Bulgarian Orthodox Church Restores Liturgical Commemoration of Czar Simeon II

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church’s governing body, the Holy Synod, has decided to include a blessing for Simeon Saxe-Coburg as “His Majesty Simeon II, Tsar of the Bulgarians” in public and private worship.

The proposal was made to the Holy Synod by Nikolai, Metropolitan of Plovdiv.

Born in 1937, Saxe-Coburg became king of Bulgaria in 1943 after the sudden death of his father, Boris III.

Because he was a minor, there was a regency of three. On the communist takeover in Bulgaria at the end of World War 2, a “People’s Court” process was initiated which led to thousands of deaths, including the execution of the regents.

Saxe-Coburg and his family went into exile. A referendum in 1946, under communist rule and with Soviet troops still present in Bulgaria, was said officially to have produced a result of 97 per cent in favour of the abolition of the monarchy.

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See also the announcement on the website of the BOC, which contrary to the English news story is still up.

Axios!

Bulgaria: Bomb kills four Israeli tourists

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- An explosion on a bus carrying Israeli tourists at an airport in Burgas killed at least four people and injured at least 30 others, Bulgarian authorities said.

Bulgarian officials could not confirm the deadly blast was terror-related but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran.

"Iran is responsible for the terror attack in Bulgaria, we will have a strong response against Iranian terror," said Netanyahu in a statement, according to Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper.

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Another 'vampire' skeleton found in Bulgaria

Another centuries-old skeleton of a man who was subjected to a ritual to stop him from turning into a vampire was unearthed in central Bulgaria Tuesday, archaeologist Nikolay Ovcharov said.

"The skeleton was tied to the ground with four iron clamps, while burning ambers were placed on top of his grave," Ovcharov told AFP.

The bones of a man in his thirties have yet to be dated but are at least several centuries old, said the archaeologist.

"This man is not a vampire but was subjected to this pagan superstition-driven ritual to prevent him from becoming one after his death," he explained.

The bones were found during excavations in a monastery courtyard in the central town of Veliko Tarnovo, where Ovcharov had already unearthed another skeleton with tied hands and subjected to similar rites a few years ago.

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"This man is not a vampire..."
Well of course he isn't after they did all that stuff. Silly scientists...