Academic Recognition for the Patriarch of Romania

On 30 November 2011, the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Andrew the Apostle, protector of Romania, as well as of Galati city. A series of religious events took place on the occasion of the feast of the saint patron of the city. Today’s Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel in the Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Galati, assisted by a group of Greek and Romanian hierarchs, as well as by priests and deacons.

To end with the religious service, the “Doctor Honoris Causa” award ceremony to the Patriarch of Romania by the Lower Danube University of Galati took place.

To open with the ceremony, His Eminence Casian and the Mr. Viorel Manzu, rector of the University delivered a “Laudatio”. Then, the rector of the University of Lower Danube read the text of the diploma by which the University Senate awarded the title of “Doctor Honoris Causa” to the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanked the University of “Lower Danube” for the title awarded and for “Laudatio”.

“Thank you very much for this special honour that we share with the entire Romanian Orthodox Church because, as well-known in fact, when the leader of an institution is honoured, the entire institution is honoured. Saint John Chrysostom says in this sense that when the head is honoured, the entire person is honoured. Thank you very much for this honour that you made to our Church and for having related the cult to culture, the Church to the University and so, we return both to the beautiful Romanian tradition and to the European tradition as well, because the first universities of Europe were set up within the church environment. Even now one can see at Cambridge and Oxford this relationship between the university colleges and the former monasteries and present churches turned into university chapels. We wish to express this thanksgiving through a few books and to continue our co-operation, so that we shall send to you too whatever we will publish at the Romanian Patriarchate. We also thank His Eminence Casian for the nice speech. We see now that this commemoration of remembrance is very important first of all for thanking God and the people through which God worked. God helps us, but very often through concrete people, close and afar. We remember in such moments all those who contributed to our formation, our biological parents, spiritual parents, teachers, professors from high school, universities in the country and abroad, as a moment of gratitude”, showed His Beatitude.

The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church has also offered presents: “We wish to express our gratitude to His Eminence Casian, so that we offer to this Episcopal Cathedral the illustrated Gospel as love of beauty and as relation between word and icon, between word and image, as well as a few books recently published.”

Further on, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church read a text prepared for today’s event, entitled “Christian Family – among Holiness, Sufferance and Hope”, taking into account the fact that this year is the homage year of the Christian family.

After reading the speech, His Eminence Casian thanked the Patriarch of Romania for the theological lecture, to Their Eminences and Graces present today, as well as to the members of the Senate of the University of Lower Danube.

The best pupil of Galati county, the best student of “Saint Andrew” Theological Seminary and the best student of the University of Lower Danube, recognised as Olympic candidates, were also awarded the “Andrew’s Worthiness” diploma by the Archbishop of Lower Danube.

His Eminence Casian offered the Patriarch of Romania a bunch of flowers and an icon of Saint Spiridon.

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