An official visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Bulgaria will take place on April 27-29, 2012.
This visit, the first of Patriarch Kirill to Bulgaria as the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, will be the fourth one in the series of His Holiness’ visits to the local Orthodox Churches. His Holiness visited the Church of Constantinople in 2009, the Church of Alexandria in 2010, and the Church of Antioch in 2011.
The programme of Patriarch Kirill’s visit includes a meeting with His Holiness Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria and members of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
On April 29, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Holiness Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral Church of St Alexander Nevsky in Sofia.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill will visit the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia and meet with the compatriots living in Bulgaria.
Also planned are meetings with state authorities of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church will visit Plovdiv, where he will celebrate a prayer service at the Church of St Marina and lay wreaths at the memorial to Russian soldiers who died at the Battle of Philippopolis and at the memorial to the Soviet soldier known as Alyosha.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill will visit Sofia University of Cultural Heritage to rake part in the presentation of his books, A Pastor’s Word and Freedom and Responsibility in the Bulgarian language.