Vatican City, May 26, 2008 / 09:12 am
The feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius brought delegations from Bulgaria and Macedonia to the Vatican on Saturday as they honored the memory of the two missionaries to the Slavs.
Pope Benedict XVI first received Nikola Gruevski, prime minister of Macedonia, in an audience, and then Ivajlo Kalfin, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the Republic of Bulgaria.
In his words to the Macedonians, the Pope said that the "shining spiritual witness" of Sts. Cyril and Methodius "points to a perennial truth which must be rediscovered to an ever greater degree: only when hope comes from God, is it trustworthy and secure."
The Holy Father also called the Macedonians to imitate Jesus’ example of "tirelessly dedicate themselves to laying the foundations of friendly coexistence among peoples, respecting the rights of each and seeking the good of everyone." This call from the Pope takes on particular relevance as Macedonia enters into its parliamentary elections, which have been marked by violence in recent weeks.