The defence of Christian values in Bulgarian society, care for the poor and the weak, protection of the environment. The Bulgarian Orthodox church and the Catholic church could join forces in these areas, as announced in a press release by the Bulgarian Patriarchate during the meeting of the Bulgarian patriarch Neofit with the apostolic nuncio to Bulgaria and Macedonia, mgr. Anselmo Guido Pecorari, in the patriarch’s palace in Sofia last night. The papal delegate sent the patriarch the Holy Father’s fraternal greetings and repeated that Pope Francis is willing to accept a joint date to celebrate Easter that will be proposed by the Orthodox churches. On his part, Neofit stated he welcomed Francis’ journey to the United States. As they talked, they revealed that the secretary of state, cardinal Pietro Parolin, has planned to visit Bulgaria in January 2016. In addition, Neofit, the patriarch, thanked Rome’s Vicariate’s granting the church of St Paul to the Rule for the needs of Rome’s Orthodox community. They also talked about the situation of the refugees and the Episcopal Synod. They also placed emphasis on how important it is for relations between the Catholic Church and the Bulgarian Orthodox church that the Orthodox clergy take part in the delegation that meets the Pope for Saints Cyril and Methodius Day every year. ” “