Vidin diocese

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Vidin Diocese is the diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church based in Vidin. The archdiocese of the Archbishopate (managing relevant spiritual districts) in Belogradchik, Berkovitsa, Lom and Tower.

History

For the first time, Christianity was preached in the region, not by anyone, but by the apostle Andrew (of the twelve apostles, brother of the apostle Peter). This happened during the trip of the apostle from Byzantium to Great Scythia, South Russia. The Apostle Andrei has passed through Little Scytia, Lower Miziya and Mediizem Dakia (earths located in today's districts Dobrudzha and Pre-Balkan Bulgaria. He ordained bishops and presbyterians everywhere - for this testimony holy Ippolit in his short writing, written in 222. According to the author, the apostle Andrew preached to the Scythians and Thracians and was then crucified in Patros of Ajai (probably today's Greek city of Patra). The works of the apostle Andrew also speak of Origen (200 - 258 C.E.) and St. Dorotheus. Later, various authors also told about St. Andrew, which speaks of the immense popularity of this person at the beginning of the first millennium. Bishop Epiphanius of Cyprus (408), Archbishop of Evigrius (449), Isidor of Italy (636) and Nikita of Peflagon in their writings, mention several times the visits of the Apostle Andrew to the Vidin region.

After the death of the apostle Andrew, Christianity spread around the Danube by his disciples. More famous than them are Menan, Irin and Pin. Their work and martyrdom were spoken of in Sinaxara from 1340, located in the Moscow Synodal Library. This piece says: "These holy beashas of the rocky northern countries, the disciples of the holy apostle Andrea, and the educating Christs, many of the gongs, the doom of the straight courses and the screams; it was rad that the prince was of the puganogo, and a very far-fetched beast cast away the Christ and the graven idol, and did not conquer with..." We publish this text for visitors who understand and are interested in Cherkovnoslavian. These early Christians were also killed by the cruelty of ancient Rome. Gradually, however, the new religion was gaining more and more followers and establishing church municipalities in many cities: Odesos (Varna), Tommy (on Dobrudja on the Black Sea coast), Markianopolis (today in ruins on the banks of Devna Lake), Dorostol (Silistra), Avristo (Pliska), Nikopolis (between Tutrakan and Ruse), Nais (Nish), Remesiana (now Bela Palanka), Raciaria and many others. During persecution against Christianity, these churches have given countless martyrs. However, these were cities from the deep province (god high, king far) and the new religion quickly gathered tens of thousands of followers.

In 326 C.E., Emperor Constantine the Great transferred the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium (in the new capital Constantinople the city bears his name) and paid great attention to the tribes of the Balkan Peninsula. The emperor made it his goal for all of them to accept Christianity. Since then, half-o