Holy Thursday Litya Procession Takes Newly Consecrated Chrism to Holy Synod

Dimitrina Vetova

The Holy Thursday procession taking the newly consecrated chrism to the Holy Synod, Sofia, April 17, 2025 (BTA Photo/Vladimir Shokov)

Sofia,

17.04.2025 13:44

(BTA)

In a Holy Thursday litya procession, the clergy and laity transferred the newly consecrated chrism from the St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral to the building of the Holy Synod. The procession carrying a special vessel containing old blessed chrism - so called "alabaster", and the new chrism, was headed by Patriarch Daniil, the Holy Synod and the clergy.

At the Holy Synod chapel, the chrism vessels will be stored in a special chamber for the purpose, directly under the chapel dedicated to St. Tsar Boris the Christianizer.

The ninth confecting of chrism began on March 23, on Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, when Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil consecrated the compounds of the holy myrrh.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church confected chrism for the first time as an autocephalous church in April 1950, an event of enormous significance which drew considerable attention. The compilation order for confecting chrism was commissioned to the then Vicar of the Metropolitan of Sofia, Bishop Parthenios of Leukis, who compiled the Order for Confecting Chrism on the basis of the existing orders of the Ecumenical, Russian and Romanian Orthodox churches. This order continues to be used to this day.

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