A group of 20 Bulgarian children, orphans of policemen and firemen who have lost their lives in the service to their country, will be at the general audience of the Pope on 17 October, accompanied by the President of the Bulgarian bishops, Archbishop Hristo Projkov, Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumen Petkov and the heads of the various security forces. Their visit to Rome forms part of a wider campaign, promoted by the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior in support of the children of policemen begun two years ago. The Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Maksim has also given his blessing to this visit to St. Peter’s. “We are very happy that these children will be able to see the Pope and that his blessing and the Lord’s grace may help alleviate their suffering”, said the Apostolic Nuncio in Bulgaria Msgr. Giuseppe Lenza. “Warm support” for the initiative has also been expressed by the President of the Bulgarian Bishops’ Conference Msgr. Hristo Projkov who at Easter had participated in a video together with exponents of all the confessions present in Bulgaria in support of children of members of the security forces who had lost their lives in active service.
