On the afternoon of Friday, August 7, 2026, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presided over the service of the Small Paraklesis to the Most Holy Theotokos at the Church of Saint John of Rila the Wonderworker, which serves the Bulgarian-speaking community of Constantinople.
In his address, after referring to the reverence and love of the faithful for the Virgin Mary, the Ecumenical Patriarch said:
“You may have noticed, beloved children, that our pastoral visit to this church is taking place today, in the midst of summer, rather than on the customary feast day of Saint John, October 19.
“This is due to a joyful reason, which we would like you to know: next October, Our Modesty will be in Bulgaria, following an official and honorary invitation from the Holy Synod of the Most Holy Church of Bulgaria, to preside over the major celebrations that will take place at the Monastery of Saint John of Rila and in Sofia.
“The celebrations will mark the 1,150th anniversary of the Saint’s birth and the 1,080th anniversary of his repose in the Lord. Saint John was a great ascetic and the heavenly protector of the Christ-loving Bulgarian people.
“We therefore wish our presence here today to serve as a foretaste of the celebrations that will take place in Bulgaria in October and as further testimony to the love of the Holy Great Church of Christ for this Saint. Although he lived in ascetic obscurity on Mount Rila, he became a source of sanctification not only for the Bulgarian people but for the whole of Orthodoxy.”
“A bond of blood and Spirit”
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew highlighted the centuries-old historical and spiritual ties between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Bulgaria, describing their relationship as “a bond of blood and Spirit.”
His All-Holiness stressed that the Ecumenical Patriarchate “has never ceased, and will never cease,” to embrace the Church of Bulgaria with maternal affection. As living testimony to this relationship, he referred to his close personal ties with Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria and recalled the latter’s recent visit to Imbros for his name day.
The Ecumenical Patriarch spoke with particular emotion about Patriarch Daniil’s initiative to conduct a Trisagion memorial service for his parents, Christos and Merope, and his late sister Zacharo at the cemetery of his native village.
“This gesture went beyond the formalities of protocol,” he said, describing it as an act of brotherhood that demonstrated the depth of the love in Christ uniting the Churches of Constantinople and Bulgaria.
Addressing the Bulgarian-speaking community of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarch expressed pride that its members belong canonically to the Archdiocese of Constantinople while preserving their distinctive identity. He emphasized that the Mother Church protects the language, liturgical traditions, and cultural customs of every people under its pastoral care.
Referring also to the Ukrainian, Romanian, Russian, and Georgian Orthodox faithful in Constantinople, he stressed that the diversity of languages and traditions reveals a unity in Christ that transcends national distinctions: “You are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Concluding, the Ecumenical Patriarch prayed that the Virgin Mary would protect the Bulgarian-speaking community and preserve its harmony and love.
He referred to the community’s progress through “the devoted ministry of our beloved Father Charalambos and his excellent cooperation with the honorable Ecclesiastical Committee of the Community, under the chairmanship of the distinguished and active Archon Dimitrios Yotev.”
Earlier, the Ecumenical Patriarch was welcomed by Archimandrite Charalambos Nichev, priest in charge of the church, and Dimitrios Yotev, president of the Bulgarian-speaking community of Constantinople.
Among those in attendance were the Consul General of Bulgaria in Constantinople, Vasil Valchev; Slavi Binev, president of the Bulgarian Taekwondo Federation and vice president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee; pilgrims from Bulgaria; and members of the Bulgarian-speaking community of Constantinople.
Photo: Nikos Papachristou
