«The Holy Father will probably come in May, but the Vatican has not yet confirmed it officially,» said Archbishop Antonio Menini, following a meeting in Sofia, the capital, with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passi on Wednesday. The Foreign Minister said that «the new Bulgarian government supports the visit and will make the greatest efforts» to receive the Pope.
In an open letter written last January, 75 Bulgarian intellectuals, including Passi, invited the Pope to visit Bulgaria in 2001, despite the objection of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
John Paul II is scheduled to visit Kazakhstan and Armenia next month.
