Bucharest Adopts New Coat of Arms Featuring Saint Demetrius the New of Basarabov

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Basilica News– OCP News Service – 04/02/2024

Bucharest-Romania: The General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest voted today to replace the image of Saint Demetrius the Fountain of Peace on the city’s coat of arms with Saint Demetrius the New, the Protector of Bucharest. This decision comes at the request of His Beatitude Father Patriarch Daniel, made in 2022.

The new coat of arms will depict Saint Demetrius the New in a red shield, standing with a gentle expression, wearing a beard and monastic robes. He will hold the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest in his left hand and a staff in the shape of the letter “T” in his right.

This change marks a significant shift in symbolism for the Romanian capital. While both saints share the name Demetrius, they are distinct figures with different histories. Saint Demetrius the New, who lived in the 12th-14th centuries, is considered the protector of Bucharest and his relics have been housed in the Patriarchal Cathedral since 1774. The previous representation, Saint Demetrius the Fountain of Peace, was a more generic image of the saint not specifically associated with Bucharest.

The decision to change the coat of arms coincides with the 250th anniversary of the arrival of Saint Demetrius the New’s relics in Bucharest. Additionally, the saint will be celebrated on a new feast day this year, July 13th, commemorating the date his relics were brought to the city.

Source: Basilica News