Today, July 11, 2024, Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel and members of the Holy Synod met with the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, and Vice-President Iliana Yotova.
During the meeting, they discussed the potential introduction of the subject “Religion” as part of the mandatory curriculum in Bulgarian schools, highlighting successful examples from neighboring countries. President Radev and Vice-President Yotova acknowledged the importance of cooperation between state institutions and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in fostering relations with compatriots abroad, educating children from Bulgarian communities abroad, and preserving the Bulgarian language.
Patriarch Daniel emphasized the significant historical and contemporary role of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the lives of the Bulgarian people. He noted that the Church not only focuses on the salvation of souls but also plays a crucial role in personal development, fostering relationships, upholding traditional Orthodox family values, ensuring parental and societal responsibility towards the upbringing of children, and strengthening public morality.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Patriarch Daniel presented President Rumen Radev with a collection of “Monasteries of Bulgaria” silver medals. In return, President Radev gifted the Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel an icon of the “Good Shepherd.”