The centenary of the arrival of the icon of Our Lady, protector of Christian unity, was celebrated in Malko Tarnovo, a town in southern Bulgaria, 4 km from the Turkish frontier, last week. The icon is a copy of the famous Madonna of Chestokowa and was crowned by John Paul II during his visit to Bulgaria. “Ours is a difficult mission, and therefore we trust a great deal in the Madonna – Polish Resurrectionist Father Roman Kotewicz, who has worked in Bulgaria for fourteen years, told SIR -. It has always been difficult, given the isolation and the many years of repression under the regime”. However, Catholics of oriental rite and Orthodox live amicably together here; they also extend a warm welcome to the Turks that cross over the border. They too are awaiting the visit of Benedict XVI to Turkey, where many of them will go together with other Bulgarian groups (it’s 300 km from Malko Tarnovo to Istanbul). “We can contribute to Europe this model of peaceful co-existence between different religions and ethnic groups – says the President of the Bulgarian Bishops’ Conference Hristo Projkov -. Muslims in Bulgaria have always given proof of their respect for Christians. There are individual cases of tension arising from political and non-religious aspirations. In our parishes there are fountains built by Muslims and they honour our churches as sacred temples”. “We must not be afraid of Islam – says Msgr. Projkov – but dialogue and seek to understand each other”. With the approach of 1st January 2007, probable date of Bulgaria’s entry into the EU (pending the final report of the European Commission with final confirmation), “people are speaking every more frequently of the advantages and disadvantages that EU accession will bring. They are discussing the economy, trade, mobility, the chances of studying and working abroad, prices, but what’s lacking in the debate is any reference to European values. The spiritual vision is lacking, and Western consumerism is rapidly entering Bulgaria. But I hope that the European and Christian values that were at the basis of the Treaty of Rome signed fifty years ago will prevail”.
