Metropolitan Gregorios of Homs: May the Holy Trinity Protect Our Churches

In early December this year, His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregorios (Khoury) of Homs, visited Bulgaria for the second time and met with Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel at the Synodal Palace. Before travelling to the Plovdiv Diocese, where he was a guest for St Nicholas Day at the invitation of Metropolitan Nikolay, he gave a special interview to Radio Bulgaria, with the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe and the assistance of Bulgaria’s ambassador to the UAE, Ivan Yordanov.

We present the continuation of our conversation with Metropolitan Gregorios, who shares his impressions of Bulgaria and his meeting with His Holiness.

“For me, it was a great blessing to meet His Holiness Patriarch Daniil. I did not feel I was speaking to an ordinary person. I saw peace in his eyes and sincerity in his words and actions. With him, I felt I was in a place filled with calm and holiness. As he said, we must pray for one another.

In Syria, Christians are a small minority and face many challenges; in Bulgaria, although it is an Orthodox country, Christian practice is also limited. We must pray that the Holy Trinity watches over and protects our Churches,” said Metropolitan Gregorios, referencing Boris Denev’s painting “Tarnovo Bids Farewell to Patriarch Euthymius”. The painting depicts the farewell of the people to their beloved patriarch, who defended the last Bulgarian fortress against the Ottoman invasion. In that moving farewell, he entrusted the Bulgarian people to the care of the Holy Trinity—their hope and comfort through the next five centuries of trials.

This painting, displayed in the reception hall of the Synodal Palace, framed the conversation between Patriarch Daniil and Metropolitan Gregorios, reflecting on their shared history under Ottoman rule and the enduring power of faith. This may also explain Metropolitan Gregorios’ deep spiritual connection to Bulgaria.

“Even though I do not speak the language, I feel at home here. The architecture, the people, the atmosphere—it all feels familiar. I sense a spiritual presence that I cannot feel in France or elsewhere in Europe. The Orthodox faith shapes the community, the spirit, and the people.”

Is this because there are so many active churches and monasteries where the faith of the people is alive? Metropolitan Gregorios answers affirmatively. “It is the same faith that preserved our peoples through difficult histories. The same faith now supports Christians in the Holy Lands and the confessors of the Antiochian and Jerusalem Churches.”

At the end of the interview, Metropolitan Gregorios offered a blessing for the upcoming Christmas celebrations:

“I would like to wish, not only to Bulgarians but to all Orthodox Christians worldwide, that we allow our Lord Jesus Christ to enter our hearts. He respects our freedom, and if we give Him that space, we will be the happiest people in the world. In these challenging times, this is what we need most: to let Christ guide our lives and hearts. The Evil One, as Saint Peter said, prowls like a lion around the Church, and we need the Lord’s help to endure.

Thank you! I also thank your ambassador in the UAE and the Bulgarian Church, and I ask everyone to pray for the people and for Christians in the Antiochian Orthodox Church.”

Editor: Elena Karkalanova

Posted in English by E. Radkova