Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is calling on Bulgaria to return more Orthodox Church treasures to Greece, saying the r...

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is calling on Bulgaria to return more Orthodox Church treasures to Greece, saying the recent bilateral exchange was only a starting point. Speaking at Bulgaria's Rila Monastery on Monday following a Divine Liturgy with Patriarch Daniel, Bartholomew welcomed the recent Greece-Bulgaria agreement but made clear that more needs to happen. Under that deal, the remains of Bulgarian Tsar Samuel were returned from Greece to Bulgaria, while several religious artifacts taken from Patriarchal and Stavropegial monasteries in Macedonia and Thrace were sent back to Greece. Bartholomew called the exchange "merely a positive beginning" and said the remaining sacred treasures still need to be returned to their original monasteries. He said he is confident that Patriarch Daniel and the Bulgarian Orthodox hierarchy will press their country's civil authorities to complete the restitution. "This painful chapter," he said, must be "finally closed in justice and concord." The Patriarch made the remarks at the close of celebrations marking the 1,150th anniversary of the birth and the 1,080th anniversary of the repose of St. John of Rila, the patron saint of Bulgaria, at the UNESCO World Heritage monastery bearing his name. Bartholomew also met separately with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Sofia, where he reiterated the Ecumenical Patriarchate's position on the remaining artifacts. Among those attending the Divine Liturgy at Rila were former Bulgarian King and Prime Minister Simeon II, who recited the Nicene Creed, and Greek Ambassador to Bulgaria Despina Koukoulopoulou. Monday also marked the 57th anniversary of Patriarch Bartholomew's ordination to the priesthood, which Patriarch Daniel acknowledged during his welcoming address. #EcumenicalPatriarchate #GreeceHistory #OrthodoxChurch