in the celebrations scheduled for October to commemorate the 1,150th anniversary of the birth and the 1,080th anniversary of the dormition of St. John of Rila, the heavenly patron and protector of the Bulgarian people.
At that time, a church delegation led by Metropolitan Naum of Ruse, accompanied by Bishop Gerasim of Melnik, Secretary-General of the Holy Synod, and Dr. Alexander Smochevski, visited Istanbul, Turkiye, where they met with His All-Holiness and conveyed the invitation, along with greetings from Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel and the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The meeting took place at the Church of St. Kyriaki in Kontoskali, where a solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the occasion of the feast day of St. Kyriaki.
At 5 pm on Saturday, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the delegation accompanying him will be welcomed by Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel and the metropolitans of the Holy Synod at the Synodal Palace. At 6 pm, the two patriarchs will inaugurate the monumental exhibition “Mount Athos in Sofia” by Greek artist Efthymios Warlamis (1942–2016) at the National Palace of Culture convention centre. The exhibition is organized under the auspices and with the support of the Sofia Metropolis and in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic.
The exhibition “Mount Athos in Sofia” showcases the architecture of the Athonite monasteries and the lives of the monks, conveying a message of peace, harmony, and an alternative way of life, said the exhibition’s curator, Pavlos Trochopoulos, in an interview with the Bulgarian News Agency on October 13.
The exhibition is located on the third floor of the National Palace of Culture and will remain open to visitors until November 15. One of the project’s main objectives is to provide women, who are not permitted to visit Mount Athos, with an opportunity to experience its atmosphere through art. The artist Makis Varlamis (1942–2016), who created the works, sought to bring Mount Athos beyond its geographical boundaries and offer visitors an experience reflecting monastic life, Trochopoulos explained.
At 9 am on Sunday, the Bulgarian Patriarch will be formally welcomed at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will be welcomed at the cathedral at 9.15 am. At 9.30 am, a solemn hierarchical Divine Liturgy will begin at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, with both primates participating in prayer. At noon, a Trisagion service, a brief memorial service for the departed, will be held at the tomb of the late Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte.
On Monday, at 9 am, a festive concelebrated Patriarchal Divine Liturgy will be held at the Holy Rila Monastery.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Arrives for Celebrations of Birth, Dormition of St. John of Rila THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-17 06:15:00
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