Friday and Saturday declared Days of Mourning in Memory of late Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria

The Council of Ministers will take a decision today to declare 15 March (Friday) and 16 March (Saturday) as days of national mourning to pay tribute to the memory of His Holiness the Patriarch of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia, Neophyte.

"We already have an agreement with the Holy Synod. At their request, tomorrow and the day after, Friday and Saturday, will be days of mourning," outgoing Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov said after offering his condolences at the Synodal Palace.

At an extraordinary meeting on the occasion of the death of His Holiness Patriarch Neophyte on March 13, the Holy Synod decided that on Friday, March 15, at 9.00 a.m., the body of the Holy Patriarch will lie in state in the Patriarchal Cathedral “St. Alexander Nevski”, allowing the faithful to pay their respects.

Funeral service for late Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte to be held on Saturday

On 16 March, Saturday, at 9.30 a.m., a funeral service will be held. After the service, a procession will proceed to “Saint Nedelya” Cathedral, where the Patriarch will be laid to rest.

Because of the days of mourning, Bulgaria’s President, Rumen Radev, postponed the planned handing over of the first exploratory mandate for forming a government, which was scheduled for tomorrow. The President will hand over the mandate on Monday, March 18, at 12 noon.