site.btaPresidential Administration Rejects Claims Bulgarian Orthodox Church Representatives Were Denied Access to Papal Audience

Presidential Administration Rejects Claims
Bulgarian Orthodox Church Representatives
Were Denied Access to Papal Audience


Sofia, May 31 (BTA) - The claims that the administration of the Bulgarian head of State has not allowed access of a representative of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to the audience of Pope Francis are not true, a press release of the Press Secretariat said Wednesday. The release came in response to media questions relevant to the claims that representatives of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church were not allowed as members of the official Bulgarian delegation to the Vatican on May 26. Such a delegation visits the Vatican every year on the occasion of the Day of Slav Letters, May 24.

An open cable Bulgaria's embassy to the Holy See dated January 20, 2017, lists the protocol requirements related to the members of the Bulgarian delegation for the Pope's audience on May 26. According to them, only high state, government and parliamentary representatives ranking above heads of directorates may be part of the delegation.

President Radev is profoundly respectful and adamantly stands in support of the position of dialogue and cooperation with traditional religious denominations in Bulgaria, and particularly with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the press release said. He will continue to work with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church for the prosperity of the Bulgarian people./PK/BR

/МЙ/