The National Assembly President Tsetska Tsacheva took  part on 23 November 2014 in the festivities marking  the 90th anniversary of the patriarchal  cathedral “St. Alexander Nevski” ‘s consecration.

She attended the solemn mass led by His Holiness Neofit – Patriarch of Bulgaria, with the participation of the Metropolitan of Sofia and the rest of Bulgaria’s metropolitans - members of the Saint Synod. We are blessed that right when we celebrate the 90th year since the consecration of the three thrones in “St. Alexander Nevski”, after almost 100 years of debates about the ownership of the cathedral, the matter found out its most natural solution and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has become the lawful owner of the patriarchal cathedral, said during his liturgy Patriarch  Neofit. We mark the 90th year since the consecration of “St. Alexander Nevski” – a symbol of our historic memory and the Christian Orthodox identity of the Bulgarian people, a natural focal place of the church and social life in our country, the patriarch added. He stressed that the present patriarchal cathedral had been intended as a memorial church, as a place “for prayers to the Almighty and for the well-being of the Tsar Liberator and his people, for prayers for the souls of the heroes, of those who perished for the liberation of Bulgaria.

The religious temple had been under construction and iconographic works almost half a century – from the time of the decision taken by the Grand National Assembly up to its inauguration in September 1924, his Holiness has said. He thanked all people who by their efforts and in cooperation with the Saint Synod have contributed to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church taking over the ownership of the cathedral. Patriarch Neofit said a prayer: “Let us all be blessed by God, so that in mutual understanding and love, and spirit to work for the benefit of our Fatherland and the Bulgarian people.”

The solemn liturgy went for two hours and was also attended by Vice-Premier Ivaylo Kalfin, by the Mayor of Sofia city Yordanka Fandukova, by the former President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov, by the former premiers Georgi Bliznashki and Reneta Indzhova, by politicians and laymen.