site.btaAthonite Community Is Multinational, It Transcends Borders, Archimandrite Gabriel Says

"The Athonite community is multinational, and in it one sees how all borders are transcended and how all people can walk together toward God," said Archimandrite Gabriel, the newly elected hegumen of the Zograf Monastery, during a meeting with the visiting Bulgarian state delegation on Saturday.

The delegation is led by Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev. It also includes three other ministers – Agriculture and Food Minister Georgi Tahov, Economy and Industry Minister Petar Dilov, Youth and Sports Minister Ivan Peshev, as well as Bulgaria’s Consul General in Thessaloniki, Greece, Anton Markov.

On Sunday, May 11, a solemn liturgy and the enthronement of the newly elected hegumen will take place in the main church of the Zograf Monastery. The ceremony will be attended by the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Monastic community of Mount Athos, representatives of the Greek state, as well as hegumens and monks from other Athonite monasteries.

"We are grateful for the support voiced by the Bulgarian state toward our monastic community. This is extremely important for us. After all, we were born and raised in this country, in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, we were baptized there, we grew up and were shaped into people who would come to live in Athos," said Archimandrite Gabriel.

He also spoke about the road reconstruction project connecting the port to the Zograf Monastery. In mid-2024, Bulgaria’s caretaker government allocated an additional BGN 3 million to launch the repairs. The total cost of the project is estimated at BGN 10 million, to be provided in stages.

"With the funds you allocated last year, we managed to construct a three-kilometre section. This allowed us to redirect traffic and begin the core phase of the road renovation," the hegumen explained.