Festivities of 1160 anniversary of Bulgarian nation Baptism held in Bulgaria

Reception of Patriarch Daniel in Varna. Photo: UOJ in Bulgaria

The celebrations marking the 1160th anniversary of the Baptism of the Bulgarian people and the 1170th anniversary of the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet began with a solemn patriarchal evening service, on the eve of the feast day of Saint Tsar Boris the Baptizer, reports the UOJ from Bulgaria.

Patriarch Daniel emphasized that the Holy Baptism carried out by Tsar Boris was not merely a wise political move, but the fruit of deeply contemplated faith and personal spiritual experience. He noted that it was this Baptism that enabled the Bulgarian people to unite, strengthen their state, and endure all the trials of history up to the present day.

In his response, Metropolitan John referred to Saint Tsar Boris the Baptizer as a “new Moses” and a “new Constantine” for his great work in baptizing the Bulgarian people and leading them onto the path of salvation.

The celebrations continued with a solemn Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Varna, presided over by Patriarch Daniel. During the service, a patriarchal and synodal message was read, stating:

“An independent Orthodox Church, our alphabet and script, our spirituality, literary tradition, and rich culture preserve us to this day as a nation with its own identity before the world, and with a proven and universally recognized contribution to the spiritual and cultural treasury of Europe and the world.”

The message also reads:

“On the second day of May, we commemorate the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Bulgarian Prince Boris I Michael the Baptizer. With his name and with his monumental work of immense scale and significance, we associate the most important spiritual, cultural, and civilizational choice ever made by our people throughout their thousand-year history, full of trials and tribulations.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to Bulgarian theologian Alexander Todorov, the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is God's Providence meant to strengthen the faith.

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