The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences awarded Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, with the “Medal of Distinction of the President of BAS” at a ceremony held at the Academy on November 12. The President of the Academy, Corr. Memb. Evelina Slavcheva, presented the award “for his contribution and efforts to establish peace and justice and to build a culture of peace.”
In the “Prof. Marin Drinov” Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa delivered a Lectio Magistralis on “Peace on earth, which all men of every era have most eagerly yearned for.”
The President of BAS, Corr. Memb. Evelina Slavcheva, greeted the organizers, participants, and guests. “This forum is being held at a time when peace and peaceful measures for conflict resolution are being put to the test on a global scale. The issue of diplomacy and understanding as a tool for achieving consensus, resolving conflicts, and establishing a just and peaceful world order is more relevant than ever,” she said, adding that the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences was traditionally giving due attention to those issues and provided a platform for discussions on them.
In her welcoming speech, Corr. Memb. Slavcheva noted that for more than a decade the Academy’s hall had been hosting international forums where, through the means of scientific diplomacy, sensitive, important, and pressing issues of our world and our civilization were debated. “Today’s event is a natural continuation of our sustained efforts to develop academic diplomacy and preserve peace,” she emphasized. The President of BAS expressed her gratitude to His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa for the great honor of accepting the invitation to deliver his lecture and his message from the capital of Bulgaria, from the high chair of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
During the event, greetings were made by the Apostolic Nuncio to Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, Archbishop Luciano Suriani, the President of the Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Church in Bulgaria, Bishop Petko Valov, and the Metropolitan of Western and Central Europe, Anthony, of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has been in Bulgaria at the invitation of Assoc. Prof. Kiril Kartalov, corresponding member of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences who holds a PhD in Philosophy from the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of BAS. “Peace on earth, which all men of every era have most eagerly yearned for.” Thus begins one of the fundamental texts of the modern era dedicated to peace – the Pacem in Terris encyclical signed more than 60 years ago,” he recalled in his greeting. “Today’s event aims to be a moment of reflection on its impact, to confirm its relevance and to mobilise, through scientific diplomacy, efforts to promote peace, justice and human rights and obligations in the modern world,” Assoc. Prof. Kartalov said.
