Department for External Church Relations
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Delegation of Russian Orthodox Church visits Bulgaria
With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and at the invitation of Metropolitan Gavriil of Loveč, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church visited Bulgaria on 10-14 May 2015, to attend the celebrations marking the City Day in Loveč. The delegation led by Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas included hegumenness Sergiya (Konkova) of the Convent of the Holy Trinity and St Seraphim in Diveyevo and clergymen of the metropolia of Nizhny Novgorod.
The celebrations in Loveč took place on May 11, the commemoration day of Ss Cyril and Methodius in Bulgaria. Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas and Metropolitan Gavriil of Loveč officiated at the Divine Liturgy in a lower chapel of the Cathedral of Ss Cyril and Methodius, which is under construction. Concelebrating with them were Archimandrite Philip (Vasiltsev), rector of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Metochion in Sofia, ordained members of the delegation, and clerics of the Loveč metropolia.
After the dismissal, a thanksgiving to the holy brothers, enlighteners of the Slavs, was said.
That same day, an official meeting on the occasion of the City Day of Loveč took place at the local Culture Centre.
On May 12, His Holiness Patriarch Neofit of Bulgaria received at his residence Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas and other members of the delegation.
With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Georgy presented the Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church with a reliquary containing a particle of the holy relics of St Seraphim of Sarov and particles of the holy relics of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church. The Russian hierarch also presented His Holiness with an embroidered icon of St Seraphim.
His Holiness Patriarch Neofit asked Metropolitan Georgy to convey his deep gratitude to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for the precious gift and fraternal love and said, in particular, “A few days after the celebration of the 1150th anniversary of the Baptism of the Bulgarian people and the 1145th anniversary of the foundation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Russia, at the request of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Church, granted to us a particle of the relics of the great saint, pleasing unto God, St Seraphim of Sarov, and particles of the relics of the holy new martyrs. We hope that this precious gift will deepen faith and piety in the Orthodox Bulgarian people and strengthen our God-commanded unity.”
On the same day, the members of the delegation visited the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia, the Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr Kyriake, and the Cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky.
On May 14, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Neofit of Bulgaria, Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas and Metropolitan Gavriil of Loveč celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of St Nicholas of the Patriarchal Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia.
After the service, Metropolitan Georgy said a requiem litiya in the Metochion’s crypt at the burial place of Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev).
On the same day, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church left for Russia, the website of the Metochion reports.
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