Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrives in Bulgaria today for celebrations marking the 1,150th anniversary of the birth and 1,080th anniversary of the death of St John (Ivan) of Rila, the patron saint of the Bulgarian people, the Bulgarian Patriarchate has announced.
Bartholomew will be welcomed at the Holy Synod headquarters in Sofia by Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil and members of the Holy Synod. Later, the two patriarchs will open an exhibition entitled Mount Athos in Sofia, featuring works by Greek artist Efthymios Varlamis, at the National Palace of Culture.
The exhibition explores the architecture of the monasteries on Mount Athos and the lives of their monks, conveying a message of peace, harmony and an alternative way of life. One of its main aims is to give women, who are not permitted to visit Mount Athos, an opportunity to experience its atmosphere through art.
On Sunday, Patriarch Bartholomew will be formally welcomed at St Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral in Sofia, where a solemn Divine Liturgy will be celebrated. A memorial prayer will also be held at the grave of the late Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte.
The celebrations will conclude on Monday with a joint patriarchal Divine Liturgy at Rila Monastery.
Editor: Diana Tsankova