Sofia, February 4, 2014
The Commission for religions of the National assembly of Bulgaria has unanimously voted for financing of repair in the Bulgarian "Zografou" Monastery on Holy Mount Athos, reports Dveri Pravoslaviya. At the present time the monastery needs 1 million leva for completion of the large-scale repairs.
Target sources, equal to 700 thousand leva have been built into for 2014 for the Rila Monastery, the same sum is intended for Bulgarian priests abroad, another 500 thousand leva for urgent aid to the churches damaged by natural disasters and accidents. At the next meeting the commission will hear information about problems of Bulgarian church communities in Rome and Chicago. In 2013 the state financed 11 church communities of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church abroad, except for the Athonite Zografou Monastery.
In addition to the target sums, subsidy to denominations in 2014 increases on 30%. The funds will be distributed among denominations that are recognized in Bulgaria, according to the number of Bulgarian citizens in each of them. First of all, this is the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, then the Muslims, the Israeli spiritual council, the United Evangelical Church, the Armenian Church, and for the first time help will be given to the Roman Catholic Church in Bulgaria.
