For the Holy See Bulgaria is a bridge between Europe and the East
26 August 2014 News
Bulgaria's geopolitical position makes it a crossroad of various religions and civilizations and we are happy that we manage to maintain balance and dialogue between them, said Minister Daniel Mitov at his first meeting with the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Bulgaria, H.E. Archbishop Anselmo Guido Pecorari. Minister Mitov met with Archbishop Pecorari at the beginning of his mandate and welcomed the excellent relations that traditionally exist between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Holy See. The guest sent to his host greetings and good wishes on behalf of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness Pope Francis, adding that for the Holy Father Bulgaria has always represented a bridge between Europe and the East.
On behalf of the Republic of Bulgaria, Minister Daniel Mitov expressed gratitude to the Holy Father for conferring the right of liturgical use of the "San Paolo" church in the center of Rome, as well as for the annual pilgrimages and meetings that the Bulgarian delegations conduct to mark May 24 in Rome. Minister Mitov expressed interest in the expansion of cooperation between Bulgaria and the Holy See in the archives, noting the importance of the Bulgarian history sources, stored in the Vatican archives.
The papal diplomat said that during his short stay in our country he has observed understanding and respect between people of diverse religious confessions-Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim, and between public authorities and religious institutions. His meeting with His Holiness Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte reaffirmed this impressions. There is an atmosphere of mutual respect between the religious communities in our country, said Minister Mitov and noted the positive role of the small Catholic community in Bulgaria and its contribution to the Bulgarian society.
They also discussed the current international situation and expressed concern over the situation in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria and the Middle East region. Minister Mitov expressed the solidarity of Bulgaria with the suffering of Christians in this region and reaffirmed the common values that Bulgaria and the Holy See share in resolving such conflicts. We believe that they can be solved permanently only through the means of dialogue, the Bulgarian top diplomat added. The papal diplomat expressed the deep concern of the Holy Father for the suffering and persecution of Christians in the Middle East.
Archbishop Pecorari said that the the Holy See is particularly concerned over the situation in Ukraine. The sanctions imposed by the EU lead to negative results in the economy, especially in the agricultural industry of the member states and therefore they can not last long. On the other hand Europe can not defend its principles, the papal representative said.
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