Catholic World News News Feature
Bulgarian Trip For Pope Studied For 2002 March 27, 2001
VATICAN, Mar. 27, 01 (CWNews.com) - A trip by Pope John Paul II to Bulgaria for 2002 is being studied in the Vatican. The president of the Bulgarian episcopal conference, and apostolic exarch for Catholics of the Byzantine-Slavic rite, Bishop Christo Proykov, confirmed this possibility with the Rome-based news agency I Media, stressing the importance of a pontifical visit to a country with an Orthodox majority. It would be the fifth trip to an Orthodox country, after Romania and upcoming trips to Ukraine, Georgia, and Greece.
"The synod of Patriarch Maxim, primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, agreed to receive the Pope," Bishop Proykov said, specifying, however, that the Orthodox await the results of the Pope's trip to Greece. The Catholic bishops of Bulgaria have already issued three invitations to John Paul. An invitation was also made twice by the president of the Bulgarian Republic, Petar Stoyanov. As for the Bulgarian people, they should decide at the end of a petition drive launched at the beginning of March.
The situation between Catholics and Orthodox "improves little by little," said Bishop Proykov, stressing that "just a few months ago, a visit by the Pope was unthinkable." For him, these signs of relaxation foresee an opening by the Orthodox Church to a visit by the Pope. Relations with the Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church have been strained since 1992 and the fall of Communism.
In July 1996, Metropolitan Mimen of Nevkrop called into question the canonical validity of the election of Patriarch Maxim, in 1971, accusing him of collaboration with the former Communist regime. He then founded a dissenting church. Two years later, in 1998, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church was reunified around Patriarch Maxim following a pan-Orthodox assembly which had been held under the presidency of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
In spite of certain persistent divisions, this reconciliation within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church allowed an opening with respect to the Catholic community. A meeting of the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, with four metropolitans of Bulgaria-- Georgi Galaktion, Simeon Neofit, Kostov Gelasij, and Kimitar Dometian-- took place on March 13 at the seat of the nunciature. On this occasion, Archbishop Mennini forwarded a letter to Patriarch Maxim to ask him to name three representatives from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to a joint ecumenical committee which should be created soon. Its objective will be to work to restart a dialogue. A similar commission-- but with an aim of settling disagreements between the Eastern-rite Catholics and the Orthodox-- had been created a few months before the visit of the Pope to Romania, as well as in Ukraine, thus supporting a climate of dialogue favorable for the visits of John Paul II.
Metropolitan Galaktion had affirmed on January 23 that "the Pope would be welcomed by the Holy Synod and the Patriarch of Bulgaria," if he decided to come there. The metropolitan himself was also present in Rome to represent Patriarch Maxim at the ecumenical liturgy which John Paul II chaired on January 25 in the Basilica of Saint-Paul-outside-the-walls, concluding the week of prayer for Christians unity.
"In spite of the small number of Catholics, John Paul II has much sympathy for the Bulgarian people," said Bishop Proykov, underlining the will of the Pope to go to his country. In addition, a visit could make it possible for the Catholic community "to be recognized by the Orthodox," he added.
The beatification of three Bulgarian Assumptionist priests shot on November 11, 1952 at the time of persecutions against Catholics could be included on the trip. Bishop Proykov, even while not speaking yet about a detailed program, said certain stages could be envisaged, in addition to the obligatory visit to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, where Jean-Paul II could bless the St. Joseph Co-cathedral, whose rebuilding is almost finished. The Pope could go to the Diocese of Plovdiv, where the Catholic St. Louis Cathedral is, as well as a shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, located a few miles from there.
In addition to this trip to Bulgaria, the possibility of a visit to Belarus has also been raised at the Vatican for the pontifical program of 2002, in addition to World Youth Day in Toronto. The Belarusian trip seems much more difficult, however, because of poor relations with the Orthodox Church there. The government of President Alexander Loukachenko would like to make Orthodoxy the state religion, possibly causing problems for other religions.
