site.btaEcumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Meets Bulgarian Antarctic Team, Blesses Upcoming Expedition

An official meeting between Prof. Christo Pimpirev, Dragomir Mateev and Kiril Kandilarov from the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute (BAI) and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I took place on Thursday at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Prof. Pimpirev, Chairman of the BAI and head of the Bulgarian Antarctic expeditions, said.

"The meeting, attended by Archimandrite Charalampios, was warm and informal, with His All-Holiness showing great interest in Bulgaria’s activities in Antarctica. He gave his blessing to the upcoming 34th National Antarctic Expedition and presented a blessed icon of St. Demetrius for the Bulgarian chapel St. John of Rila on the Ice Continent," Prof. Pimpirev said.