Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel presided over a solemn Divine Liturgy at Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos to mark the 750th anniversary of the martyrdom of the 26 Zograf martyrs. He became the first head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in half a century to visit the monastery, according to the Bulgarian Patriarchate.

The celebrations were preceded by an all-night vigil. Metropolitans and bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, monks and clergy concelebrated the liturgy with the patriarch. The hymns were performed by monks from the Burazeri Athonite cell and the choir of St. Naum of Ohrid.

Following the service, Zograf Monastery’s abbot, Archimandrite Gabriel, thanked Patriarch Daniel for attending the commemoration and emphasized the importance of remaining faithful to the Christian faith. He also stressed that genuine unity cannot be established through administrative decisions or commands, but must instead be rooted in spiritual life and Christian virtues.

In his address, Patriarch Daniel recalled the sacrifice of the 26 martyrs, who, according to Church tradition, chose death rather than renounce their religious convictions. Their example, he said, has continued to inspire Orthodox Christians from different countries for centuries.

“The monument erected at the site of the tower where they suffered bears the year 1276, which indeed marks 750 years since their martyrdom,” the patriarch noted. He added, however, that historical sources differ in their dating of the events.

According to Church tradition, the tragedy occurred amid a conflict between Orthodox monks on Mount Athos and supporters of ecclesiastical union with Rome. During the 1270s, Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos pursued efforts to bring the Church of Constantinople closer to the Roman Catholic Church.

Some Athonite monks strongly opposed these efforts. The monks of Zograf Monastery, according to Orthodox tradition, refused to accept the terms of the proposed union.

Twenty-six people — 22 monks and four laypeople — took refuge in the monastery’s tower. They died in a fire after supporters of the union set the structure ablaze.

The commemoration at Zograf Monastery honored their steadfastness in the face of persecution and reaffirmed the enduring significance of their sacrifice in the spiritual heritage of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the wider Orthodox world.