Ecumenical Patriarch welcomed by Patriarch Daniel in Bulgaria

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was welcomed by Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria at the headquarters of the Holy Synod in Sofia on Saturday, October 17, 2026, as part of his official visit to Bulgaria for celebrations honoring St. John of Rila.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is visiting at the invitation of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to participate in commemorations marking the 1,150th anniversary of the saint’s birth and the 1,080th anniversary of his repose.

The celebrations will culminate on Monday, October 19, when Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Daniel are scheduled to concelebrate the Divine Liturgy at Rila Monastery.

In his welcoming address, Patriarch Daniel expressed his appreciation for the Ecumenical Patriarch’s participation in the commemorations, describing St. John of Rila as a spiritual figure honored throughout the Orthodox Church.

He emphasized the historical and ecclesiastical ties between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, referring to Constantinople as the Mother Church from which the Bulgarian people received the Orthodox faith.

Patriarch Daniel also described the Ecumenical Patriarchate as the senior…