site.btaPope Francis to Bulgarian National Assembly Chair: "Be Ambassadors of Peace"

May 24 (BTA Special Correspondent Nelly Zheleva) - On
Friday, Pope Francis addressed Bulgarian National Assembly Chair
 Tsveta Karayancheva with the words "be ambassadors to peace"
during his audience in the Vatican with the Bulgarian
delegation, led by Karayancheva. Within her visit, Karayancheva
also met with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

Pope Francis presented the delegation with a gift - a metal
statue of a vine and a pigeon with an olive branch. Karayancheva
 told journalists that the message was "keep peace, spread
peace".

The Pope said he was happy to welcome the delegation, and he
thanked for the hospitality during his visit to Bulgaria on May
5-6. He shared his deep impression with the respect he saw in
this country towards the elderly and the children, and noted his
 satisfaction with the respect Bulgarians show towards
traditions. "Tradition preserves the future by looking at the
past," Pope Francis said.

He also noted he was very impressed by his meeting with
Patriarch Neophyte, whom he believes to be "a man of faith and
humility".

In turn, Karayancheva thanked Pope Francis on behalf of the
Bulgarian nation for his visit to this country.

Later that day, the National Assembly Chair laid a wreath in
front of the Ivan Vazov monument in Rome and took part in a
celebration of May 24 [Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture
and of Slav Letters] in the San Clemente Basilica. RY/TH

/TH/