Bulgarian Council of Ministers Allocated Additional BGN 800 000 for the Reception of Pope Francis in Bulgaria

The government approved additional costs of 2019 for the organization and holding of the apostolic journey of His Holiness Pope Francis in Bulgaria on 5-7 May.

The official visit of the Vatican head of state and head of the Roman Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Francis in Bulgaria, is the first visit of the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church for 17 years. It is of great importance for establishing Bulgaria as a model for ethnic and religious tolerance and as an occasion for positive messages to the Bulgarian public for peace and prosperity, the press center of the Council of Ministers said.
 
His Holiness Pope Francis will perform an apostolic trip to Bulgaria from 5 to 7 May 2019 to congratulate the Bulgarian people and give every Bulgarian his blessing for peace and prosperity.

He will meet with representatives of the state authorities, His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch Neofit, the diplomatic corps and the civil society. Pope Francis will also meet with representatives of religious denominations and will visit the cities of Sofia and Rakovski during his visit.

The additional costs for 2019, which are approved by the governmental decree, amount to BGN 866,000. Of these, BGN 759,000 are allocated to the budget of the Council of Ministers. For the Ministry of Interior BGN 77,000 is foreseen and for the National security service - BGN 30,000. The funds are provided through restructuring of the expenditures / transfers to the central budget for the current year.