Pope Francis begins two day visit to Bulgaria

Pope Francis begins two day visit to Bulgaria. The pontiff will also tour a refugee center and take a dive into the Vatican's complicated relations with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Sofia:As a part of his two-day visit to Bulgaria, which is considered as European Union's poorest country and the one that has taken a hard line against migrants, Pope Francis met the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Sunday.

That stance conflicts with the pontiff's view that reaching out to vulnerable people is a moral imperative.

Borissov's centre-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties, which have called for the closure of EU borders to migrants and sealed off its own frontier to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence.

Meanwhile, security has been bolstered and final preparations are underway in the city's downtown where Francis will hold Sunday Mass.

The pontiff will also tour a refugee centre and dive into the Vatican's complicated relations with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, during his two-day visit to the Balkan nation.