Metropolitan Hilarion sends greetings to the Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church with his Name Day
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, congratulated His Holiness Patriarch Neophyte, the Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, on his Name Day. The text of the message is given below.
Your Holiness:
Please accept my cordial congratulations on the commemoration day of your heavenly patron St. Neophyte the Martyr.
Being inspired by the example of virtues of the holy martyr Neophyte and strengthened spiritually by the prayerful intercession of the saint of God, you have been going from strength to strength (cf. Ps 84:7) in your monastic life serving our Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Church.
On this difficult but gracious path, the Giver of all the good has multiplied your talents, adorned and enriched you by granting Your Holiness ‘every good gift and every perfect gift’ (James 1:17), which are pastor’s wisdom and love, and the talent of a church scholar, singer and composer. These gifts are serving to the wellbeing of the whole Bulgarian Orthodox Church, to historical continuation of her outstanding role in the life of the Bulgarian people and strengthening her living bonds with the fraternal Local Orthodox Churches, including the Moscow Patriarchate.
On your Name Day I prayerfully wish Your Holiness peace, inexhaustible spiritual joy and good health for many and good years of your Patriarchal ministry.
With respectful love in the Lord,
+ Hilarion
Metropolitan of Volokolamsk
Chairman
Department for External Church Relations
Moscow Patriarchate