US, 17 other countries urge Hamas to release hostages, end Gaza crisis
Washington DC, US Reuters The United States and 17 other countries on Thursday issued an appeal for Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza, but Hamas vowed not to relent to international pressure. “We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in […]
Bulgarians line the streets of the capital to bid farewell to Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte
Sofia, Bulgaria AP Bulgarians lined the streets of Sofia on Saturday to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Hundreds of people, officials and Orthodox Church clergy attend the solemn holy liturgy and funeral service for […]
Bulgarians pay their last respects to the late Orthodox Patriarch
Sofia, Bulgaria AP Thousands of Orthodox Christians from across Bulgaria flocked to Sofia’s main Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Friday to pay their respects to their late spiritual leader, Patriarch Neophyte, who died Wednesday at the age of 78. Neophyte, who became Patriarch in 2013, was the first head of the Bulgarian church to be chosen after the […]
Lifestory: Patriarch Neophyte I of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church dead at 78
DAVID I KLEIN, of Religion News Service, reports that a soft-spoken theologian, Neophyte I was a critic of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…
Neophyte, Patriarch of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church, dies at 78
Sofia, Bulgaria AP Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria, who was the first elected head of the Orthodox Church in the post-communist Balkan country, died at a hospital in Sofia. He was 78. The Orthodox Holy Synod said Wednesday in a statement that the Patriarch had been hospitalized for four months for lung ailments. Clergymen and the […]
Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria sign deal to clear floating Black Sea mines
Istanbul, TurkeyReuters Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria signed an agreement this week on a joint plan to clear mines floating in the Black Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine, following months of talks between the NATO allies. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler, his Romanian counterpart Angel Tilvar and Bulgaria’s Deputy Defence Minister Atanas […]
Bulgarians celebrate the feast of Epiphany with traditional rituals…while Florida’s Greek community celebrates with annual dive
Sofia, Bulgaria AP Thousands of Orthodox Christian worshippers dived into the wintry waters of rivers and lakes across Bulgaria on Saturday to retrieve crucifixes cast by priests in Epiphany ceremonies commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ. The legend goes that the person who retrieves the wooden cross will be freed from evil spirits and will be healthy […]
Fate of historic Sofia church unclear as Bulgaria accuses abbot of spying for Russia
RNS After three high-ranking members of the Russian Orthodox Church were expelled from Bulgaria on charges of espionage last month, their former church is not only at the centre of a diplomatic rift between the Russian and Bulgarian governments but an ecclesiastical one between the two countries’ Orthodox churches. On 21st September, Bulgarian authorities arrived […]
Bulgaria’s parliament elects new government led by PM Denkov
Sofia, Bulgaria Reuters Bulgaria’s parliament on Tuesday voted in a government led by Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov, which is set to implement reforms that would lead the Balkan country into the euro zone and Schengen groupings of European nations. One hundred and thirty-two deputies in the 240-seat parliament voted for Denkov, ending a two-year political […]
StrangeSights: Fighting addictions (in a glass box); Uber’s left behind; and, a baby’s (royal) bag snatch…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…