These days God is testing us, but our Holy Church will overcome this ordeal, Bulgaria's Holy Synod says in a statement.

It was included in the greetings of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church for the Saturday celebration of Patriarch Maxim's name day, read by the Plovdiv Bishop Nicholay.

The Holy Mass and the liturgy for His Holiness name day were held in the Sofia "St. Nedelya (Sunday)" Church and lasted about three hours.

Bishops Galaktion, Neofit, Yosif and Simeon did not attend the services. All four are among the 11 bishops exposed as agents of the former State Security, DS.

On Tuesday, Bulgaria's so-called Files Commission – a panel investigating the Communist era secret files, revealed that eleven out of a total of fifteen Bulgarian Metropolitan bishops were former DS agents.

"As if the other crosses you had to carry were not enough, but now God assigned you with an even heavier burden - to accept our humble confession and repentance and give us pardon for sins," according to the Holy Synod's greeting to the Patriarch.

Metropolitan Nikolay is one of three bishops, together with Patriarch Maxim, for whom it was announced that they have not cooperated with DS.

"Take this cross Your Holiness, because only you can carry it, said Metropolitan Nikolay.

So far, only Vratsa Metropolitan Kalinik has asked his congregation for forgiveness, if they felt affected. Ruse Bishop Neofit said he does not feel guilty because he had been forced to collaborate.