Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is in Bulgaria from today for events marking 1,150 years since the birth and 1,080 years since the death of St John of Rila the Wonderworker. He is travelling with a delegation, the Bulgarian Patriarchate said.

This story follows our earlier report on Bartholomew's visit. On October 14 we reported that he would be in Bulgaria from October 17 to 19, with a programme that includes Sofia and the Rila Monastery.

At 5pm today, Patriarch Daniil and metropolitans of the Holy Synod will welcome him at the Synod Palace. An hour later, the two patriarchs will open the exhibition "Mount Athos in Sofia" at the National Palace of Culture.

The works are by the Greek artist Efthymios Varlamis (1942–2016), also known as Makis Varlamis. The exhibition is on the third floor of the National Palace of Culture and runs until November 15. It is under the patronage of the Sofia Holy Metropolis and the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which also helped with it.

Curator Pavlos Trochopoulos told BTA on October 13 that the show depicts the architecture of the Athonite monasteries and the life of the monks. He said its message is about peace, harmony and a different way of living. One of its main ideas is to let women, who are banned from visiting Mount Athos, feel its atmosphere through art. According to Trochopoulos, Makis Varlamis wanted to take Mount Athos beyond its geographic borders and let the public experience life in the monasteries.

Tomorrow at 9am, the Bulgarian patriarch will be welcomed at the patriarchal cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky, and Bartholomew at 9:15am. At 9:30am a solemn hierarchal Divine Liturgy begins, with both primates taking part in the prayers. At 12pm they will hold a trisagion, a short memorial prayer, at the grave of the late Bulgarian Patriarch Neofit.

On Monday at 9am, a festive patriarchal Divine Liturgy will be held at the Rila Monastery. St John of Rila the Wonderworker is the heavenly patron and protector of the Bulgarian people.

The Holy Synod invited Bartholomew to the celebrations in July, the Bulgarian Patriarchate said at the time. A church delegation went to Istanbul, led by Metropolitan Naum of Ruse. With him were Bishop Gerasim of Melnik, general secretary of the Holy Synod, and Dr Alexander Smochevski.

The delegation met Bartholomew and gave him the invitation, along with greetings from Patriarch Daniil and the Holy Synod. The meeting took place at the Church of St Nedelya in Kontoskali, where a solemn Divine Liturgy was held for the feast of the saint.