Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria, who also serves as Metropolitan of Sofia, has arrived in Jerusalem for his first official visit to the city at the invitation of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem.

The visit will continue through September 30, according to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The Bulgarian delegation includes Metropolitan John of Varna and Veliki Preslav, Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop and Bishop Gerasim of Melnik.

The delegation was officially welcomed at Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate, according to the website of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. From there, the Bulgarian representatives proceeded to the Church of the Resurrection, also known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Patriarch Theophilos welcomed Patriarch Daniel at the church. The two primates venerated the holy sites together, after which a thanksgiving service was celebrated at the Tomb of the Lord. Patriarch Daniel also read the Gospel account of the Resurrection in Bulgarian.

The official meeting between the two patriarchs took place at the residence of the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Patriarch Theophilos welcomed Daniel as the head of a sister Orthodox Church and emphasized the importance of the visit in strengthening ties between the Patriarchates of Jerusalem and Bulgaria.

Patriarch Daniel thanked Theophilos for the invitation and highlighted Bulgaria’s centuries-old spiritual connections with the Holy Land. He said that pilgrimages to Jerusalem’s holy sites have remained an important tradition for Bulgarian Orthodox Christians throughout the centuries.

Peace was a central theme of the Bulgarian patriarch’s address. He called on the faithful to pray for an end to conflict and violence in the Holy Land and around the world, while also stressing the need to preserve unity among the Orthodox Churches.

During the meeting, Patriarch Theophilos awarded Patriarch Daniel the Grand Cross of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop and Bishop Gerasim of Melnik also received distinctions from the order.

In the coming days, the Bulgarian delegation is scheduled to visit major Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and other parts of the Holy Land. On Sunday, Patriarchs Daniel and Theophilos III will jointly celebrate a solemn Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.