Ecumenical Patriarch calls for return of remaining Church treasures from Bulgaria to Greece

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed the recent agreement between Greece and Bulgaria on the return of historical remains and religious treasures, while calling for the restitution of additional ecclesiastical artifacts to their original monasteries.

Speaking on Monday, October 19, 2026, following the Patriarchal concelebration with Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria at the historic Rila Monastery, the Ecumenical Patriarch described the agreement as a positive step toward resolving a longstanding issue between the two countries.

The Divine Liturgy marked the culmination of celebrations commemorating the 1,150th anniversary of the birth and the 1,080th anniversary of the repose of St. John of Rila, the spiritual patron of Bulgaria.

Call for the return of remaining ecclesiastical treasures Referring to the recent bilateral agreement, Patriarch Bartholomew noted that the remains of Bulgarian Tsar Samuel had been returned from Greece to Bulgaria, while several religious artifacts previously removed from Patriarchal and Stavropegial monasteries in Macedonia and Thrace had been returned to Greece.

“The Mother Church could only welcome this development with great satisfaction,…