Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visits Bulgaria to promote Orthodox unity

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is visiting Bulgaria to commemorate the 1,150th anniversary of the birth and 1,080th anniversary of the death of Saint Ivan of Rila. During his visit to Sofia, Bartholomew and Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria participated in a liturgy at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where they offered prayers for peace in a troubled world and for the unity of the Orthodox Churches.

In Sofia, the two leaders also attended the opening of an exhibition dedicated to Mount Athos, featuring the works of the late artist Evtimiy Varlam. Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between Orthodox Churches, while Patriarch Daniel called for dialogue over division, noting that the veneration of saints serves as a call to spiritual unity.

The visit follows recent interactions between the two leaders, including Patriarch Daniel’s recent trips to Turkey, aimed at strengthening fraternal relations between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.