site.btaSeptember 8, 2001: Bulgarian Patriarch Maksim and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Serve Liturgy at Sofia's St Nedelya Cathedral

On September 8, 2001, the Head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church at the time, Patriarch Maksim, and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, served a liturgy at Sofia's St Nedelya Cathedral celebrating the Nativity of the Holy Virgin.

Bartholomew was on a week-long visit to Bulgaria which was extensively covered by BTA's English Service with daily reports on his activities in Sofia and Plovdiv.

Upon his arrival in Bulgaria on September 5, 2001, the Ecumenical Patriarch said he was bringing a message of love for the people. He was met at the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint, on the Bulgarian-Turkish border by Metropolitans Arsenii of Plovdiv and Galaktion of Stara Zagora, BTA's English Service reported.

"I am optimistic about the good prospects and prosperity of Bulgaria," Bartholomew said after meeting with Bulgarian Patriarch Maksim that same day in Plovdiv.

"Upholding Christian values and spreading the written word, Byzantine culture in the Balkans provided the spiritual and social basis for the states on the peninsula," the guest said in his opening address to an international conference on "Byzantine Cultural Heritage in the Balkans" which started in Bulgaria's second biggest city on September 6.

On the same day, in Plovdiv again, President Peter Stoyanov held talks with Bartholomew. The two officials shared the view that the unity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is of great importance to Bulgaria, which is a country in transition and one that aspires to join the EU and NATO, BTA's English Service reported. 

"There is a very good chance for progress of the Orthodox Christian community," Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha said after meeting with Bartholomew in Sofia on September 9.

Later that day, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Patriarch Bartholomew opened an international conference for Southeastern Europe on "Changing the Culture of Teaching about the Balkans". The participants included Patriarch Maksim of Bulgaria and other senior clergymen from the region, scholars, diplomats, representatives of NATO, the European Commission, the European Parliament, OSCE and UNESCO.

At the conference, Bartholomew and top Bulgarian officials talked about the unity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. They referred to the schism in the Church which began in 1992 and lasted in various forms for over two decades. Multiple attempts were made to resolve the split, especially in the 2000s. The Ecumenical Patriarchate and other Orthodox Churches refused to recognize the schismatics, and called for unity under the canonical Church.

Here is BTA' English Service report on the liturgy served at the St Nedelya Cathedral on September 8, 2001:

Patriarch Bartholomew Hopes Bulgarian Orthodox Church Will Recover Unity

Sofia, September 8 (BTA) - "We hope that the unity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church will be restored because disunity and trouble are dangerous," Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew told people gathered for a liturgy on Saturday.

Patriarch Maksim and the Ecumenical Patriarch visiting Bulgaria chanted a liturgy at Sofia's St Nedelya Cathedral, celebrating the Nativity of the Holy Virgin. It was attended by Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and ambassadors of Christian Orthodox countries. Clergymen attending an international conference on "Changing the Culture of Teaching about the Balkans" joined in the religious service.

Speaking in Greek, Patriarch Bartholomew said a great effort had been made to end the schism in the Bulgarian Church.

During the liturgy the Ecumenical Patriarch addressed Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria". The two are to meet on Sunday.

"Our hopes, prayers and wishes are that we should celebrate the unity of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church soon. This is our wish and the wish of the whole Bulgarian people, too," Patriarch Bartholomew said.

"His Majesty's presence and his good attitude to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and to Patriarch Maksim raise hopes that the schism will soon end. This is the wish of the Ecumenical Patriarchate which has never stopped loving its first-born daughter the Bulgarian Orthodox Church," Bartholomew said.

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha stood next to Patriarch Maksim at the altar for about 15 minutes during the liturgy.

Patriarch Maksim told BTA they had not talked but had offered their prayers together.

Answering questions afterwards, Patriarch Maksim told the press he had not discussed Pope John Paul II's forthcoming visit to Bulgaria with Patriarch Bartholomew. DD