09/07/2024 National Assembly President Raya Nazaryan met with His Holiness Patriarch Daniel

09/07/2024

National Assembly President Raya Nazaryan met with His Holiness Daniil, the Patriarch of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia. The conversation was attended by MPs from all parliamentary groups - Tomislav Donchev, Yordan Tsonev, Nikolay Denkov, Tsoncho Ganev, Ivan Ivanov and Alexander Alexandrov, as well as metropolitans from the Holy Synod - Their Eminences Metropolitans of the United States, Canada and Australia - Joseph, of Veliko Tarnovo - Grigory, of Lovech - Gavriil, of Plovdiv - Nikolay, of Western and Central Europe - Anthony, of Varna and Veliki Preslav - John, of Nevrokop - Seraphim, of Ruse - Naum, of Stara Zagora - Kyprian, of Vratsa - Grigory, of Dorostol - Yakov, of Sliven - Arseniy and of Melnik - Bishop Gerasim, Secretary General of the Holy Synod.

National Assembly President Raya Nazaryan noted that the Parliament and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church have a common patriotic mission to serve the Bulgarian people and their well-being. She pointed out that as President of the Bulgarian Parliament, she more than ever views unity as a path to prosperity and progress, and expressed confidence that the Church and state institutions will work together in this direction. "I am happy to note that in your first public appearances as a newly elected Bulgarian Patriarch, you unequivocally show that you also perceive unity as a supreme value," the President added.

According to her, there is more than one example in our history of how representatives of the Bulgarian people, united by a common ideal, can work for the achievement of the common good and seek agreement and interaction in the service of the national interest. In all these moments, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has played an important and essential role, the President of the National Assembly emphasized.

At a time full of turbulent changes and challenges, our people need the eternal moral guidelines of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, as well as the example of Your Holiness of high morality and philanthropy, Raya Nazaryan said. She wished the Patriarch good health and many years of fruitful spiritual activity, and noted that he is expected to guide the affairs of the Church with wisdom and love of the fatherland.

His Holiness Patriarch Daniil blessed the MPs and expressed hope that the interaction between the two institutions would continue. The unity between secular and spiritual power gives faith and confidence that joint efforts can achieve common good, he added.

"To keep our consciences clear, to pray that God will help us to correct ourselves when we sin. This gives us God's blessing and God helps us. The Church prays for peace throughout the world," Patriarch Daniil said.

His Holiness noted that the MPs were given the power to serve the people and take care of the well-being of all. This cross must be carried in good faith, the patriarch addressed the MPs. According to him, if there is tolerance in Parliament and commitment to understanding, and if everyone is guided by the common good, this will unite the people. Everyone makes mistakes, but if there is repentance, there will be progress for both the individual and the entire people, the Patriarch noted.

The President of Parliament presented His Holiness with a replica of the parliamentary bell from the Constituent Assembly. For his part, Patriarch Daniil gave Raya Nazaryan an icon of the Holy Mother of God with the infant and a Bible.