His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil awarded the Order of St. John of Rila, 1st degree, to His Eminence the Metropolitan of Stara Zagora, Dr. Cyprian. The decision of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church-Bulgarian Orthodox Church is in connection with the church celebrations and merits for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil arrived for the first time in the Stara Zagora diocese after his election as the Primate of our native Church. He led the festive liturgy, which concluded the four-day program of celebrating six church anniversaries in Stara Zagora – 155 years since the establishment of the Stara Zagora Diocese, 130 years since the election of the first Metropolitan Methodius of Stara Zagora and 100 years since the birth of the Stara Zagora Metropolitan Pankratius, as well as 50 years since the birth of His Eminence, the Stara Zagora Metropolitan Dr. Cyprian, 30 years since his monastic tonsure and 10 years since his enthronement on the metropolitan throne.
In his speech, Patriarch Daniil expressed his gratitude for the invitation and the opportunity to experience the church celebrations: “We are grateful for this true spiritual joy and for the hospitality, and especially to you, Your Eminence, as our kind host, who only two days ago – on the Day of Stara Zagora – you were also honored with the honorary citizenship of your capital city, with which we wholeheartedly welcome you. "This honor is undoubtedly a recognition of your work over the past ten years as a diocesan hierarch, of the respect and love that you enjoy here, but it is also a testimony of the recognition of our entire Holy Orthodox Church, which, in your person, continues to fulfill to this day its high mission of spiritual support and nurturer of the people entrusted to it by God, enlightening them in the eternal and unchanging truths of the Gospel of Christ and confidently leading them along the path to perfection and salvation shown to us by Christ God," said His Holiness in his speech. He also recalled the gift given to us by St. Clement of Ohrid, an example, before whose honorable head they have been bowing down for the last 4 days.“
„In the last days, saturated with historical events, the culmination of which was undoubtedly the welcoming in our country of the mortal remains of the faithful Samuil, Tsar of Bulgaria, and the nationwide worship of this great and worthy son of our Orthodox people, and which days are about to continue very soon - with the celebrations of the All-Bulgarian saint and heavenly intercessor Saint John the Wonderworker of Rila, the celebrations in Stara Zagora are yet another decoration and contribution to the current calendar year rich in festivities. With appropriate solemnity, services, a scientific forum and tribute to the great Clement, Stara Zagora showed during these days that it is a city of memory and respect for its spiritual leaders, and this means that it is also a city with a worthy present and an even more promising future. We thank from the bottom of our hearts all who in one way or another contributed to the process of organizing and holding these memorable and eventful days“, Patriarch Daniel also said and wished Metropolitan Dr. Cyprian “many more and blessed years in service to God and His Holy Church – of the ancient and glorious Stara Zagora Metropolitan See, which was adorned by worthy and deservedly glorified colossi of Orthodox spirituality and which is now entrusted to him, to be their worthy successor and to build with diligence and zeal on the foundations laid before him“, Patriarch Daniel also wished.
His Holiness presented Metropolitan Dr. Cyprian with a panagia for prayerful remembrance on behalf of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. In turn, as a sign of gratitude and appreciation for the respect, the Metropolitan of Stara Zagora, Dr. Cyprian, presented him with a panagia, a cross, and an engolpie.
In his speech, Metropolitan Cyprian recalled the role and example in life that his predecessors had given him, paying special attention to the life of Metropolitan Methodius of Starozagorsk and his spiritual elder, the blessed Metropolitan Pankratius. “I thank God for the comfort and privilege of having such a spiritual leader. Many years have passed since our first meetings, conversations, encouragement and prayerful support. People knew him as an exceptionally active hierarch who, like grandfather Methodius, knew no rest, and only a limited circle of his relatives remember what a prayer man he was. His nights were a time mainly for prayerful communion with God and a small part for sleep. The night before my monastic tonsure on September 1, 1996 in the Rila Stavropegial Monastery, he devoted only to prayer. I believe that he prayed so fervently for me, his last spiritual child, and in the days when God called me to accept the chair of the Stara Zagora diocese, ten years ago“, said the bishop.
Metropolitan Dr. Cyprian also thanked all the participants and guests in the church celebrations. “I thank you for the unwavering support that I have from you, my eparchs. I thank the representatives of the state and municipal authorities, to all who, with their work and kindness, support the initiatives of our diocesan church. I wholeheartedly thank you for the concelebration and spiritual support of the fellow metropolitans of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. I also express my utmost gratitude and appreciation to His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil for his paternal care and involvement in the celebration of the Stara Zagora Diocese and the capital city“, the hierarch concluded his speech and called on them to continue unitedly the work for the blessed spiritual construction of our native Church“, the hierarch concluded his speech.
On the occasion of the church celebrations and special merits for the Stara Zagora Diocese, Metropolitan Dr. Cyprian presented plaques of gratitude to the Mayor of the Municipality of Stara Zagora Zhivko Todorov, to the Chairperson of the Municipal Council in Stara Zagora, Adv. Iveta Lazarova, to the Rector of Thracian University – Stara Zagora Prof. Dr. Miroslav Karabaliev, DBF, the former rector of the higher educational institution Prof. Dr. Dobri Yarkov, DVM, the lecturer at the National Music Academy “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov“ Prof. Dr. Kremena Angelova, the director of the University Hospital “Prof. Dr. Stoyan Kirkovich“ Prof. Yovcho Yovchev and the municipal councilor and former deputy chairman of the National Assembly Emil Hristov.
The liturgy was concelebrated by: the metropolitans of the Holy Synod – Their Eminences Lovchanski Gavriil, Nevrokopski Seraphim, Ruseski Naum, Vrachanski Grigoriy, Slivenski Arseny and Dorostolski Yakov; the foreign guests from the local Orthodox churches – Metropolitan Hilarion Serfamiovski of Bregalnica, Metropolitan Silouan Manuela of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese in Hungary, Bishop Porphyrios Macheriotis of Naples – Chief Representative of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus to the EU, Bishop Pavel Tokayuk of Hajnów; the bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Their Eminences Tikhon of Tivieropolis, Sioniy of Velikiy, Polycarp of Belogradchik, Vissarion of Smolensk, Hierotheus of Agathopol, Michael of Konstantiniy, Macarius of Glavinysh, Isaac of Velbyzhd, Theologian of Marcianopolis and Vasily of Dragovitiya; Archimandrites Athanasius Sultanov, Maxim Glukhchev, Evtimii Koinov, Petar Eremeev, Pankratii Buzov, Massim Kolev, Archimandrite Kirill and Archimandrite Gabriel – representatives of Didymotica, Archimandrite Porphyry Batsaras, Archimandrite Nektarios, monk Panteleimon, archpriest Andrei Bolbot, butler Neluts Oprya and others.
With church chants in the liturgy were joined by: Representative Choir “St. Ap. Karp“ at the Holy Metropolis of Stara Zagora, Male Choir of the Cathedral Church “St. Nedelya“, Sofia, with conductor Archpriest Prof. Miroslav Popsavov; Trio of the Shipka Monastery “St. Nativity of Christ“ with conductor Maria Boshnakova. The anniversary events also included the Sixth National Meeting of Orthodox Youth.
The liturgy was also attended by the director of the "Religious Denominations" Directorate Nikola Petkov, the regional governor of Stara Zagora Kaloyan Damyanov, the mayors of municipalities Galina Stoyanova (Kazanlak), Galya Zaharieva (Nova Zagora), Ivaylo Kracholov (Chirpan), Maria Kirkova (Harmanli), arch. Anastas Karchev (Svilengrad), Kancho Papazov (Gurkovo), eng. Georgi Petrov (Radnevo), eng. Konstantin Kostov (Nikolaevo), the deputy mayors of Stara Zagora Pavlina Delcheva and Milena Zheleva, the chairman of the Municipal Council - Kazanlak Nikolay Dimitrov, the deputy chairman of the Municipal Council - Stara Zagora Anton Tonev, the secretary of the Stara Zagora Municipality Nikolay Dikov, the director of the RDSP - Stara Zagora Petya Chakarova, the public mediator of Stara Zagora Ivanka Sotirova, the chairman of the District Court – Stara Zagora Blaga Bozova, the chairman of the Administrative Court – Stara Zagora Yanitsa Chenalova, the chairman of the District Court – Stara Zagora Krasimir Georgiev, the head of the District Prosecutor's Office – Stara Zagora Maria Mihaylova, the head of the District Prosecutor's Office – Stara Zagora Tanya Dimitrov, the director of the RD PBZN – Stara Zagora Senior Com. Stoyan Kolev, the director of the ODMVR – Stara Zagora Senior Com. Dimitar Mashov, the commander of the 61st Stryamska Mechanized Brigade Brig. Gen. Atanas Georgiev, the commander of the Second Tundzha Mechanized Brigade Brig. Gen. Miroslav Kostadinov, the director of the UMBALSM – N. Y. Pirogov“ Dr. Valentin Dimitrov, MD, the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of Thracian University Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tsvetoslav Koinarski, representatives of the academic community, business, public figures and others.
Congratulatory addresses were received from the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Iliana Yotova, the Speaker of the National Assembly Mihaela Dotsova, the Prime Minister Rumen Radev, state institutions, higher education institutions – Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski“, Thracian University – Stara Zagora, University of Insurance and Finance, cultural institutes, representatives of the local Orthodox churches Metropolitan Damascene of Didymotych, Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria, Metropolitan of Carthage (Patriarchate of Alexandria), Metropolitan of Pretoria and Johannesburg Damascene, Bishop Melchizedek of Margvets and Ubytov of the Georgian Patriarchate, Bishop Silouan of Romania of Hungary, Bishop Porphyry of Naples of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, Bishop Pavel of Chojnów, Metropolitan Nicholas of Apollonia and Frier of the Albanian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of the Macedonian Orthodox Church and many others.