Official Visit of His Holiness Karekin II to Bulgaria
06.07.2002
On June 25-29, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, departed for Bulgaria for an official visit. His Holiness had been invited by His Holiness Patriarch Maxim, Head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. During the visit His Excellency Georgi Parvanov, President of Bulgaria, Mr. Ognyan Gerjikov, the President of the Bulgarian Parliament, and other high-ranking state officials received His Holiness with respect and reverence. The Armenian community of Bulgaria also had an opportunity to receive the blessing of His Holiness and hear his pontifical message.
His Holiness arrived in the capital city of Sofia on June 25. He was accompanied by His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrossian, Director of Inter-Church Relations for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin; Supreme Spiritual Council Lay Member Robert Hambartsumian; and Staff-bearer Deacon Artur Karapetian.
The Pontifical delegation was received at the airport by Metropolitans, who are members of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Other dignitaries who had come to greet the Catholicos of All Armenians were: Ivan Jelef, representative of the Bulgarian Government and Director of Religious Affairs of the Council of Ministers; representatives of the Armenian Spiritual and Lay authorities in Bulgaria, including His Eminence Archbishop Dirayr Mardigian, Primate of the Dioceses of Bulgaria and Romania; Rouben Grigorian, Chairman of the Diocesan Council of Bulgaria and member of the Parliament of Bulgaria; Mrs. Sevda Sevan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Bulgaria.
From the airport His Holiness was led to Sofia?s Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevski, where the meeting of the Armenian Pontiff and the Bulgarian Patriarch took place. In the Cathedral, which is the patriarchal residence, the two Pontiffs exchanged speeches of welcome and kind wishes. His Holiness joyfully reflected on the centuries-old warm relations between the Armenian and the Bulgarian peoples and Churches, noting: ?We believe that Our present visit should strengthen us, so that by joining our efforts we should be able to strengthen our Churches.? At the conclusion of the ceremony an official reception was held in honor of His Holiness in the building of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The same day His Holiness laid a floral wreath on the memorial for the Unknown Soldier, in Sofia.
The next day, on June 26, His Holiness visited the Bulgarian Parliament and met with Mr. Ognyan Gerjikov, the President of the Parliament. In the course of the meeting ideas were exchanged on strengthening church life and fostering friendly ties between the two peoples through our Churches.
The same day the meeting of His Holiness and His Excellency Georgi Parvanov, President of Bulgaria, took place in the Presidential Palace. During the meeting with the President, the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide was discussed.
In the course of the five-day visit, His Holiness had meetings with other state officials of the country. During those meetings the important contribution of the local Armenian community to the social life of Bulgaria was emphasized. Great importance was accorded to the significant role of the Armenian Church in the life of the Bulgarian Armenian community.
His Holiness was warmly received in various Metropolitan headquarters and Monasteries of Bulgaria. His Holiness visited the Metropolitan headquarters of Varna and Trnovo, spent one night in the Monastery of Bachkovo, and visited the Monastery of Rila, which has great significance in the spiritual life of the Bulgarian nation.
The Armenian community of Bulgaria, which presently has nearly 50,000 members, greeted His Holiness with great enthusiasm.
During the trip, His Holiness visited to the cities Varna and Plovdiv, (where there are large Armenian communities) and the local Armenian churches. Giving his Pontifical blessings to the Bulgarian Armenian faithful, His Holiness addressed his exhortation and message that he wished for them to remain faithful to our national sanctities, the Armenian Language and inherent faith, and to be deserving sons of their native land and deserving citizens of Bulgaria.
Concert programs were organized by many church parishes and the Armenian community. They were the expressions and testimony of the Armenian spirit and Christian faith. With the support of Bulgarian Armenian benefactors, the Armenian community of Varna had renovated the local Armenian Church of St. Sarkis in a rather short period of time ? one month. On the occasion of the visit of His Holiness, a memorial cross-stone was inaugurated, dedicated to the 1700th Anniversary of Proclamation of Christianity as the Official Religion of Armenia. The representatives of municipal, spiritual and state authorities and the Armenian Community of Varna attended the ceremony.
At the conclusion of the visit of His Holiness, the Armenian Embassy in Bulgaria organized a reception in honor of the Catholicos of All Armenians. His Holiness Patriarch Maxim, members of the Holy Synod, spiritual leaders of other Christian Churches functioning in Bulgaria, state officials, as well as other states? diplomatic representatives were invited to the reception.
