BTA: Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Call for Church Unity and World Peace

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil and visiting Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called for peace, unity and understanding in a divided world during a solemn hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Sofia on Sunday.

Bartholomew said the world urgently needed peace and that prayers would be offered for unity among the Churches. Describing his visit as an opportunity to renew and strengthen relations between the two Churches, he expressed gratitude to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Bulgarian people for their warm welcome and hospitality. He also highlighted the importance of the joint commemoration of St. John of Rila, marking 1,150 years since his birth and 1,080 years since his dormition.

In his sermon, Patriarch Daniil said Church unity was a gift of the Holy Spirit, rooted in truth and love. Referring to the teachings of St. Paul, he said unity in faith brought joy in the Lord and reflected the spiritual bonds among Orthodox Churches. He called on Church leaders to preserve unity through humility, repentance, fraternal dialogue and fidelity to the teachings of the holy apostles and Church fathers.

Both patriarchs stressed the responsibility of religious leaders to safeguard peace and overcome divisions in the modern world. Bartholomew urged believers to remain spiritually steadfast and follow the path of evangelical love.

Later on Sunday, Bartholomew held a trisagion memorial service at the grave of the late Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte. Daniil, hierarchs of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and members of Bartholomew’s delegation attended.

Bartholomew arrived in Bulgaria on Saturday for the commemorations honouring St. John of Rila. The visit continues on Monday with a festive concelebrated patriarchal Divine Liturgy at Rila Monastery, scheduled for 9 a.m.

The two patriarchs inaugurated the exhibition “Mount Athos in Sofia” on Saturday.  The exhibition, showcasing the architecture of the monasteries on Mount Athos and the lives of the monks, is located on the third floor of the National Palace of Culture (NDK) convention centre and will be open to visitors until November 15.