Right-believing (Ruler) 10th century

Blessed Peter King of Bulgaria

d. 970

Also known as Peter I of Bulgaria

Son of Tsar Simeon, a peaceful and pious king of Bulgaria who befriended St. John of Rila and cared for the Church and the poor.

Feast Day

January 30

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Commemorated as

The Holy and Right-believing Peter, Tsar of Bulgaria

Life

Peter I was tsar of Bulgaria from 927 to 969, the son of Tsar Simeon, and is venerated for his piety as a right-believing king. He is commemorated on January 30.

By the accounts he came to the throne in 927 and secured a lasting peace with the Byzantine Empire, sealed by his marriage to Maria, a granddaughter of the emperor Romanos Lekapenos, who was given the name Eirene, meaning 'peace.' By this treaty Byzantium recognized the imperial title of the Bulgarian ruler and the autocephaly of the Bulgarian Church.

A devout ruler, Peter endowed the Church generously and sought the counsel of holy men. The tradition especially remembers his reverence for Saint John of Rila, whose prayers and spiritual guidance he sought.

Contributions & Legacy

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Last Years and Veneration

During his reign Peter contended with the spread of the Bogomil heresy, seeking counsel against it from the hierarchs of the Church. After a second invasion of his land by the Rus prince Sviatoslav in the year 969, he suffered a stroke; he laid down the throne, was tonsured a monk, and died on January 30 in the year 970.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church venerates him among its saints, and later rulers seeking to restore Bulgarian independence took his name to claim his legacy.

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Jan 30