The pope's upcoming trip to Bulgaria and Macedonia from May 5 to 7 will be brief, but very intense.
1- COUNTRIES
Pope Francis is the first Bishop of Rome to visit North Macedonia and only Pope John Paul II has visited Bulgaria before. That trip was in 2002, three years before his death.
Approximately 60 percent of the people in these two countries are Orthodox Christian. In Macedonia, Muslims make up 30 percent of the population, while in Bulgaria they make up less than 10 percent. Catholics are a religious minority. Together with Protestant churches they barely make up 2 percent.
2 - WHAT WILL POPE FRANCIS DO IN BULGARIA?
Pope Francis will bring forth two major themes, those of ecumenism and the refugee crisis. Waves of refugees coming from the Middle East and Africa have caused tensions in this zone. Before then, Christians, Muslims and Jews were living harmoniously.
Pope Francis will pray in the shrine of Cyril and Methodius, patrons of Europe. He will visit a refugee camp and then participate in an inter-religious act for peace.
While there he will commerate Angelo Roncalli, who later became Pope John XXIII. He was an apostolic visitor in Bulgaria between 1925 and 1934. This was his first diplomatic assignment and it helped him greatly in the future, when he focused on ecumenism as pope.
3 - WHAT TO EXPECT IN NORTH MACEDONIA
North Macedonia is the birthplace of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Therefore, part of the trip will be dedicated to her.
After meetings with the country's public authorities, Pope Francis will visit the memorial dedicated to Mother Teresa. There, he will be accompanied by other religious leaders. As a concluding event, he will have a meeting with people experiencing homelessness.
The pope will also have a special ecumenical and inter-religious meeting. His interlocutors will not be spiritual leaders, instead they will be young people.
Pope Francis will continue traveling to this region of Europe throughout the year. His next visit will be in June, when he will go to Romania.
