Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria received Eleonora Mitrofanova, Ambassador of Russia to Bulgaria.
Also present at the meeting was Bishop Gerasim of Melnik.
Ms. Mitrofanova congratulated Patriarch Daniel on his election and wished him a long and blessed ministry as the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. During the meeting, issues related to our Orthodox faith were discussed, as well as the challenges facing the world.
“We pray that God will grant wisdom and that a way for dialogue will be found. We hope that there will be listening and that the needs, concerns, and interests of each country involved in the war will be understood, leading to greater understanding. We all suffer from the conflict in Ukraine. We hope that reason will prevail, that the bloodshed will stop,p and that a lasting peace will be achieved,” said Patriarch Daniel.
Gifts were exchanged at the end of the meeting. Eleonora Mitrofanova presented Patriarch Daniel with a specially embroidered icon of the Kazan Madonna, wishing the Virgin Mary to be his protector and helper in all his endeavors. Patriarch Daniel, in turn, presented Mrs. Mitrofanova with commemorative coins depicting images of the great Bulgarian monasteries, a book on the Rila Monastery, and a book by Professor Dr. Maria Kioseva.
