Ecumenical Patriarchate welcomes start of return of looted relicstranslated

With its announcement, the Ecumenical Patriarchate welcomes the start - as it emphasizes - of the restoration of the holy relics that were looted by the Bulgarians, and hopes that the restoration of all of them will be completed at a rapid pace. The announcement also emphasizes that His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Bartholomew, being in Sofia some years ago, had officially raised the issue of the holy relics to the then President of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The announcement of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in detail:

The Ecumenical Patriarchate was informed of the agreement between the Governments of Greece and Bulgaria for the exchange of historical relics and expresses its satisfaction with the beginning of the return from Bulgaria of precious and sacred objects, which were taken from the Church more than a hundred years ago Metropolises and Monasteries of the spiritual and canonical jurisdiction of the Holy Church of Christ in Northern Greece.

And the Ecumenical Patriarchate speaks about the "beginning" of the restoration of the looting of the religious and cultural relics that took place at the time, because it is hoped that this restoration will...