To celebrate May 24th, the Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, the Bulgarian alphabet, education, culture and Slavic literature, Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria, welcomed distinguished students who had achieved outstanding results in international philosophy, mathematics and engineering competitions to the Holy Metropolis of Sofia building.
Nikola Veselinov, Simeon Kartziev and Ivan Stoilov were also present at the meeting, having recently returned to Bulgaria after successfully participating in major international forums. Simeon Kartziev, an eleventh-grade student at the National High School of Ancient Languages and Cultures ‘Saints Cyril and Methodius the Philosopher’, won a gold medal at the International Philosophy Olympiad in Warsaw. Ivan Stoilov, a 10th-grade student at the 164th Secondary School “Miguel de Cervantes,” received the silver medal in the same competition, jointly marking a historic achievement for Bulgaria after more than three decades.
Nikola Veselinov, an 11th-grade student at the Sofia High School of Mathematics “Saint Paisius of Hilandar”, took first place at the Regeneron ISEF competition — the world’s largest international student science and engineering competition — held in Phoenix, USA.
During the reception, the Patriarch congratulated the young people on their achievements and encouraged them to continue developing their talents and knowledge. He emphasised that their success brings joy not only to themselves but also to all their compatriots. He stressed that these achievements are the result of divine grace, talent, and hard work. These are substantial accomplishments that carry real meaning for society as a whole. ‘True knowledge, as Saint Constantine-Cyril the Philosopher defined it, is the love of knowledge; it is, as far as possible for man, an understanding of divine things, an approach to, and likeness of, his Creator,’ said Patriarch Daniel.
He urged the young people to maintain their eagerness to learn and to utilise their talents to advance science and society for the benefit of their homeland’s future. ‘We hope that this achievement of yours becomes a stepping stone towards self-knowledge and the realisation of the image within us, which is achieved when a person expresses gratitude to God, without whom we can do nothing,’ added Patriarch Daniel.
Simeon Kartziev and Ivan Stoilov were accompanied by Professor Ivan Kolev, who is a lecturer in philosophical anthropology at Sofia University’s Faculty of Philosophy and one of the founders of the International Philosophy Olympiad. Nikola Veselinov was accompanied by his father, Veselin Veselinov.
The students shared the unique experience they gained from the competitions in which they participated with emotion.
At the end of the reception, the Patriarch presented the distinguished students with a Holy Bible and encouraged them to dedicate time to reading the Scriptures. He also gave them monetary awards and other books with a spiritual focus, to help them deepen their knowledge of faith and God.
Patriarch Daniel urged them not to abandon their dreams, but to continue pursuing them. He emphasised that the Church would support them spiritually and pray for them in their future endeavours, aiming to inspire the younger generation to seek an education and knowledge about the world and faith.
