After meeting with the Patriarch and the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Metropolitan in charge of the Patriarchate's relations with the Latin churches accompanied the pope to the Orthodox Cathedral of Sofia, the most important in the country.
In a private meeting, the pope had lamented that consequences of divisions among Christians are still alive. He asked for these wounds and divisions to not prevent the proclamation of the Gospel with coherence.
The pope prayed in the chapel reminiscent of the evangelizers of the country, St. Cyril and St. Methodius. St. John Paul II named them the patrons of Europe.
These saints translated the Bible into a language the Slavs could understand. Thus, the pope asked for Churches today to also use a language that people can understand.
Then the pope went outside the cathedral, where he greeted many sick people.
He delivered his first religious speech. In it, Pope Francis asked to take seriously the consequences of the resurrection of Jesus.
POPE FRANCIS
'When you feel you are growing old out of sorrow, resentment or fear, doubt or failure, He will always be there to restore your strength and your hope.'
There the pope also greeted Muslim and Jewish representatives, who are also present in the country.
One of the protagonists was this religious sister, who asked the pope for rosaries for her entire community. The pope was amused, and gave her a good handful.
