Awards in the Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence

21/2/2012
Romanian Church

On 21 February 2012, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, awarded religious ranks to several priests in “Saint Great Martyr George” chapel of the Patriarchal Residence, as confirmation of their pastoral-missionary activity unfolded within the framework of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Thus, His Beatitude awarded the rank of iconomos stavrofor to rev. Alexandru Gabriel Nicodim, representative of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Orthodox Church of Japan.

To end with, the Patriarch of Romania emphasised the importance of Rev Alexandru Nicodim’s mission in Japan: “God made him worthy to be the representative of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Orthodox Church of Japan. This is both one more honour and a responsibility. We are glad because Rev Alexandru Gabriel Nicodim unfolded a good activity there and we encourage him to continue it. At present there are almost 3,000 Romanians in Japan and it is justified for us to have two parishes there. We hope that the Orthodox Romanians who leave from the country should not lose either their right faith which is the dearest treasure or their spiritual identity.”

Today too, His Beatitude raised deacon Ionut Viorel Iordachescu, eparchial counsellor within the Social Philanthropic and Missionary Department of the Archdiocese of Bucharest and deacon Aurel Vlaicu, Eparchial Counsellor within the Patrimony Department of the Archdiocese of Bucharest to the rank of archdeacons.

His Beatitude underlined in the blessing speech delivered the fact that the mission entrusted is holy and cross bearing: “Our work is a holy one. The iconographic art is an art of transfiguration, while the social philanthropic art, namely looking after the sad and distressed, is the art of changing sufferance into hope and of sadness into joy. We must both renovate the historical monuments, and consolidate what disease, age, sufferance, and trouble affects in man’s good health. Besides consolidating and renovating the monuments we must also strengthen and consolidate those who suffer a lot, so that the distinctions awarded today as a sign of the confirmation of work done are focused on the Holy Cross, because any activity with great responsibility is one more cross. We are not afraid when we see the Cross, because the Crucified Saviour has been Resurrected and this is why we sing: through Cross the joy to all people came. Therefore, the Cross is a sign of the effort made as well as a sign of hope and of victory over sin, death, evil, and over any form of degradation of the image of God in man.”

The members of the standing meeting of the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest were also present, as Trinitas Television informs us.

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