Patriarch Daniel: Word of Thanks at the Service of the Blessing of the National Cathedral’s Painting

On the occasion of the Blessing of the painting of the National Cathedral, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, expressed his gratitude to the authorities of the Romanian state and to the faithful who have supported this work of the Church both materially and spiritually.

The Patriarch of Romania also thanked His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, for his presence at the blessing of the painting of the National Cathedral, stating that it is “a testimony to the unity within Orthodoxy and to the constant support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the administrative freedom and dignity of the local Churches.”

Full text:

Today, on the occasion of the blessing of the exterior and of the painting of the National Cathedral, in the presence of His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the high State authorities of Romania, the delegations from the dioceses of the Romanian Orthodox Church from within the country and abroad, the representatives of the religious cults in Romania, and in the presence of representatives from many ecclesiastical and civil, administrative, social, and cultural institutions, as well as in front of the numerous faithful gathered from all over the country and from beyond Romania’s borders, we give thanks to God for helping us, since the consecration service in 2018, to continue the extensive exterior finishing works and the interior painting in mosaic technique.

We convey our gratitude to His Holiness for honouring us with His presence and for concelebrating with us the service of the consecration of the National Cathedral. The presence of His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, both at the consecration of the altar of the National Cathedral in Bucharest in 2018, and this year, in 2025, at the service of the blessing of its painting, stands as a powerful testimony to the unity of Orthodoxy and to the constant support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the administrative freedom and dignity of the local Churches. His Holiness’ love for the saints draws the sister Orthodox Churches closer together. Through the canonization of four Romanian venerable fathers—Saint Dionisie of Vatopedi from Colciu and Saints Petroniu, Nifon, and Nectarie the Protopsaltis from Prodromu—whom the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate included this year, 2025, in the Synaxarion of the Church, during its working sessions in August and October, we are offered concrete models of communion and cooperation in our Lord Jesus Christ.

We extend our gratitude to all members of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s delegation present in Bucharest during these historic days in the life of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

We also thank the venerable Athonite fathers who have borne witness to the life and miracles of these Romanian venerable saints from Mount Athos, recently proclaimed saints by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. As a token of gratitude, we offer a gilded silver reliquary to the Kelli of Saint George – Colciu for the relics of the Venerable Saint Dionisie of Vatopedi from Colciu, and a gilded silver reliquary to the Romanian Skete of Prodromou for the relics of the Venerable Saint Petroniu of Prodromu.

We express our profound gratitude to the distinguished Romanian state authorities for their administrative and financial support in the construction of the People’s Salvation Cathedral: to the successive Governments of Romania from 2011 to 2025, the Bucharest Municipality, other municipal authorities from the Capital City and across the country, as well as to various County Councils.

We also extend our thanks to all benefactors and sponsors, anonymous donors, and those who asked to be commemorated at the Holy Altar together with their families, for their generous support in the fulfilment of this Romanian ideal, in this year of great significance—the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate.

Today, at the end of the blessing of the National Cathedral’s painting, we wish to thank all hierarchs, all priests and deacons, all monks and nuns, and all the faithful—both in Romania and abroad—of the Romanian Orthodox Church, for their spiritual and material support in this endeavour of our Church. To all of them, we extend our patriarchal blessings and kindly ask that, through prayer and generosity, they continue to help us complete all the remaining works at the National Cathedral, including the Chapel and the multifunctional areas in the Cathedral’s lower level.

For the successful organization and running of the service of the blessing of the National Cathedral’s exterior and painting, we extend our gratitude to the Office of the Holy Synod, the Patriarchal Administration, and the Archdiocese of Bucharest. We also thank the Protection and Guard Service, Romanian Gendarmerie, the General Municipality of Bucharest, the Municipality of Sector 5, on which administrative territory the Cathedral is located, the General Directorate of Gendarmes in Bucharest, the Romanian Police, the Road Brigade, Bucharest-Ilfov Ambulance Service, the Bucharest Ilfov Emergency Situations Inspectorate, the Local Police of Bucharest Municipality, and the Local Police of Sector 5.

We extend our thanks to the hundreds of volunteers from the Chapel of the People’s Salvation Cathedral and to the “Youth in Action” group of the Archdiocese of Bucharest for their invaluable assistance, as well as for the support they will continue to provide in the coming days, until Friday, October 31, during which time the National Cathedral will remain open to pilgrims wishing to pray inside the Holy Altar.

We pray to our Lord Jesus Christ to help us use this accomplishment as a bright moment of blessing and joy, a moment of strengthening our faith and fraternal love, knowing that the celebration of an event within the Church can also be a time of renewal in our mission, a spiritual refreshment for a new beginning, to the glory of God and for the salvation of the people!

† DANIEL

Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church

Foto credit: Mircea Florescu / Basilica.ro

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