The National Assembly has honored today with a minute of silence the memory of His Holiness Patriarch Maxim.

At the beginning of the plenary sitting the President of the National Assembly, Mrs. Tsetska Tsacheva, noted the sad news of the previous day has plunged in grief the Bulgarian people and all orthodox Christians in the country. “For decades the personality of the beloved Bulgarian Patriarch has embodied the spiritual mission and historic role of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. He was leading the church with wisdom, dignity and goodness”, the head of the parliament underscored. “Patriarch Maxim will be remembered as a flawless clergyman, partisan of the unity of the Church, a great patriot and an inspired defender of the Orthodox Christian religion and truth”, Mrs Tsacheva added. “Under the leadership of His Holiness, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has always stand by the temporal power – in prayer and for advice, offering reason and benevolence”, she concluded.

The Parliament has canceled the sitting on 9 November, 2012 in connection with the national day of mourning for the death of Patriarch Maxim. The sitting to be held on 16 November 2012 will be dedicated to parliamentary oversight only.