PM Borissov will be the first to welcome Pope Francis in Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will meet His Holiness Pope Francis at Sofia Airport on May 5th. The Holy Father arrives in Bulgaria on an apostolic journey that will last until May 7, when he will visit Sofia and the town of Rakovsky, the government press office announced on 3^rd of May.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister will welcome His Holiness as soon as he lands in the country. The two will hold a meeting, focusing on the established relationship and dialogue between Bulgaria and the Holy See and the willingness to continue to develop in order to contribute to the building of a more humane world in protection of the weak and vulnerable as well as to uphold Christian values and norms.

The motto of the Holy Father's apostolic journey is "Peace on Earth”, which is the title of an encyclical written in 1963 by Pope John XXIII. This shows Pope Francis' wish that his visit to Bulgaria be a sign of peace, to greet and bless all Bulgarians, to send messages of peace and prosperity to the world from our lands.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church comes at the invitation of the state authorities. He was invited by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov during his visit to the Vatican on 25 May 2018. At that time, the Bulgarian Prime Minister and the Holy Father held a one-to-one meeting, after which the Prime Minister handed an official invitation to Pope Francis.

After Sofia, Pope Francis will visit Skopje. His apostolic journey to Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia is the 29th since he was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church.