Sofia, November 25, 2024
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church festively celebrated the 100th anniversary of the consecration of its St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Saturday, November 23.
Hundreds of Orthodox Christians gathered to pray at the service.
His Holiness Patriarch Daniil, the Bulgarian hierarchs and a host of Bulgarian clergy were joined by representatives of 12 Sister Local Churches: the Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Georgia, Serbia, and Romania, and the Churches Cyprus, Greece, Albania, the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and Macedonia-Ohrid Archbishopric, reports the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
At the end of the service, Pat. Daniil read out the Synodal message on the cathedral’s centenary, which states:
We glorify and thank God from the depths of our hearts for His great mercy and goodwill that for a second century now, the Patriarchal Cathedral ‘of St. Alexander Nevsky majestically rises, adorns and strengthens our capital city... On this day we honor the bright memory and bow before both those who gave their lives for our freedom and those who desired and made possible the construction of this church, which today testifies to our gratitude to God for the supreme gift of freedom, as well as our appreciation for those who gave their lives for it. Times change, the world around us changes, generation after generation we face new trials and challenges, but the memorial church in the heart of our capital continues to remind us of the feat of those thanks to whom we live today in conditions of freedom and independence. We believe and know that their names are written in the Book of Life, because God’s justice endures forever.
The cathedral was built to honor the Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 which resulted in Bulgaria being liberated from Ottoman rule.
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
The holy service ended with a polychronion (many years), and the bells of the Patriarchal Cathedral joyfully announced the spiritual celebration—the completion of 100 years since the consecration of the church, which continues to be a spiritual stronghold of the Bulgarian people.
The service was broadcast on the Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s Facebook page:
A delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations, also visited Sofia for the anniversary. The day before the festive Liturgy, Met. Anthony and the Russian delegation visited the cathedral and served a moleben of thanksgiving.
Presumably, the Russian delegation did not serve in Saturday’s Liturgy due to the participation of hierarchs from Constantinople, Alexandria, Greece, and Cyprus, who are in communion with the Ukrainian schismatics.
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