Pope Leo XIV sends blessing to all Bulgarians

Pope Leo XIV has sent his blessing to the Bulgarian people and expressed hope that Bulgaria would help build “bridges for peace”, National Assembly Speaker Mihaela Dotsova said after an audience with the pontiff at the Vatican.

Dotsova, who led a Bulgarian parliamentary delegation to the Vatican for May 24 celebrations honouring Saints Cyril and Methodius, said the meeting with the head of the Roman Catholic Church lasted longer than customary.

“We had an exceptionally warm and very frank meeting,” she told reporters, according to Bulgarian news agency BTA.

Dotsova said Pope Leo XIV viewed Bulgaria, situated at a crossroads between regions and cultures, as a potential contributor to peace efforts.

She added that she had invited the pope to visit Bulgaria and that he had pledged to continue the tradition established by his predecessors of visiting the country and delivering a message of peace and goodwill in person.

May 24 is celebrated in Bulgaria as the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture, and Slavic literature.