Patriarch Daniil and the Bulgarian church delegation he leads visited the site of Christ's baptism on the River Jordan and the spring of St John the Baptist today, the Bulgarian Patriarchate said. There the patriarch prayed for Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria and around the world.

The Patriarchate said this is Daniil's first peacetime visit to the Jerusalem Patriarchate. He traveled at the invitation of Jerusalem patriarch Theophilos III, after a decision by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The visit began on September 25, when he arrived in Israel, and runs until September 30.

The river is honored as the place where St John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ. The Epiphany hymn was sung there in Greek and Church Slavonic. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad joined the two patriarchs on the tour of the river.

The delegation was welcomed at the Church of St John the Baptist, where patriarchs Daniil and Theophilos prayed for the soul of Prince Kardam of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. His memorial plaque stands in front of the church.

The spring of St John the Baptist is believed to be where the Forerunner once lived. The site is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and caves once inhabited by hermits still survive there.

The delegation also visited the Orthodox Theological University of the Jerusalem Patriarchate in Jordan, where they were shown the history of its founding and told about its goals and work. They also toured the library. At a reception in the university hall, patriarch Daniil gave Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad a replica of the Panagyurishte gold treasure and wished him success in protecting the country's cultural heritage.

Patriarch Theophilos gave the Bulgarian patriarch the Order of the Cross of the Holy Sepulchre, the ancient Patriarchate's highest honor.

The delegation includes Metropolitan Ioan of Varna and Veliki Preslav, Metropolitan Serafim of Nevrokop and Bishop Gerasim of Melnik, along with the Holy Synod's chief secretary, protodeacon Dr. Deyan Korunoski, and the patriarch's adviser and interpreter, Dr. Alexander Smochevski. Other members are also part of the group.