Orthodox clergy, official, honour guards and people walk along with the coffin of the Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte during his funeral with honours procession, in Sofia, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Bulgarians have lined the streets of Sofia to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after the fall of communism in 1989. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Orthodox clergy, official, honour guards and people walk beside the coffin of the Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte during his funeral with honours procession, in Sofia, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Bulgarians have lined the streets of Sofia to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after the fall of communism in 1989. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Bulgarian Orthodox believers wait in line to pay their last respects to Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Friday, March 15, 2024. National mourning was declared by the Bulgarian government on March 15 and 16 to honour Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria. Neophyte who was the first elected head of the Orthodox Church in the post-communist Balkan country, died at a hospital in Sofia on March 13. He was 78. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
A believer pays her last respects to Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Friday, March 15, 2024.National mourning was declared by the Bulgarian government on March 15 and 16 to honour Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria. Neophyte who was the first elected head of the Orthodox Church in the post-communist Balkan country, died at a hospital in Sofia on March 13. He was 78. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Hundreds of people, officials and Orthodox Church Clergy attend the solemn holy liturgy and funeral service for the Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, in Sofia, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Bulgarians have lined the streets of Sofia to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after the fall of communism in 1989. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
A view of the body of Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte in a coffin during his funeral with honours procession, in Sofia, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Bulgarians have lined the streets of Sofia to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after the fall of communism in 1989. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
A Bulgarian Orthodox nun pays her last respects to Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Friday, March 15, 2024. National mourning was declared by the Bulgarian government on March 15 and 16 to honour Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria. Neophyte who was the first elected head of the Orthodox Church in the post-communist Balkan country, died at a hospital in Sofia on March 13. He was 78. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople Hundreds attends the solemn holy liturgy and funeral service for the Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, in Sofia, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Bulgarians have lined the streets of Sofia to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after the fall of communism in 1989. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Bulgarian Orthodox clergy walk beside the coffin of Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte during his funeral with honours procession in front of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, in Sofia, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Bulgarians have lined the streets of Sofia to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after the fall of communism in 1989. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Hundreds of people, officials and Orthodox Church Clergy attend the solemn holy liturgy and funeral service for the Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, in Sofia, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Bulgarians have lined the streets of Sofia to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after the fall of communism in 1989. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Bulgarian Orthodox Priests pay their last respects to Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Friday, March 15, 2024. National mourning was declared by the Bulgarian government on March 15 and 16 to honour Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria. Neophyte who was the first elected head of the Orthodox Church in the post-communist Balkan country, died at a hospital in Sofia on March 13. He was 78. .(AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Orthodox clergy carry the portrait of Patriarch Neophyte during his funeral with honours procession, in Sofia, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Bulgarians have lined the streets of Sofia to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after the fall of communism in 1989. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
A believer pays his last respects to Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Friday, March 15, 2024. National mourning was declared by the Bulgarian government on March 15 and 16 to honour Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria. Neophyte who was the first elected head of the Orthodox Church in the post-communist Balkan country, died at a hospital in Sofia on March 13. He was 78. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Hundreds of people, officials and Orthodox Church Clergy attend the solemn holy liturgy and funeral service for the Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Bulgarians have lined the streets of Sofia to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after the fall of communism in 1989. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)
Believers pay their last respects to Bulgarian patriarch Neophyte at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Friday, March 15, 2024. National mourning was declared by the Bulgarian government on March 15 and 16 to honour Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria. Neophyte who was the first elected head of the Orthodox Church in the post-communist Balkan country, died at a hospital in Sofia on March 13. He was 78. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)