For today's celebration of the great Christian feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Bulgarian and Macedonian Metropolitans celebrated the Holy Liturgy in the Metropolitan Church of St. Marina in Plovdiv. This is the first joint service with clergy from the Macedonian Orthodox Church after it became independent, reports BNR correspondent Kremena Daneva.

"After a 55-year hiatus, the dioceses of our south-western neighbour and brotherly country are once again connected with all Orthodox churches," said Plovdiv Metropolitan Nikolai, at whose invitation Metropolitan Timothy of Debarsko-KichNovinevo and Metropolitan Hilarion of Bregalnica are in the country. Bulgarian Metropolitans Anthony, Cyprian and Yakov also participated in the solemn service in the Church of St. Marina in Plovdiv.