On the occasion of the feast of St. John the Baptist, patron of the Order of Malta, the Embassy participated in a special mass of gratitude for the work of the Order in Bulgaria. It was celebrated by Msgr. Rumen Stanev, auxiliary bishop of the Sofia-Plovdiv diocese, who recalled the message of the Holy Father to the members of the Order for this year. He stated that just as Jesus told John’s disciples that by their fruits they would know whether he was the Messiah, so too the Order of Malta is known by its fruits.
On June 26, in the beautiful setting of the Vrana Palace, the Embassy’s reception on the occasion of the feast of St. John was held. The event was attended by nearly 300 official guests, including H.M. King Simeon II, H.R.H. Prince Boris, Queen Margarita, the Apostolic Nuncio Msgr. Luciano Suriani and Ambassadors and diplomats from over 35 countries. The Ambassador also welcomed Msgr. Petko Valov, Bishop of the Diocese of “John XXIII”, Msgr. Strahil Kavalenov, Bishop of the Diocese of Nikopol, Msgr. Hristo Proykov, Bishop Emeritus, religious from the Catholic Church, representatives of the Orthodox Church, MEPs, judges from the Sofia District Court, businessmen, Boyko Vassilev, host of Panorama on BNT, other journalists, university professors and artists. Also many diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from the Ministry of Culture, Mila Nenova, Director of the Bulgarian Investment Agency, managers, athletes, Roberto Santorelli, President of Confindustria Bulgaria, Emanuil Patashev, Secretary General of Caritas Bulgaria, representatives of foreign Chambers of Commerce. In his speech, H.E. Ursula Hofter Zuccoli emphasized the wonderful bilateral relations between Bulgaria and the Order of Malta, which she would like to further strengthen, as well as the ever-outstretched hand of the Bulgarian institutions and, above all, the sincere friendship of the Bulgarian people. She quoted the words of the Holy Father in his message to the Order and raised a toast to the health of the Grand Master. Finally, the Ambassador thanked the volunteers and sponsors of the Order.
