Patriarch Neophyte Receives French Ambassador  Eric Lebedel

Sofia, January 26 (BTA) - Patriarch Neophyte received the Ambassador of France here, Eric Lebedel, on Thursday, the Holy Synod said.

Patriarch Neophyte expressed the commiseration of the Bulgarian people and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the wake of the terrorist attacks in France. All the people prayed for God to help support the sufferers and the people who lost their relatives, as well as to do so that such evil may not be repeated, he said. The sides underscored that terror is doing everything in its power to radicalize people and confront Christians and Muslims, but that in Bulgaria the people of different denominations live in peace.

Ambassador Lebedel showed interest in the place and role of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Bulgarian society and congratulated Patriarch Neophyte on the recent nomination of the church for the Nobel Peace Prize. He also expressed support for this nomination.

Patriarch Neophyte expressed appreciation of the attention and support for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church which was nominated for saving Bulgarian Jews from the Nazi death camps in World War II.