Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Patriarch Daniel consecrate mosaic iconography of Romania’s National Cathedral
His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church consecrated on Sunday the mosaic iconography of Romania’s National Cathedral in Bucharest.
The event marked one of the highlights celebrating the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate and 140 years since the Church gained autocephaly.
Concelebrants for the consecration service included members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, 67 priests, and 12 deacons. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated beforehand by Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishops Varlaam of Ploiești, Paisie of Sinaia, and Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova from the Bucharest Archdiocese. The liturgical responses were offered by the Tronos Byzantine Choir led by Archdeacon Mihail Bucă.
The Consecration Service
On the portico of the National Cathedral, Patriarch Bartholomew I, Patriarch Daniel, and Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina read three passages from the Holy Gospel.
The mosaic icons at the entrance, depicting Saint Andrew the Apostle and Saint Philip, who preached the Gospel in the territories of today’s Romania, were blessed with holy water by Patriarch Daniel and anointed with holy chrism by Patriarch Bartholomew.
Meanwhile, Romanian hierarchs blessed the cathedral’s outer walls. The altar mosaic was consecrated by Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Hon Metropolitan Nifon of Târgoviște, Patriarchal Exarch, and anointed with chrism by both Patriarchs.
Romanian bishops also blessed the mosaics of the north and south apses.
The two Patriarchs then blessed two silver-gilt reliquaries intended for the relics of Saint Dionysius of Vatopedi from Colciu Cell and Saint Petronius the Prodromite. The reliquaries were presented to the abbots of Prodromos Skete and Saint George Cell – Colciu, where the two saints lived.
The Athonite abbots, together with six of the saints’ disciples, were part of the Mount Athos delegation invited to the ceremony.
Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, Secretary of the Holy Synod, read the official Act of Consecration.
The Address of the Ecumenical Patriarch
“The fraternal invitation of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, as well as the enduring love and mutual esteem that unite us, have brought us once again from the God-illumined Phanar to the blessed land of Romania and to the God-protected city of Bucharest, bearing the blessing and love of our common spiritual Mother — the Great Church of Christ in Constantinople,” said His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch, at the conclusion of the ceremony.
“They have brought us here to rejoice together in the consecration of the beautiful mosaics and the entire iconography of this majestic National Cathedral, dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord and to Saint Andrew the First-Called — a cathedral that, seven years ago, we had the honour of solemnly consecrating together with His Beatitude, although back then the cold was bitter, as you surely remember!”
“At the same time, we rejoice in the recent canonisation by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of four Athonite monks of Romanian origin, as well as in the two historic anniversaries celebrated by the Orthodox Church of Romania — namely, 140 years since its canonical emancipation by the Mother Church through the Synodal and Patriarchal Decree and the Tomos of Autocephaly issued by our venerable predecessor Joachim IV (1885), and one century since its elevation to the rank and dignity of Patriarchate by the Tomos of Patriarch Basil III (1925),” the Ecumenical Patriarch added.
His Holiness presented Patriarch Daniel with a crozier.
Patriarch Daniel’s address
“We give thanks to God who helped us, since the 2018 consecration of the altar, to continue the extensive finishing works and to complete the interior mosaic iconography,” said Patriarch Daniel.
“We thank His Holiness for honouring us once again with his presence and for celebrating together this moment of grace for the Romanian Church.”
“The presence of His Holiness Bartholomew I, both at the consecration of the altar in 2018 and now, in 2025, for the blessing of the mosaic iconography, stands as a testimony to the unity of Orthodoxy and the support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the administrative freedom and dignity of local Churches,” Patriarch Daniel noted.
“The love for saints shown by His Holiness brings the sister Orthodox Churches even closer together. Through the four Romanian venerable monks — Saint Dionysius of Vatopedi from Colciu and Saints Petronius, Niphon, and Nectarius the Protopsalt of Prodromos skete — whom the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has included this year, 2025, in the Church’s synaxarion during its working sessions in August and October, we are given concrete examples of communion and cooperation in our Lord Jesus Christ,” said His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.
Patriarch Daniel presented Patriarch Bartholomew with an icon of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, noting that the consecration coincided with the Feast of Saint Demetrius the Myrrh-Gusher, the Ecumenical Patriarch’s baptism name day (Dimitrios).
Dignitaries and Attendees
The ceremony was attended by President Maia Sandu of Moldova and President Nicușor Dan of Romania, both accompanied by their families.
Also present were Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, and His Royal Highness Prince Radu, as well as former Romanian Presidents Emil Constantinescu and Traian Băsescu, State Secretary for Religious Affairs Ciprian Olinici, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of other religious denominations, and cultural and civic institutions.
Over 8,000 clergy and faithful from Romanian Orthodox dioceses gathered on the esplanade in front of the National Cathedral to witness the historic event.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
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