Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel is making his first official visit to Mount Athos

On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria arrived at Mount Athos for his first official visit since his election to the patriarchal throne in 2024. According to Vima Orthodoxias, the four-day trip will last until October 24 and is taking place at the invitation of the monastic community of the Bulgarian Zograf Monastery.

The highlight of the visit will be a tour of the Zograf Monastery, which serves as a key spiritual center for the Bulgarian monastic community. Within the monastery walls, Patriarch Daniel will lead an All-Night Vigil in memory of the 26 Zograf Martyrs, who died for their faith in Orthodoxy. The feat of these saints, who refused to renounce their faith, holds a special place in the spiritual heritage of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and in the life of the Mount Athos monastic community.

The Primate’s itinerary also includes meetings with representatives of the Holy Kinot, the administrative body of Mount Athos, as well as visits to a number of other monasteries. During the visit, Patriarch Daniel plans to venerate the holy relics and remains preserved in the monasteries and to hold personal meetings with the monks of Mount Athos. This trip underscores the unbreakable spiritual bond between the Bulgarian Church and the traditions of Mount Athos, strengthening interchurch relations at the highest level.

It should be recalled that earlier, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople expressed the view that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is capable of playing a key role in overcoming the existing differences between the Phanar and the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). The head of the Patriarchate of Constantinople emphasized that by maintaining good relations with both Moscow and Constantinople, the Bulgarian Church can contribute to the restoration of unity within global Orthodoxy.