Bulgaria joins World in Grief for Pope

Bulgarian Catholics and Orthodox Christians gathered Sunday for massed served to honour late Pope John Paul II.

A special mass was served at Saint Joseph Cathedral in Sofia by the Apostolic Nuncio to Bulgaria Giuseppe Leanza to honour the life and death of the Holy Father. A book of condolences will be opened on Monday at the Vatican's Embassy to Bulgaria.

The Bulgarians shall always remember our meetings with Pope John Paul II, when he showed deep respect and warm feelings for our people, President Georgi Parvanov wrote in a letter of condolences he sent to the Vatican in the wake of the death of Pope John Paul II.

I will remember for the rest of my life the one-to-one meeting that I had with him and the truth he uttered that he has never believed in the so-called Bulgarian connection in the assassination attempt against him, the letter reads.

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg also joined the worlds' mourning over the death of the Pope, expressing his deep sadness of the tragic event. Bulgaria's prime minister said in his letter of condolences that he still remembered his first meeting with the pontiff back in 1983, when Pope John Paul II expressed his special attitude towards the people from Southeastern Europe in Bulgarian language.

The world lost one charismatic person, a peace ambassador loved and cherished by all people, Parliamentary Speaker Borislav Velikov wrote in his letter sent to the Vatican.

All Bulgarians keep Pope John Paul II in the their hearts, reads a condolences letter sent by the Bulgaria Foreign Minister Solomon Passy. Pope John Paul II was a great humanist, freedom fighter, religious leader and reformer. He was a bridge between two eras, two worlds and two centuries, Bulgaria's foreign minister wrote.