Sleeping of the Mother of God (Greek-Catholic Cathedral of Sofia)

Marian Advocation of Sofia (Sofia)
Recognized by the Church

The Bulgarian Byzantine Catholic Church is a sui iuris Eastern Catholic Church, in communion with Rome, which follows the constantinopolitan liturgical tradition and uses the ecclesiastical Slavus. It is organized as eparchia of St. John XXIII of Sofia, immediately subject to the Holy See. His formation dates back to the 19th century, when Orthodox groups sought union with Rome while preserving the Byzantine rite.

Main data

Origin and history

The Bulgarian Byzantine Catholic Church is a sui iuris Eastern Catholic Church, in communion with Rome, which follows the constantinopolitan liturgical tradition and uses the ecclesiastical Slavus. It is organized as eparchia of St. John XXIII of Sofia, immediately subject to the Holy See. His formation dates back to the 19th century, when Orthodox groups sought union with Rome while preserving the Byzantine rite.

The image and the sanctuary

The eparchia is based in the Cathedral of the Sleep of the Mother of God in Sofia, dedicated to the eastern Catholic equivalent of the Assumption. The temple collects the Marian tradition of its own, with iconostasis that includes the Theotokos and veneration of an icon of the Mother of God.

Sponsorship and coronation

The Sleeping of the Mother of God is the headline of the eparquial cathedral. There is no canonical coronation or civil patronage.

Party and devotion

The main feast is the Sleeping of the Mother of God on August 15, celebrated with great solemnity, processions and veneration of the icon. Other Byzantine Marian festivals are also held: Nativity of the Mother of God (8 September), Presentation in the Temple (21 November) and Annunciation (25 March). The devotion is fully official and liturgical, typical of the Byzantine-Bulgarian rite.

Link to the Rosary

El rosario latino no es la oración propia de esta tradición oriental; la piedad mariana bizantina se expresa sobre todo en himnos como el Akáthistos y en la veneración del icono. La espiritualidad eparquial presenta a María, en su Dormición, como «Madre de la unidad» entre Oriente y Occidente.