The meeting “The whole of religions and communities in Bulgaria – Public and diplomatic dimension”, organised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and attended by delegates of the six main religious confessions of Bulgaria, has taken place in Sofia today. The purpose of this Forum is to make Bulgaria known abroad as a country that stands out for its religious tolerance. The Catholic Church was represented by mgr. Petko Valov, President of the Episcopal Conference, and by mgr. Strahil Kavalenov, Bishop of Nicopolis. “The meeting brings together leaders and men of culture of Bulgaria’s confessions to exchange views on one of today’s most relevant issues – Elena Shekerletova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said  in her opening address –: living together, harmony and tolerance as an alternative to the clashes and conflicts that are increasing nowadays, raising concerns on a regional and global scale”.

Bulgaria’s Patriarch Daniil too sent a message, in which he emphasised “the call not just to ‘bear’ others but the call to love others”. “The purpose of religion is to unite, not to divide people”, the Grand Mufti of Bulgaria, Mustafa Hadzi, stated. The President of the Episcopal Conference, mgr. Petko Valov, described the Catholic community, which includes about 38 thousand people, and pointed out that “good neighbourly relations are typical of the Balkans, and in Bulgaria religious confessions meet, talk, interact with each other, build friendships”. In his report, mgr. Strahil Kavalenov mentioned a few key moments in the cooperation between communities of faith and religious tolerance.