Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks 1,700 years since discovery of the Holy Cross

The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church issued an encyclical marking the 1,700th anniversary of the discovery of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, calling on the faithful to make the Cross a guiding principle in their daily lives.

In the encyclical, signed by Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria as President of the Holy Synod, the Church recalled the discovery of the Cross in Jerusalem in 326 by Saint Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.

According to the encyclical, the anniversary should not be viewed simply as a commemoration of a historical event but as an opportunity for spiritual renewal.

“This anniversary calls us not simply to remember the past, but to measure our lives against the Cross: our veneration of it is genuine when the love revealed on Golgotha becomes the rule of our thoughts, words and deeds,” the Holy Synod stated.

From a symbol of punishment to a sign of salvation

The encyclical recalled that Saint Helen traveled to the Holy Land seeking the places associated with Christ’s earthly life, Passion and Resurrection. With the support of Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem, excavations were carried out at Golgotha, where, according to…