The new cathedral of St. Joseph was consecrated in the Bulgarian capital on 21 May. It has been erected exactly on the same site as the old cathedral, destroyed during the bombardments of the Second World War. During the Communist regime, the authorities never gave permission for the construction of a new church, and so for over 60 years the faithful were forced to worship in a theatre. Construction of the new cathedral began on 2 July 2002. The church can contain a congregation of 350. The solemn mass was officiated by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano and concelebrated by three Bulgarian Catholic bishops. Institutional authorities and representatives of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Muslim community were also present: Metropolitan Neophit, the secretary of the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Naum, and deputy muftì Shelom Ali. “Our joy today is great – said Bishop Gheorghi Jovcev of Sofia-Plovdiv – because now we can worthily celebrate our liturgy”. “This cathedral recalls our past”, said the President of the Bulgarian Bishops’ Conference, the Most Rev. Hristo Projkov: “We cannot forget those who bore the cross, our martyrs, because it is also thanks to them that we are able to experience this joy today”. “The new church is a source of great joy for all Christians”, declared Orthodox Metropolitan Neophit, in presenting an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the cathedral. According to the parish priest of the cathedral, Father Cristoforo Kujok, “Sofia now resembles a small Jerusalem: the synagogue, mosque, Orthodox cathedral and Catholic cathedral are situated in the same quadrilateral”. “Even without entering the political arena, the Church – maintained Cardinal Angelo Sodano – can give a soul to this Europe. I am sure Bulgaria too will contribute to a new Europe”.
