Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Patriarchate: This year marks 1700 years since the discovery of the Precious Cross, a continuous revelation of the power of Christ.translated

The annual feast of the Lifting Up of the Precious Cross this year has a special character as 2026 marks one thousand seven hundred years from its discovery in the Holy Land under the initiative of Saint Helen, mother of Emperor Saint Constantine the Great. The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Patriarchate honors this event and in its Patriarchal and Synodal Bulletin notes that the Church keeps alive the memory of this event not only as a testimony to its past but also as a continuous revelation of the power of Christ's sacrifice.

"The Church never separates the Cross from the Resurrection" "This year calls us not only to remember the past, but also to compare our lives with the Cross: our true piety regarding this is when the love revealed on Golgotha becomes the rule of our thoughts, words, and deeds," it emphasizes among other things.

After a brief historical reference to how the Precious Cross was found in 326 – based on church tradition and the testimonies of sources – the Hierarchs of the Bulgarian Church highlight: "On Golgotha, the Son of God offered Himself willingly..."