The Patriarch of Romania at the Anniversary of 150 Years since the Setting up the Romanian Chamber of the Senators

On 17 June 2014, the Patriarch of Romania attended at the Parliament Palace the anniversary of 150 years since the setting up of the Chamber of the Senators.

The Chamber of the Senators was set up in 1864, with Primate Metropolitan Nifon Rusaila as its first President. The Primate Metropolitan was one of the Presidents of the Chamber of the Senators, while several hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church were senators in the Superior Chamber of the Romanian Parliament till the communist regime came to power.

To start with the solemn session of the Romanian Chamber of the Senators dedicated to the anniversary of 150 years since its setting up the National Anthem was sung. Afterwards speeches were delivered: President of the Senate, Mr Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, Mr Viorel Hrebenciuc, former Presidents of Romania, Messrs Ion Iliescu and Emil Constantinescu, Her Royal Highness Heiress Princess Margareta of Romania, President of the Romanian Academy, Mr Ionel Valentin Vlad, former presidents of the Senate, Mr Victor Ponta, Prime Minister, and the leaders of the parliamentarian groups in the Senate.

After speeches the anniversary plaque for 150 years since the setting up of the Senate was offered. One of the personalities present at the event who received the anniversary plaque was His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania.

In Romania, the modern representative legislative system dates as far back as the time of the Union of the Principalities. Having taken notice of the decisions of the Assemblies (ad-hoc councils), the Conference of the seven powers (Great Britain, France, Austria, Sardinia Kingdom Prusia, Russia, Ottoman Empire) held in Paris adopted, in August 1858, a Convention by which the social, political, administrative statute of the United Principalities of Moldova and Wallachia was established. The Convention also stipulated the way of electing the members of the Elective Assembly based on a very high census.

Ruling Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza worked out a Constitution called Convention Developing Statute of 7/19 August 1858, which was approved through a referendum in May 1864 and promulgated on 2/14 July. The Parliament has become bicameral through this document; the Elective Assembly and Ponderative Assembly (Senate) were instituted. The Statute stipulated the structure of the Ponderative Body: the metropolitans of the country, bishops of the eparchies, prime president of the Court of Cassation, the oldest of the employed generals, as well as 64 members appointed by the prince – half of the persons recommendable due their merit and experience, and the other half of the members of general Councils of the districts, namely one for every county. This listing shows that the leaders of the Church, of justice and of the army were preferred. The category of the senators appointed by rulers came from those with political experience and from the representatives of the country counties. In other words it was intellectual and political elite whose experience was used in the service of the Romanian state. (Information taken over from the site of univ prof dr Ioan Scurtu).

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