Relics of Batak New Martyrs Given to Bulgarian Orthodox Church

The government of the Bulgarian town of Batak has transferred care of the relics of the recently glorified New Martyrs of Batak from the Batak Historical Museum to the care of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church's Eparchy of Plovdiv. More here.

Batak Celebrates Its New Martyrs

Celebrations in Bulgaria honoring the recently glorified New Martyrs of Batak have concluded. Representatives of the Constantinopolitan, Alexandrian, Antiochian, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Romanian, Cypriot, Greek, Albanian, Polish, Czechoslovak, and American Orthodox Orthodox Churches participated in the celebratory services, while the Bulgarian government, to mark the occasion, returned Holy Resurrection Church in Batak to the care of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. More (in Bulgarian) here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Visits Bulgaria

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has begun a visit to Bulgaria to meet with the leadership of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and participate in the celebrations commemorating the newly glorified Bulgarian New Martyrs of Batak. More (in Russian) here.

Batak Prepares to Celebrate the New Martyrs

Yesterday Metropolitan Nikolai of Plovdiv made a visit to Holy Resurrection Church in Batak, Bulgaria, to wash and anoint the relics of the Batak New Martyrs of the Ottoman Yoke recently glorified by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. On Monday a ceremony will be held in Batak's main square to welcome an icon of the New Martyrs, after which the hierarchy of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and guest hierarchs from abroad will celebrate the Divine Liturgy in honor of the New Martyrs. More here.

New Martyrs of Batak Glorified in Sofia

This past Sunday the glorification of the New Martyrs of Batak and the Turkish Yoke was celebrated in the patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander of the Neva in Sofia, Bulgaria. Patriarch Maxim (Minkov) of Sofia led the services, which were concelebrated by 10 diocesan metropolitans and 13 auxiliary bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

In addition to the concelebrating hierarchs, President Georgi S. Parvanov of Bulgaria and the representatives of the Russian and Romanian Orthodox Churches in Sofia as well as of the Zographou Monastery on Mount Athos also participated in the services. More here (in Bulgarian) and here (in English).

Bulgarian Orthodox Church Glorifies Batak New Martyrs

At its session last week the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church glorified the New Martyrs of Batak who suffered under the Turkish Yoke. The formal glorification will take place at the services for the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder. More on that here. The New Martyrs were glorified 5 years ago by the Bulgarian Old Calendrist Orthodox Church in communion with the Greek Orthodox Synod in Resistance, but the connection (if any) between that decision and this one hasn't been established.