Holy Synod and Hierarchs of Northern Greece for the return of the 48 holy relicstranslated

The official handover protocol will be signed today in Thessaloniki following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Culture of Greece and Bulgaria, in the context of which 48 stolen sacred relics from the Churches and Monasteries of Serres and Drama will be returned to our country, while the bones of Tsar Samuel will be returned to Bulgaria. Although the agreement is characterized as historic, there is partial satisfaction on the part of the Church, while clear reservations are expressed by the local Holy Metropolises of Drama, Xanthi and Sidirokastro. This is helped by the fact that until now it has not been known which holy relics will be returned, at the moment when the Greek side has announced what it will give to Bulgaria.

Holy Synod: Let it be only the good beginning From the ecclesiastical point of view, however, this action is the first step of a long and arduous effort of decades. Using different terminology than the Ministry of Culture, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece welcomes with particular satisfaction the agreement which it characterizes as a success for our country, which, among other things, reflects the stable understanding and...