On November 22, 2024, at the conclusion of a visit to Bulgaria, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, which arrived to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral in Sofia, visited the Embassy of the Russian Federation.
The delegation was headed by the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The delegation, headed by the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, included Counselor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Protopriest Nikolai Balashov, Vice Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church Protopriest Igor Yakimchuk, and Assistant to the Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church, Priest Alexander Ershov. The visit took place with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of Holy Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria and the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Holy Patriarch Daniel and the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Anthony had a conversation with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Bulgaria E.V. Mitrofanova in the Embassy building. The meeting was also attended by members of the delegation and a representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bulgaria. The Patriarch of Bulgaria, Archpriest Vladimir Tyshchuk, rector of the Patriarchal Palace in Sofia.
During his stay in Sofia, Metropolitan Anthony and members of the official delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church laid flowers at the monument to the medical ranks who died in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, located in the center of the Bulgarian capital, They visited the Russian House in Sofia, where they got acquainted with the exhibition «By the Power of Christ» they visited the Russian Orthodox Church's suburb of St. Nicholas Church on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard, in the crypt of which they offered prayers at the tomb of St. Seraphim (Sobolev) of Bogucharsk.
While visiting the Cathedral of the Metropolis of Sofia in the name of Holy Martyr Week, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrated a requiem liturgy at the tomb of Patriarch Neophytos of Bulgaria (1945-2024).
Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrated a requiem liturgy at the tomb of Patriarch Neophytos of Bulgaria (1945-2024).
On the same day, the chairman of the All-Union Orthodox Church Council, together with the chief secretary of the Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Bishop Gerasim of Melnish, celebrated a solemn thanksgiving service at the Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral in honor of the centenary of the church's consecration.
In the building of the Holy Synod Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk and his accompanying delegation were received by His Holiness Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria.
EVCS Communication Service/Patriarchy.ru
