Nov 15, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Bulgaria
appreciates the commitment of the leadership of Mount Athos to promote and
enrich dialogue, tolerance and understanding among the faithful, Speaker of the
National Assembly Rosen Zhelyazkov said on November 15.
Rosen Zhelyazkov, along with the accompanying delegation, held discussions with the leadership of Mount Athos on the commemoration of the day marking the liberation of Mount Athos from Ottoman rule.
The
Bulgarian delegation attended the liturgy at the Protaton Church in Karyes, the
capital of Mount Athos, as a part of their ceremonial visit for the feast of
St. George the Great Martyr at the Zograf Monastery – November 16.
The delegation includes the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and MP from the "Vazrazhdane" group Tsoncho Ganev, the Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and MP from the GERB-UDF group Radomir Cholakov; Hristo Daskalov, Member of Parliament from the "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" group; Rumen Gechev, Member of Parliament from the "BSP for Bulgaria" group; Stanislav Bogdanski, Member of Parliament from the "There is Such a People" group, and Tihomir Stoychev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Rosen
Zhelyazkov expressed his satisfaction with the opportunity to meet with the
spiritual leadership in the "garden of the Holy Mother of God - a holy
place for the Orthodox laity. He praised the multifaceted endeavors of the
Mount Athos in service to the Orthodox Church and its contributions to
fostering peace and stability in the global Orthodox community.
“We support the efforts to uphold spirituality, faith, and the teachings of God, which render Mount Athos an eminent pilgrimage destination for individuals worldwide,” the Speaker of the National Assembly said.
He
expressed Bulgaria’s commitment to supporting the noble spiritual work on Mount
Athos and willingness to collaborate further for the betterment of the Orthodox
Church and stressed his gratification for the delegation’s participation in the
celebration of the Holy Great Martyr George at the Zograf Monastery, an event
closely linked with Bulgarian history.
National
Assembly Speaker presented an icon of St. Petka to the deputy civil governor of
Mount Athos, and an icon of St. Ivan of Rila to the spiritual leader of the
Holy Kinotis Protoepistha Hieromonk Stefan.
The Speaker
of the Parliament and the delegation venerated the Saint George Arabic Icon, in
St. George Zograf monastery. The delegation talked with the abbot of the
monastery, Archimandrite Amvrosii, and then toured the monastery. The cell
where Saint Paisius of Hilendar spent his last days in in the temple.
So far 480 people have come from all over Bulgaria for the temple feast tomorrow, many of them volunteering to help the 37 monks and five novices at the monastery.
The Speaker
of Parliament will return to Bulgaria, the MPs will attend the Vespers service
and vigil at the monastery.
On November
16, the MPs will participate in the liturgy on the occasion of the feast of the
Monastery and will participate in the procession of the miraculous icon of St.
George.
Bnt
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