site.btaBulgarian Church Delegation Presents Pope Leo XIV with Official Congratulatory Address from Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil

A Bulgarian church delegation presented Pope Leo XIV with an official congratulatory address and a symbolic gift from Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil and the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Bulgarian Orthodox ecclesiastical community in Rome, Italy, announced on its Facebook page on Monday.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church sent Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe and Deacon Ivan Ivanov, professor at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and lecturer in Rome, to the Papal inauguration.

The representatives of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church presented Pope Leo XIV with a symbolic collection of silver coins. The Bulgarian Monasteries collection was made by the Bulgarian Mint of the Bulgarian National Bank with the blessing of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The coins are placed in a luxurious wooden box. On the face of each coin there is a plastic image of a monastery complex, and on the back - an author's replica of the miraculous icon of the respective monastery. The author of the plastic images is Plamen Chernev, sculptor at the Mint. The jubilee coins feature images of the Glozhene Monastery with the miraculous icon of St. George; the Rozhen Monastery with the miraculous icon of St. Mary; the Bachkovo Monastery with the miraculous icon of St. Mary; the Troyan Monastery with the miraculous icon of St. Mary; the Rila Monastery with the icon of St. Ivan Rilski the Wonderworker; the Dryanovo Monastery with the icon of St. Archangel Michael; the Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour with an author’s replica of the scene “The Wheel of Life” by Zahari Zograf.

The valuable set of silver coins is used by Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil and the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as a gift to prominent figures, the Sveti Sedmochislenitsi ecclesiastical community in Rome says in its message.

During the meeting with the Pope, Metropolitan Anthony and Deacon Ivan Ivanov were awarded a papal medal on the occasion of the Rome Jubilee 2025 and the beginning of the pontificate of the new Pope.

The audience with Pope Leo XIV of all representatives of other Churches and ecclesiastical communities around the world, present in Rome for the Eucharistic Celebration for the beginning of his Petrine Ministry, took place on May 18 and 19.