Holy Liturgy in Bulgarian in “Santa Maria Maggiore” for the skillful church diplomacy of the Metropolitan of Western and Central Europe
In 867, something unusual happened in the Christian world – for the first time in the history of the Church, worship was allowed in a language other than Latin, Greek or Hebrew.
Translated by the holy co-apostolic brothers Cyril and Methodius, the new liturgical books were brought to Rome and placed on the holy table – the sacred altar of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. There they were consecrated by Pope Adrian II and this is considered an official approval to henceforth worship in Bulgarian and in all other Slavic languages.
An act of paramount importance for the future of the whole Christian world.
1155 years later, on April 3, 2022, a Bulgarian Orthodox bishop for the first time served the Holy Liturgy in Bulgarian at the same place – in the papal basilica “Santa Maria Maggiore” in Rome.
The service is led by His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe – the youngest bishop in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. But
historical
privilege
it falls to him
and for other reasons – because of his long and skillful ecclesiastical-diplomatic work with the Vatican. As a skilful diplomacy, it was above all the basis of the achievements of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius 12 centuries ago.
When the two arrived in Rome, Pope Adrian II himself was eager to greet them most solemnly, presiding over the liturgy of clergy and faithful.
According to the Life of St. Clement of Ohrid, the pope “could not wait any longer, but taking all the priests and bishops there with him, he went out to meet the saints, and according to custom, the sign of the cross was worn in front of him.”
Of great importance for the solemn atmosphere of the reception is the fact that the brothers carry with them the relics of St. Clement of Rome – the third bishop of Rome after St. Peter the Apostle.
We honor the same St. Clement in Bulgaria as the first bishop of Serdica, so after his visit to Sofia Pope Francis sent to Patriarch Neophyte, who is also Metropolitan of Sofia, part of the relics of the saint, recalls Bogdan Patashev – Bulgarian ambassador to the Holy See. was one of the first to arrive for the liturgy at Santa Maria Maggiore early Sunday morning.
He also recalls the interesting story of the discovery of the relics.
St. Constantine-Cyril the Philosopher took them out of the sea waters of Kherson, Southwestern Crimea, during his Khazar mission.
As mentioned in the sources, in his desire to find them, he “strongly encouraged everyone to dig up the shores and look for the precious relics of the holy martyr“. “
After finding the relics, the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius
write about it
a wonderful discovery
of the Pope and
they are immediately
invited to Rome
Their arrival in Rome with the relics of St. Clement is sealed in a beautiful miniature in the so-called “Minology of Basil II”, which is located in the Vatican Library.
Along with the relics, the head of the Roman Church solemnly received the Bulgarian liturgical books and consecrated them in “Santa Maria Maggiore”.
Bulgarians from the Orthodox Church of the Holy Septuagint in Rome, gathered in the basilica, are excited to see the historic service.
The liturgy is on the fourth Sunday of Lent on the eve of the upcoming feast of the Assumption of St. Methodius of Slavo-Bulgaria, which the Church celebrates on April 6.
The event is the result of a series of efforts by Anthony to glorify the work of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius and their disciples through a series of services at historic sites that are part of their bright feat.
That is why this first liturgy of a Bulgarian metropolitan in this legendary papal basilica 12 centuries after the consecration of the liturgical books is considered a historical event, which marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Church.
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