President Rumen Radev holds a meeting with the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church

 

The Bulgarian state and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church share a common responsibility for maintaining and developing ties with our compatriots abroad. This was the common position of President Rumen Radev and the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC), who held a meeting today at the Synodal Palace in the capital. The discussion was part of the dialogue of the Head of State with the leadership of the BOC and with the leadership of the traditional denominations in Bulgaria.

 

During the meeting, President Radev highlighted the historical role of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in preserving our national identity and achieving ecclesiastical independence during the Renaissance, as well as in restoring Bulgarian statehood. The common position was that the defence of the Bulgarian national interest and the preservation of our spiritual and cultural heritage require unity in the efforts of all state institutions and the Holy Synod of the BOC.

 

The great interest of Bulgaria to continue to strengthen contacts and dialogue with Bulgarian communities around the world, to which the Bulgarian Orthodox Church also has a significant contribution, was highlighted. The Head of State underlined the readiness of the presidential institution to support the spiritual mission of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to the Orthodox Bulgarians abroad in accordance with the canons of the Church.

 

The relations between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate and the Orthodox Church in the Republic of North Macedonia should contribute to the rapprochement and free communication of the people on both sides of our common border, it was further stressed during the meeting.