For the first time in six centuries, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the ancient Basilica of the Holy Trinity (also known as the Church of Saint Sophia) in the historic Bulgarian city of Nesebar on May 18, 2025. The service, jointly conducted by clergy of the Bulgarian and Greek Orthodox Churches, marked the 100th anniversary of the forced exodus of Greeks from the city, once known as Mesembria.

The church, a UNESCO World Heritage site, dates back to the late 5th or early 6th century and once served as the cathedral of the local diocese during the Middle Ages. However, after being looted during the Crusades, it fell into disuse, and no liturgical services had been held there since the 13th century.

The commemorative service was initiated by Metropolitan Arseny of Sliven and presided over by Metropolitan Panteleimon of Maroneia and Komotini, representing the Church of Greece. They were joined by several Bulgarian hierarchs, including Metropolitans Nikolay of Plovdiv, Cyprian of Stara Zagora, and Bishop Sioniy of Velichka, along with numerous clergy from both countries.

A solemn procession featuring the revered icon of the Virgin Mary “Megariotissa” from the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos preceded the liturgy. Hundreds of pilgrims took part, including Greeks from Nea Mesembria in northern Greece — a village founded by refugees who were expelled from Nesebar during the population exchanges of 1925.

In his homily, Metropolitan Arseny reflected on the tragedy that unfolded a century ago, emphasizing the Church's enduring role as a spiritual refuge and a force for unity. “We never want such events to repeat… Secular politics may divide, but the Holy Orthodox Church unites. It has always been so and will remain so until the end of time,” he said. He noted that today’s Mesembria (Nesebar) is home not only to Bulgarians, but also to Greeks, Russians, Ukrainians, and others, all of whom can find solace in the Church as “the safest harbor in the stormy sea of life.”

The joint recitation of the Nicene Creed and the Lord’s Prayer in both Greek and Bulgarian was a symbolic moment of unity, bridging past and present.

The 1925 exodus of Greeks from Mesembria was part of a broader wave of forced population transfers between Bulgaria and Greece following the Balkan Wars and World War I. Under the terms of the Treaty of Neuilly (1919), Bulgaria agreed to a population exchange that led to the displacement of ethnic Bulgarians from northern Greece and Greeks from Bulgarian territories.

This weekend's service in Nesebar was not only a moment of remembrance but also a significant gesture of reconciliation and shared faith between two Orthodox communities bound by centuries of common spiritual heritage.