Priest Maxim from the Kykkos Monastery – with love and care for Bulgaria

Pilgrims from all over the world flock daily to the Troodos Mountains to worship the miraculous icon of the Holy Mother of God, known as the “Merciful” in Kykkos Monastery in Cyprus. And it is especially lively during the major Christian holidays. Many Bulgarians also visit the monastery.

We also find a "Bulgarian trace" in the modern development of the monastery and this is Father Maxim. He is Bulgarian by father and Cypriot by mother, a graduate of the Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, and is often invited to the Bulgarian Sunday School "Rodna Stryaha" in Cyprus.

"Before I finished 12th grade I told myself that I wanted to move to the monastery," Father Maxim says. "I lived here for nearly 8 months, and then they sent me to study theology. I passed the exams in Thessaloniki. But with one of the brothers in Kykkos, Metropolitan Isaiah, we visited the Plovdiv Metropolitanate. There, with the blessing of Metropolitan Nikolay, I enrolled in the Plovdiv University. After graduating, I had doctorate in Moscow, returned to Cyprus and in 2021 I became a monk. Shortly after, Metropolitan Nikiforos, who saw certain qualities in me, promoted me to the highest administrative position - cellarer of the central monastery. As such, I am responsible for welcoming guests, for nearly 100 workers who are part of the 250-member monastery staff, as well as for the economic activities and for everything that concerns the management of the monastery.”

Although the Kykkos Monastery is stauropegic, it is only spiritually subordinate to the Holy Synod of the Cypriot Orthodox Church. Economically it is completely independent of it. Therefore, all the income generated remains for the needs of the monastery. With it, it supports itself, but also carries out a number of other activities for the benefit of society. It supports poor families, maintains its own social institutions - a home for the elderly, for children and for people with disabilities, supports the work of other social organizations. The Kykkos Monastery has its own police, fire department, emergency medical service, a museum with 9 shops and its own farms.

"The monastery is not ascetic. We are an open monastery and we have social monasticism. We are open to every single person – to guests, to pilgrimage groups, to tourists. The monastery opens its doors at 4:30 in the morning and receives visitors until 6:30 in the winter and until 7:30 in the summer months. We have no restrictions. And this is what makes our monastery special. It is open to any activities that put the person at the center."

In fact, the monastery played a similar role in the first years after its founding. The legend of the miraculous icon, which is now kept in Kykkos, is also connected with this.

"In the 11th century, even before the temple and monastery were built, a monk named Isaiah lived here. He was ascetic person. Byzantine rulers often came to him. The military governor of the Cypriot part of the empire Emmanuel Votomid met the monk and received enlightenment from the Virgin Mary - that they should transfer the icon of the Virgin Mary Merciful from Constantinople to Kykkos, in the years before the Franks entered and plundered everything. Emmanuel and Isaiah went to the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos. However, he did not believe that this was enlightenment from the Virgin Mary. And she appeared to him. After that, he handed over the icon and provided land for the construction of the monastery and all its courtyards.”

In addition to being personally connected to Bulgaria, Father Maxim is also visited by many Bulgarian compatriots living in Cyprus. He himself teaches religion in one of the Bulgarian Sunday schools. He tells us that Bulgaria is something very dear and valuable to him. He loves to communicate with Bulgarian priests, as well as with people who visit Cyprus. But, it turns out, Bulgaria is also a sore subject for Father Maxim.

"I am not happy with the condition of Bulgaria and I am not happy with the way the politicians act," he tells us. "I am not happy with the way the laity act. But I am happy with the way the church acts, because it tries to work as much as it is allowed to. The statesmen must understand that if they do not help the church, the Bulgarian people will not see prosperity. I am happy and see the actions of the Bulgarian hierarchs, who work hard and diligently and I pray that God will give them strength. Bulgarians must know that wherever we are - in USA, Canada, Australia, Cyprus, Spain or Italy, we remain Bulgarians. And we are hurt by what is happening. And we pray for the prosperity and spiritual growth of the Bulgarian state and the Bulgarian people."

According to Father Maxim, the path to prosperity is when even young children grow up in communion with God. And so he opens the discussion about religious education in school.

"Religious education in schools is a very important part. It must be understood that it can only bring good," Father Maxim says. "When the children grow up, they will have that seed that God can water and thus the child will turn into a beautiful person."

We ask Father Maxim about the experience of Cyprus

"The Church has always played an important role. That is why religious education is part of the DNA of Cypriot education. And for every important decision regarding the curriculum, the Ministry of Education consults the Cypriot Church… The Church is the foundation of every Christian state. Its language may sometimes be sharp, but we must listen, because the hierarchs speak what Christ spoke."

How do the Bulgarian children from the Sunday school where Father Maxim teaches perceive the word of God?

"What I see is that even children from mixed marriages show interest. When I go to teach, all the children come, even the parents. This is a message that tells us that people are looking for God. Children also want to learn. But it is important to have a good program that does not burden them and that everything comes with age. Bulgarians here are very open to theological thought, as long as everything is done carefully, with love and without criticism. The children are the same."