The first Bulgarian visit by a head of the Roman Catholic Church is a recognition of the fact that Bulgaria belongs to the European civilization, President Parvanov for the Italian daily Corriere della Sera. The president also expresses the opinion that the Pope's visit can prompt the reunification of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The daily also notes that Pope John Paul II will be welcomed with greater honours than former US president Bill Clinton in November 1999. Asked persistently about the 1981 assassination attempt on the Pope, the President says that judging by the signals received from all Bulgarian
delegations which have since met with the Pope he does not believe the allegation about the so called Bulgarian connection.