Bulgaria’s main Orthodox cathedral on Friday displayed a jaw, arm bones and a tooth said to be relics of John the Baptist, in a move state officials hope will boost tourism to the Black Sea resort where they were found.
Prominent politicians and simple believers flocked to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia to view the remains, which were found near the town of Sozopol in July.
John the Baptist, who is revered in Christianity and Islam, announced the coming of Jesus and baptized him in the River Jordan. The Gospels say King Herod had John beheaded at the request of his stepdaughter Salome after she danced for him.
Photo: REUTERS
“About 150,000 people have -visited Sozopol since the relics were found,” Bulgarian Minister without Portfolio Bozhidar Dimitrov, who has already predicted a tourist boom for the region, told journalists outside the cathedral.
The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Amiens Cathedral in France and a church in Rome are among the places claiming to have relics of John the Baptist. As with most ancient relics, their authenticity cannot be verified.
Relics have long played a key role in religious tourism, especially in the Middle Ages when European bishops built lofty cathedrals to display remains brought back from the Crusades.
Archeologists found the remains in an alabaster box on the Black Sea island of Sveti Ivan (Saint John), near Sozopol, and a commission of archeologists, church and state officials — including historian Dimitrov — declared them genuine relics.
Kazimir Popkonstanov, the chief excavator, said a Greek inscription found on the box contained the words “John” and “June 24,” the birthdate of John the Baptist.
Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church said there was no need for the remains to be subject to any scientific testing.
“The relics possess great spiritual power,” said Bishop Yoanikiy of Sliven, the local diocese. “The relics are great spiritual wealth therefore we must treat them with reverence.”
Before joining a procession to the cathedral, Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov announced new funds for church renovation and infrastructure investment in Sozopol.
“The finance minister emphasized that, in times of economic crisis, the funds provided are a wise investment with a guaranteed return which will boost the development of the region through cultural, historical and religious tourism,” a statement on the ministry’s Web site said.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov also hailed the discovery and donated a box made of gold and silver to hold the relics.
Tourism is one of Bulgaria’s few sources of foreign revenue, accounting for about 8 percent of GDP. Income from tourism was stable last year despite the economic crisis.
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