The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church issued an encyclical marking the 1,700th anniversary of the discovery of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, calling on the faithful to make the Cross a guiding principle in their daily lives.
In the encyclical, signed by Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria as President of the Holy Synod, the Church recalled the discovery of the Cross in Jerusalem in 326 by Saint Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.
According to the encyclical, the anniversary should not be viewed simply as a commemoration of a historical event but as an opportunity for spiritual renewal.
“This anniversary calls us not simply to remember the past, but to measure our lives against the Cross: our veneration of it is genuine when the love revealed on Golgotha becomes the rule of our thoughts, words and deeds,” the Holy Synod stated.
From a symbol of punishment to a sign of salvation
The encyclical recalled that Saint Helen traveled to the Holy Land seeking the places associated with Christ’s earthly life, Passion and Resurrection. With the support of Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem, excavations were carried out at Golgotha, where, according to Church tradition, the Cross on which Christ was crucified was discovered.
The Holy Synod noted that the discovery took place in 326, 13 years after the Edict of Milan granted Christians freedom to practice their faith and one year after the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.
“The Cross, until then a sign of Roman punishment and humiliation, was discovered and exalted as a sign of salvation,” the encyclical said.
The bishops stressed that the Orthodox Church never separates the Cross from the Resurrection, describing this relationship as the foundation of Christian hope.
“The Cross is not simply a symbol. It is the fullest testimony of God’s love: Christ gives Himself completely, forgives those who crucified Him and, through His voluntary death, conquers death.”
Holy Synod: Carrying the Cross does not mean accepting evil
The encyclical also focused on what carrying the Cross means for Christians today.
“To carry our cross does not mean to resign ourselves to evil,” the Holy Synod stressed. “It means remaining faithful to Christ even when that faithfulness requires sacrifice; accepting trials without despair; struggling against our selfishness; supporting the weak; and responding to offense with forgiveness, without abandoning the truth.”
The bishops said that the Cross also directs Christians toward those who suffer, those who are alone, those who face injustice and those who have been forgotten.
Against the backdrop of contemporary conflicts, the Holy Synod emphasized the Christian responsibility to work for peace.
“In a world wounded by wars, hostility and divisions, the message of the Cross reminds us that lasting peace begins with victory over our own selfishness and with the true peace to which Christ calls us,” the encyclical stated.
Call for spiritual renewal
Concluding its message, the Holy Synod called on Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria to make the 1,700th anniversary an occasion for repentance, forgiveness, mercy and renewed faith.
“May the Cross discovered on Golgotha be rediscovered in our conscience and exalted in our deeds — not merely as an external sign, but as a rule for our lives and a source of hope,” the bishops said.
The encyclical concluded with a prayer that the grace and power of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross remain with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the faithful and the country.
“Happy and blessed feast!” the Holy Synod said.
