site.btaUPDATED Bulgarian Parliamentary Delegation Arrives at Mount Athos for Autumn Feast of St George
A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation arrived at the Bulgarian Zograf Monastery of St George on Mount Athos on Saturday. The delegation is visiting for the autumn feast of St George (November 16, Old Style), the date on which his relics were transferred from the site of his martyrdom in Lydda (today's city of Lod in Israel) to a newly consecrated Christian church.
The Bulgarian MPs were welcomed by Archimandrite Gabriel, the hegumen of the monastery. Upon arrival, they paid their respects to the three miraculous icons of St George in the monastery's main church. Gabriel told the guests that each of the three icons has a unique history. He stressed that they have cultural and historical value as well as religious importance. The icons draw pilgrims from all over the world and attest to a centuries-old tradition of worship for St George at the monastery, the host said.
The delegation is led by Parliament Deputy Chair Tsoncho Ganev. Its members are Human Rights and Religion Committee Chair Krasimir Sabev MP of GERB-UDF and Deputy Chair Atanas Slavov MP of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria; MRF-New Beginning Deputy Floor Leader Stanislav Anastassov; BSP - United Left Secretary Atanas Atanasov, who is also Parliament's Secretary; There Is Such a People Secretary Aleksandar Valchev, who is also Parliament's Secretary; and Velichie MP Ljubisha Blazhevski.
The delegation is accompanied by Anton Markov, Consul General of Bulgaria in Thessaloniki, and Lachezar Toshev, chief expert adviser at the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee.
Toshev presented Archimandrite Gabriel with myrrh from the relics of St Nicholas in Bari, Italy. "I accept it as a blessing from St Nicholas," the hegumen said.
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is represented by Bishop Ioan of Branitsa, first vicar of the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil.
Many worshippers from Bulgaria have also arrived at the monastery for the feast. They will take part in the vigil on the night before the feast day, in the Divine Liturgy and the procession with the miraculous icon of St George.
BTA Director General Kiril Valchev arrived with the delegation. He will present to the library of the monastery news stories and photos of the Zograf Monastery collected during the 127-year history of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).
During a visit for the spring feast of St George on May 6, Valchev met with the newly elected hegumen, Archimandrite Gabriel, and promised to donate copies, in both paper and digital format, of its archive of news and photographs related to the Zograf Monastery.
/DD, VE/
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