The triumph of the Orthodox faith over heresy was solemnly proclaimed on the first Sunday of Great Lent at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Sofia, where Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria presided over the festive Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
“In the first Sunday of Great Lent, the Holy Church has appointed the celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, in order to proclaim the victory of the Orthodox faith over all the errors that have troubled the Church since her foundation,” Patriarch Daniel said in his homily. He recalled that the confessors who defended the holy icons “endured beatings, exile, banishment, and many suffered and gave their lives in defense of the sacred icons.”
The Orthodox Church marks this feast as the commemoration of the restoration of the veneration of icons in 843, following more than a century of iconoclastic turmoil. In his address, the Patriarch reviewed the historical events surrounding the iconoclastic controversies, the role of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, and the enduring importance of the feast for Orthodox Christians today. He stressed that the celebration is not merely a historical remembrance but a living testimony to the truth of the Orthodox faith and a call to spiritual vigilance in the modern world.
“This feast was established in 842–843 after long-standing disturbances in the Church, which had begun more than a century earlier,” he explained, describing how the persecution of icons and their defenders began when a patriarch accepted the emperor’s desire to ban their veneration.
Before the solemn service began, Patriarch Daniel addressed the media, emphasizing the theological foundation of icon veneration. “From every perspective it has been studied and justified why it is necessary to depict our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Theotokos, and the other saints, why it is necessary to venerate them and how to venerate them,” he stated. He underscored the importance of the Incarnation, quoting Christ’s words: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
He also noted that disputes over the veneration of icons resurfaced during the Reformation and remain relevant today. “This is актуално and today, because in Protestant churches this veneration is absent. See how the devil mocks humanity—under the pretext of defending the faith and avoiding idolatry, we are told to remove the image of the Savior,” he added.
Following the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Daniel led the customary prayer service for the Sunday of Orthodoxy. The celebration concluded with a solemn procession around the Patriarchal Cathedral, during which holy relics, icons, and banners were carried in a visible expression of the Church’s enduring faith and unity.
Source: Patriarchate of Bulgaria, Text, photos, videos: Ангел Карадаков
