site.btaCitizens in Sofia Stage Demonstration in Support of Family
Citizens gathered in downtown Sofia on Saturday for a demonstration aimed at supporting the traditional Bulgarian family. The event, titled "The Big March for the Family", was organized for the fifth time by the Family Month Association and was held under the auspices of the Bulgarian Ortodox Church.
David Alexandrov, one of the organizers of the event and a member of the Family Month Association, said that their main message is that they promote the family created by a man, a woman and their children. "The main struggle for us is the problem of birth rate, from which the demographic crisis stems. We want to encourage the creation of more Bulgarian families - with children living in a supportive environment," he also stressed. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is behind this cause, Alexandrov added, noting that the whole programme had been approved by the Holy Synod.
Archimandrite Ioan, protosyncellus of the Metropolitanate of Sofia, said that the Holy Synod had issued a statement in support of this demonstration, which "affirms that only a family can exist between a man and a woman within the framework of marriage." The address is based on the Gospel and on what Christ himself has affirmed, he added.
Priest Boris Borissov said that the idea that a family can be anything other than a union between a man and a woman has no biblical basis.
The demonstration started from St. Alexander Nevsky Memorial Cathedral and was accompanied by the sounds of brass bands, bagpipes, choirs and spiritual chants. The procession passed through National Assembly Square, Vassil Levski Boulevard, and Slaveykov Square before returning to the starting point. Those gathered at the demonstration waved Bulgarian flags. Traffic was not disrupted.
After the procession, a concert of Bulgarian performers was held in front of St. Alexander Nevsky Memorial Cathedral, accompanied by poems dedicated to family and virtues, performed by children and young people. The concert also included speeches by clergy and messages to Bulgarian families.
A Family Month book festival was also unveiled in front of the St. Alexander Nevsky Memorial Cathedral on Saturday. It continues on Sunday and is dedicated to Christian faith, family and Christian virtues. Offered are Christian and theological literature, spiritual and family publications for children and adults.
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