site.btaSofia Marks City Day with Ceremony and Patriarchal Blessing
The flag of Sofia was raised at a ceremony in the city on Thursday marking its patron saint day, the Day of Saint Sophia and Her Daughters Faith, Hope and Love. Earlier, President Iliana Iotova inspected the guard of honour and greeted the guards. Patriarch Daniil conducted a blessing service.
The ceremony was attended by Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, National Assembly Deputy Chair Ivan Angelov, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov, ministers, MPs, ambassadors, Sofia Municipal Council Chairman Tsvetomir Petrov, councillors and other guests.
In his address, Mayor Vasil Terziev called on people celebrating Sofia's holiday to remember not only what they have inherited, but also what they owe to future generations. "What will young people in Sofia think in 20 years' time? What reasons will they have to stay in this city rather than leave? Will they be able to say that Sofia gives them the opportunity to study, work, start families and live well - to live in a city of great opportunities?" Terziev said. According to the mayor, this should be the measure by which a city's development is judged – not simply how much has been built, but how people live in it. "It's not only about what Sofia looks like today, but what kind of Sofia we will leave to the next generation," he said.
Patriarch Daniil, who is also Metropolitan of Sofia, said Sofia remains a city of God's wisdom and a centre of remarkable Orthodox Christian spirituality, education and culture. He described the capital as a city with a rich history spanning many centuries that has preserved the memory of all eras of the Bulgarian people's past, while noting that it had chosen the name Sofia, meaning divine wisdom. He said the city's historic churches and monasteries, together with its Christian heritage, continue to make it a centre of Orthodox spirituality, education and culture.
Daniil also highlighted the peaceful coexistence of different religious and cultural traditions in the capital and said the city's patron saints, Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love, remain an example of Christian devotion and holiness. He concluded by wishing that the prayers and heavenly intercession of the Virgin Mary, the four saints and all those who had borne witness to Christ in the city throughout history will remain with Sofia and Bulgaria.
/VE/
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