Sofia, April 18, 2024
Photo: bta.bg
The grave of the recently departed Patriarch Neofit of Bulgaria was vandalized twice in the past week, causing outrage in Bulgarian society.
His Holiness led the Bulgarian Church as primate for 10 years until his repose on March 13. He is buried at the St. Nedelya Metropolitan Cathedral in Sofia. He is remembered as a meek and humble servant of God.
The vandal removed and broke the cross at the Patriarch’s grave and damaged part of the marble surrounding his grave.
Fortunately, the acts of desecration were caught on security camera footage, which police were able to use to detain the culprit, reports the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, with reference to a statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The 37-year-old man faces a punishment of up to 3 years in prison or imprisonment. A forensic psychiatric examination of the vandal has been commissioned. “The man leads a nomadic lifestyle and clearly has mental disorders,” said Commissioner Georgi Gechev.
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