Therefore, they called on the faithful to “wholeheartedly pray for the speedy recovery” of the Patriarch.

Also, they warned the devout flock to “rely solely on the information provided by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church”.

Read the full announcement below:

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord,

The Office of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church announces that Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia was hospitalized in the Military Medical Academy (MMA) – Sofia, due to a lung disease.

We call on the clergy and the faithful God-loving people to wholeheartedly pray for the speedy recovery of the First Saint of our Native Church. For reliable updates regarding his health condition, kindly rely solely on the information provided by the Holy Synod of the BOC-BP.

During the meeting, Olesya Ilashchuk thanked the Patriarch and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church for supporting materially and spiritually Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war.

Western and Central European Metropolitan Anthony was also present during the meeting and recalled that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church had always been helping people who suffer. They support them not only materially but also spiritually, he said. He shared with Ambassador Ilashchuk many initiatives through which not only the Metropolis of Sofia but also other metropolises helped and are helping Ukrainian refugees. The Metropolitan also pointed out that the Church never stopped praying for peace in Ukraine and, therefore, deeply sympathized with the Ukrainian people.

Patriarch Neophyte wished Ambassador Olesya Ilashchuk a successful mandate in Bulgaria. He also wished peace to prevail in Ukraine for the sake of its people.

Text and photos: Angel Karadakov / Translation: Konstantinos Menyktas

The Bulgarian national security service announced the expulsion of the three men, citing only the initials of their names and their nationalities. It also imposed a ban on their entry into the country for the next five years.

The three are accused of implementing “Russia’s hybrid strategy aimed at influencing socio-political processes in Bulgaria in favor of the Kremlin’s interests”, according to a statement from the office.

In a Facebook post, the Russian embassy stressed that the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia, Archimandrite Vassian is included in the three people that have been expelled.

The pro-European Bulgarian government “has apparently undertaken the mission of setting the Russian and Bulgarian people against each other,” the Russian embassy denounced, expressing its “outrage” at this “surprise” decision. “This case is unprecedented”, the result of an “evil mind”, it added.

“This case is unprecedented,” Russia’s ambassador to Sofia, Eleonora Mitrofanova, said for her part in a video broadcast by the state news agency TASS.

A member of the European Union and NATO, a Slavic and Orthodox country, Bulgaria is historically and culturally close to Russia. However, relations between the two countries have been strained since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In June 2022, Sofia announced the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats.

Although the church was consecrated on December 6, the series of celebratory events began on the feast of Pentecost.

Archbishop Teodosie celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Pentecost Sunday at the church that hosts the Romanian community in the capital of Bulgaria. Concelebrant for the Divine Liturgy was Rev. Nelutu Oprea, the representative of the Romanian Patriarchate in Sofia.

Later on Sunday, the Archbishop of Tomis participated in an event organized by the Romanian Embassy in Bulgaria for the anniversary of the place of worship, which “throughout its entire history has been an integral part of the spiritual and cultural life of the Romanian community in Sofia.”

“We have thus marked a century of dedication, faith, and community spirit that have shaped the identity and values of this church,” the Embassy representatives noted.

On the same day, the Archbishop of Tomis visited Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria and conveyed fraternal greetings on behalf of Patriarch Daniel. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Sofia Metropolis.

The Archbishop of Tomis was in Sofia as a delegate of the Patriarch of Romania.

Source: basilica.ro

With the permission of Patriarch Neophytos, the icon was transferred from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia and will be on display at the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in the city until June 11.

The icon has been an integral part of the Festival since 2013.

Mayor Ivan Alexiev officially opened the festival, welcoming the participants.

This year’s edition of the Orthodox music forum will feature 340 participants in 14 musical ensembles from Bulgaria, Serbia, and Poland.

The icon of the Virgin Mary “Axion Esti” was gifted to the Orthodox Church of Bulgaria by monks of Mount Athos.

“On today’s International Children’s Day, we wish all children health and joy, growth and respect for parents! We also wish the parents health, strength and virtue, and to remember that with their lives, words and deeds they are the role models for their children,” he said.

“May parental prayers never cease, so that with sincere faith, strong hope and trust in God and the Mother of God, they beg for support and protection for their children. Only in this way the Bulgarian family will be able to return to its deep, healthy roots and become a real ‘home church’,” he said and added “the Orthodox spirit and tradition are neglected and, unfortunately, often even rejected.”

He also addressed the parents: “Love, cherish and care for your children, and make every effort that we all, as a society, do not allow even a drop of a child’s tear to be shed. Especially be merciful to children who are in difficulty and disadvantaged, who lack of parental care and parental love. Make efforts to help them, remembering that ‘angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.'” (Matt. 18:10).

According to the Bulgarian Patriarchate, Ambassador Grivna emphasized the good relations between Bulgaria and Slovakia. He shared with the Patriarch more about the life of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, led and spiritually guided by Metropolitan Rostislav of the Czech and Slovak Church.

The Patriarch added that Bulgaria was a desired tourist and pilgrimage destination for Slovaks and wished Ambassador Vasil Grivna a successful mandate. He also expressed his hope for further cooperation in various educational and public initiatives.

The meeting was attended by Bishop Gerasim of Melnysh, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, Bishop Polykarp of Belogradchik, Vicar of the Sofia Diocese, Mr. Teodor Atanasov, Head of the Office of the Bulgarian Patriarchate and Mr. Angel Mladenov, Secretary of the Metropolis of Sofia.

Photos by: Angel Karadakov (Ангел Карадаков)

The Holy Synod met on February 24 at a scheduled meeting and examined the letter sent by Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, in which he informed about the non-canonical actions of the Patriarch of Moscow in the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the suspension of his commemoration and the imposition of an ecclesiastical penalty on the Metropolitan of Klin.

After a vote, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria decided that it would send the letter to the Canon Law Committee of the Synod, which will thoroughly investigate the problem that has arisen on the territory of the Patriarchate of Alexandria.

In connection with this decision and after a vote, the Holy Synod also decided that the clergy of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria will abstain from worship events with Metropolitan Leonid of Klin until the final decision of the Holy Synod.

Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria and the other Metropolitans except for Gabriel of Lovech, Ioannis of Veliki Preslav (Great Preslav), and Daniel of Vidin voted in favor of the decision.

It is recalled that at the end of November, the Patriarchate of Alexandria decided to remove Metropolitan Leonid of Klin “for a series of canonical offenses” and condemned the “ecclesiastical-political theories about the pastoral care of the Russian world around the world on the basis of nationality”.

At the same time, he decided to stop the commemoration of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

According to an announcement by the Patriarchate, Metropolitan Neophytos is being treated at the Sofiamed medical center due to the deterioration of his chronic health problems.

“The Patriarch prays to God for peace, health, and prosperity of the children of our Orthodox Church,” the announcement said.

It is also stressed that the clergy and the people are called upon to pray for the rapid recovery of the Patriarch, as well as to accept as reliable the information that is only announced by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Bulgaria.

At the meeting of the Holy Synod that took place yesterday, the letters of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia, regarding the canonical status of the Church of Northern Macedonia were examined.

According to the communiqué of the Holy Synod of the Church of Bulgaria, a vote followed in which it was decided that the Bulgarian Patriarchate welcomed, with gratitude to God and spiritual joy, the decisions for the lifting of the schism.

In fact, it informs that it is entering into canonical and eucharistic communion with the Orthodox Church of Northern Macedonia.

“The name of the Orthodox Church in Northern Macedonia remains to be considered,” the statement said.

The latter point raises questions about any objections the Church of Bulgaria may have regarding the Ohrid Archdiocese, which the Ecumenical Patriarchate had rushed to clarify from the very beginning.

Specifically, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the beginning of May had clarified that it recognizes as the name of the Church of North Macedonia, the “Ohrid” (meaning the area of this jurisdiction only within the territory of the state of North Macedonia), excluding the term “Macedonian” and any other derivative of the word “Macedonia”.