The Patriarch of Bulgaria welcomed the Ecumenical Patriarch in Sofia: Sharing joy always increases ittranslated

Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria addressed a message of welcome to His Holiness Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch, at the "Saint Alexander Nevsky" Cathedral in Sofia on Sunday.

His Holiness participated in the events of the 1080th anniversary of the death of Saint John of Rila and the 1150th anniversary of his birth.

After Sunday's Holy Liturgy, Blessed Father Daniil emphasized the importance of the anniversary moment for the Bulgarian people.

"The sharing of joy always increases it, making it fuller and more perfect. And if this is true of any human joy, how much more is it true of the joy of the Church, which springs from the Founder of our faith, Who calls us even today, as he once called the disciples, and says to us: Rejoice! (Matthew 28:9)".

His Beatitude evoked the legacy left by Saint John of Rila: "The pious does not leave us an inheritance of earthly wealth, human glory or fleeting greatness. He leaves us what is most precious: the purity of the holy Orthodox faith, which the Holy Apostles preached, the Holy Fathers testified and the Holy Synods strengthened...