Varna, Varna Province, Bulgaria, May 5, 2025
Photo: mitropolia-sofia.org
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church festively celebrated the 1,160th anniversary of the Baptism of Bulgaria last week.
The main festivities were led by His Holiness Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria at the Holy Dormition Cathedral in Varna, timed to the feast of St. Tsar Boris the Baptizer of Bulgaria. The celebration also marked the 1,170th anniversary of the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet, reports the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The anniversary began with Patriarchal Vespers on Friday evening. His Holiness was joined by the local hierarch, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Varna, and a host of other Bulgarian hierarchs, including His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph of the USA, Canada, and Australia, and clergy. The representatives of the Russian and Romanian Churches in Bulgaria also served.
Following the service, Pat. Daniil emphasized that “we are fortunate because the Lord has arranged for our nation to be counted among Christian nations by raising St. Tsar Boris the Baptizer to the throne of Bulgarian rulers and helping him accomplish the great work of the holy Baptism of the Bulgarian people, thus opening the possibility for hundreds of thousands of people to walk the path of salvation and to witness to the faith until today.”
His Holiness said that it’s precisely the Baptism that enables the Bulgarian people to unite, strengthen the Bulgarian state, and pass through the vicissitudes of time until today. He emphasized that the Baptism—both his personal one and that of the people entrusted to him by God—was not just a wise political move on the part of Tsar Boris, but the fruit of deeply understood faith and personal spiritual experience.
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
The Patriarch highlighted several moments that would not have been possible without God’s help—overcoming the boyars’ coup, the fact that just five years after the Baptism of Bulgarians, the newly founded Bulgarian Church gained independence and was recognized by both East and West, which is “a miracle of God’s grace acting through St. Tsar Boris.”
He also mentioned the work of the holy brothers Sts. Cyril and Methodius, which found good reception and support precisely in the newly baptized Bulgarian state.
In his response, Met. John referred to St. Tsar Boris as a “New Moses” and a “New Constantine,” for his great work of baptizing the Bulgarian people and bringing them to the path of salvation.
The next day, the Liturgy for the feast of St. Boris and the Baptism of Bulgaria was celebrated in the same cathedral.
At the end of the service, the Synodal Secretary, His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Melnik, read out the Patriarchal and Synodal message on the anniversary celebrations.
The festivities also included a concert and academic conference.
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