Bulgaria's New Patriarch Visits Ailing Borisov in Hospital

Bulgaria's new Patriarch Neofit (left) visiting outgoing PM Borisov in the Lozenets Hospital. Photo by Council of Ministers press service

Bulgaria's resigning Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who has been hospitalized with a hypertensive crisis, has been visited in hospital by the new Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Neofit.

Borisov wished good luck to the newly elected Patriarch Neofit together with wishes that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church would assume a greater role in public life, the press service of the Bulgarian government reported.

"I will continue to help the church as I have been doing so far," Borisov stated.

The Patriarch presented Borisov with an icon of St. Tsar Boris the Baptizer, and inspected together volume one of the Chronicle of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church issued with the support of the Religions Directorate of the Council of Ministers.

Borisov is hospitalized in the Lozenets University Hospital; his hospitalization led the Council of Ministers to put off its meeting.

The Borisov Cabinet resigned last week amidst continuing protests against the excessive prices of power utilities and corruption.