On June 27, the international scientific conference “Diplomacy and Hospitaller Mission”, organized by the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta and the Faculty of History of Sofia University, took place in the Aula of the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Greeting messagers were presented by the Dean of the Faculty of History – Prof. Mira Markova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Angelieva and Ambassador Ursula Hofter Zuccoli. In the first panel, Prof. Umberto Castanino Berlinghieri examined “The Sovereign Order of Malta as an international subject in diplomatic history”, while Prof. Kiril Kartalov presented “Knights and Pilgrims: The Order of Saint John between militia sacra and cura peregrinorum”.
In the second panel, the activity of the Order of Malta in Bulgaria was recalled from different points of view: that of the Catholic Church with speakers Msgr. Strahil Kavalenov, Bishop of Nikopol, Msgr. Petko Valov, eparch of the eparchy “John XXIII” and Father Yaroslav Babik, parish priest of the co-cathedral church “St. Joseph in Sofia” followed by the story about the donations of hospital equipment by Darinka Vladova, advisor to the President for the “Bulgarian Christmas” initiative. Deeply touching was the presentation for the Embassy’s cooperation with the social services for children from Dupnitsa, led by Krasimira Alexandrova. At the end of her presentation, the children sang the song “For Friendship” and were joined by Ambassador Hofter Zuccoli. At the end Bogdan Patashev, Bulgarian Ambassador to the Holy See and the Order of Malta and a long-time diplomat at the Embassy of the Order of Malta summarized the conference.