Today, 02/29/2020 on the eve of Sirni Zagoveni (the first Sunday before Lent) , a metropolitan bishop's liturgy was held at the Bachkovo monastery by the visiting Metropolitan of Ruse, His Eminence Naum. The abbot of the monastery, Bishop of Velich Sionius, archimandrite Basil, protosingel of the Metropolitan of Sofia, the brothers of the monastery and clerics of the Metropolitan of Sofia assisted the metropolitan bishop. The service was resounding with the singing of a visiting church choir leaded by the protopsalt, Assoc. Prof. Lubomir Ignatov.
            At the end of the liturgy, His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Neophyte, accompanied by Bishop Polycarp of Belogradchik, Vicar of Patriarchate, Bishop of Melnyk Gerasim, secretary of St. Holy Synod of the Bulgarian orthodox church, sacred economist Nelutz Oprya, representative of the Romanian Patriarchate in the court of the Bulgarian Patriarch and clergyman of the Sofia Metropolitanate. His Holiness headed the memorial service in memory of the blessed Bulgarian Patriarch Cyril, whose mortal remains were laid in the monastery church, next to those of the last Bulgarian Exarch Stefan.
            The Orthodox Christians present, as well as a representative group of Constantinople Bulgarian community , accompanied by the Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in Istanbul, Mr. Nikolay Dimitrov, attended the prayer service.
            Following the services, at the invitation of the abbot of the monastery, Bishop Sionius, His Holiness, and the accompanying bishops, clergymen and guests, retired for a cup of coffee at the new abbey. On behalf of the Constantinople Bulgarians, a greeting to the Bulgarian Patriarch was presented by Mr. Hristo Kopanov.
            Around 1pm The Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Boyko Borisov, accompanied by the Minister of Finance V. Goranov, the Mayor of Assenovgrad, Dr. Grudev and others arrived at the monastery. Mr. Borisov was blessed by His Holiness. Before leaving, the Prime Minister was blessed by the Bachkovo miraculous icon of the Mother of God and lit a candle for health and success.