Commemorative Synodal Decree at the celebration of 300 years from the martyrdom of the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveanu

August 2014

Commemorative Synodal Decree of the Autocephalous Romanian Orthodox Church, at the celebration of 300 years from the martyrdom of the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveanu

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church,

To the most-beloved clergy, the venerable monastic order and the right‑believing Christians of the Romanian Patriarchate,
Grace, mercy and peace from God, and from Us, hierarchal blessings!

History registered Martyr Voivode Constantine Brâncoveanu along with the great rulers of our people, while the Church included him among the holy martyrs, the protectors of the Christian faith and the founders of holy places of worship, together with his four sons, Constantine, Stephan, Radu and Matthew and his counselor Ianache (Văcărescu), who have been canonized by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on June 20th 1992, with August 16th as commemorative day, and were solemnly proclaimed as saints according to the Synodal Canonization Decree, read on August 15th 1992, in Bucharest’s St George – The New Church, built by Brâncoveanu, and where the tomb of the Prince is located.

In order to evoke the spiritual and cultural brancovenesque heritage and to highlight the example of sacrificial and steadfast love towards the Church and the Romanian people of the Saints Brâncoveanu, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, during its working session of October 29th 2012, proclaimed the year 2014 as “Commemorative Year of the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveanu”, for this year we mark 300 years from the martyrdom of the Saints Brâncoveanu (August 15th 1714 – August 15th 2014).

Educated in a scholarly environment, having the consciousness of the unity of nation, Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu was a lettered ruler and a promoter of education and culture. He reorganized the Princely Academy (1694) at St Sava Monastery, the precursor of the University of Bucharest (1864), and also through his care schools with tuition in Romanian and Slavic languages were organized in the St George – The Old and Colţea Monasteries in Bucharest, and in Sâmbăta de Sus Monastery from Făgăraş Country. As a promoter of culture, he supported the organization of libraries in certain monasteries, especially his foundations, which grew famous thanks to the books that came from the big cultural centers of West Europe.

Saint Voivode Constantine Brâncoveanu encouraged and supported the printing of works of theological and secular culture. His reign commenced with the advent of the Bucharest Bible in 1688, and then, in order to continue promoting the Romanian language and Christian culture, he entrusted the coordination of the princely printing house of Bucharest to the Georgian monk Anthimus, the future Anthimus the Georgian, Metropolitan of Wallachia (1708-1716). Wherefore, by intense cultural development in different directions, the city of Bucharest became an important spiritual and cultural center in South-East Europe, while the Prince of Wallachia became a supporter of culture in the entire Romanian territory.

A lover of Christ and the Church, Saint Voivode Constantin Brâncoveanu was a great founder of monasteries and churches, erecting new ones and restoring or endowing old ones. In this regard, Hurezi Monastery from Wallachia and Sâmbăta de Sus Monastery from Transylvania are representative. As well, St George – The New Church from Bucharest and St George Church from Mogoşoaia, and also the churches built in Făgăraș and Ocna Sibiului in order to strengthen Orthodoxy in Transylvania are worthy of remembrance.

Voivode Martyr Constantine Brâncoveanu generously supported the entire Orthodoxy, which was under Ottoman rule, namely he printed books in Romanian, Greek and Slavic languages and supported the Orthodox Christians from Georgia in order to have their own printing house. In 1701, with the help of the hegoumen Anthimus the Georgian, for the first time in history, a worship book in Arabic language was printed – “The Greek and Arabic Liturgikon” – at the printing house of Snagov Monastery. He offered financial and material help to the Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, the Church of Georgia, as well as to numerous monasteries of Mount Athos, building or repairing churches and parecclesions within. Hence, he manifested magnanimity, godliness and dignity, remaining a living example for the Christian rulers and for the supporters of the Christian culture.

Saint Voivode Constantine Brâncoveanu had 11 children (4 sons and 7 daughters), being an industrious, wise and generous father and represents together with his wife, Lady Maria Brâncoveanu – a brave and godly woman, loving the Church and the People – a worthy example to be followed for their Christian family, for the Christian education of their children, for the steadiness in confessing the true faith and promoting the values of the Christian culture.

Honoring the memory of the Holy Voivode Martyr Constantine Brâncoveanu is a duty of conscience for all the Romanian people. Wherefore, also the Government of Romania, by its decision no. 1167/2013, declared the year 2014 as “Commemorative Year of Brâncoveanu”. In this context, several major events have marked this year the liturgical and missionary character of the remembrance of Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu:

1.The exhumation of the relics of Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu, on May 13th 2014, and the honoring of the relics by housing them in a golden silver reliquary, after having been concealed for a long time in Bucharest’s “St George – The New” Church since 1720, when Lady Maria Brâncoveanu brought them to this place;

2.The organization, on May 21st 2014, of the pilgrimage-procession with the relics of Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu starting from the Patriarchal Cathedral to “St George – The New” Church, as an evocation, after 80 years, of the commemorative procession of 1934, when 220 years were celebrated since the death of Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu, and which was carried in the presence of the King and the Patriarch of Romania and a considerable number of hierarchs, priests, monks and believers; the significant difference is that this year (2014), the Prince was honored not in a Memorial Service, but by worshiping his holy relics, as a Saint praying in Heaven together with the other Saints Brâncoveanu;

3.The consecration of the new painting and the blessing of the extensive works at St George – The New Church from Bucharest, dressed now in new garment, so that the relics of the Holy Voivode Martyr receive more honour;

4.The concelebration of the hierarchs of our Holy Synod and of the representatives of the sister Orthodox Churches that are present here today, August 16th 2014, in the very commemorative day of the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveanu;

5.The continuation, until the end of this Commemorative Year, of the pilgrimage‑procession with the relics of Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu at the most important churches founded by him in Wallachia and Transylvania, in order to strengthen the communion of Romanians in prayer and dignity, because we learn not only faith and godliness from the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveanu, but also the dignity of remaining Christian confessors unto death.

Culturally and academically speaking, numerous conferences, congresses, symposia and thematic contests have been organized home and abroad both by the Church and by the Romanian Academy and other public institutions, having the support of the central and local state authorities. During this Commemorative Year, several studies, monographs, albums and scientific works have been published at the publishing houses of the Romanian Patriarchate, at those of the dioceses and at other publishing houses.

Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu was a steadfast confessor of the Orthodox Christian faith, through his martyrical sacrifice, and a supporter of Romanian culture and art. The depth of the brancovenesque synthesis of faith and culture, of East and West artistic values, creatively evolved in a distinct artistic style in the history of Romanian and European civilization, known under the name of the brancovenesque style.

Throughout his whole life and activity, Saint Martyr Prince Constantine Brâncoveanu followed the example of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen, from whom he learned keeping the faith in Christ, building churches and monasteries, developing the Christian social and cultural work in the society, being a true state leader, wise and balanced, vouchsafing the life and the values of the people ruled by him.

The solemn commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveanu made by the Romanian Patriarchate, with the participation of the representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem and Georgia, which were cherished and supported by Saint Voivode Constantine Brâncoveanu, culminate with this Divine Liturgy, celebrated today, Saturday, August 16th 2014, the commemoration day of the Saints Brâncoveanu, in the spirit of fraternal communion between our sister Churches. This sacred and solemn event calls us to become confessors of the Christian faith, founders of holy places of worship and of Christian culture; it urges us to cultivate fraternal mutual assistance and turn munificent, holding sacrificial, humble and merciful love within our soul.

The example of the life of Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu that was dedicated to Christ our Lord unto martyrical death and the prayers offered in front of the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity by the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveanu represent a permanent source of light and renewal for Christian life nowadays.

We pray to the Most Holy Trinity to offer to us all a strong faith, love towards the Church and the nation, but especially to help us learn from the example of the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveanu that the love which springs from the faith in the Crucified and Resurrected Jesus Christ is greater than the fear of death, because Christ Himself offers celestial crowns of triumph to the martyrs, according to the promise: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

Thusly, with one mind and one heart, together let us magnify the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity one in essence and inseparable, and let us utter: „God is wonderful in His saints” (Psalm 68:35). Amen!

President of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church,

† D a n i e l
Archbishop of Bucharest,
Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrogea,
Locum Tenens of the Throne of Caesarea Cappadociae and
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church

† Grigorios
Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain
Ecumenical Patriarchate

† Seraphim
Metropolitan of Zimbabwe and Angola
Patriarchate of Alexandria

† Ignatios
Antioch Orthodox Metropolitan of France,
and of West and South Europe
Patriarchate of Antioch

† Nectarios
Archbishop of Anthedon and Exarch of the
Patriarchate of Jerusalem to Constantinople
Patriarchate of Jerusalem

† Theodoros
Metropolitan of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klardjeti
Patriarchate of Georgia

† Teofan
Archbishop of Iaşi and
Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina

† Laurenţiu
Archbishop of Sibiu and
Metropolitan of Transylvania

† Andrei
Archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj and
Metropolitan of Cluj, Maramureş and Sălaj

† Irineu
Archbishop of Craiova and
Metropolitan of Oltenia

† Nicolae
Archbishop of Timişoara and
Metropolitan of Banat

† Petru
Archbishop of Chişinău,
Metropolitan of Bessarabia and Exarch of the Regions

† Iosif
Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of
Western Europe and Romanian Orthodox
Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe

† Serafim
Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Germany,
Austria, and Luxemburg and Romanian
Orthodox Metropolitan of Germany, Central and Northern Europe

† Nifon
Hon Metropolitan, Archbishop of Târgovişte
and Patriarchal Exarch

† Teodosie
Archbishop of Tomis

† Pimen
Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuţi

† Irineu
Archbishop of Alba Iulia

† Varsanufie
Archbishop of Râmnic

† Eftimie
Archbishop of Roman and Bacău

† Ciprian
Archbishop of Buzău and Vrancea

† Calinic
Archbishop of Argeş and Muscel

† Casian
Archbishop of Lower Danube

† Timotei
Archbishop of Arad

† Nicolae
Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of the Americas

† Justinian
Hon Archbishop, Romanian Orthodox Bishop
of Maramureş and Sătmar

† Ioan
Hon Archbishop, Bishop of Covasna
and Harghita

† Corneliu
Bishop of Huşi

† Lucian
Bishop of Caransebeş

† Sofronie
Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Oradea

† Nicodim
Bishop of Severin and Strehaia

† Vincenţiu
Bishop of Slobozia and Călăraşi

† Galaction
Bishop of Alexandria and Teleorman

† Ambrozie
Bishop of Giurgiu

† Sebastian
Bishop of Slatina and Romanaţi

† Visarion
Bishop of Tulcea

† Petroniu
Bishop of Sălaj

† Gurie
Bishop of Deva and Hunedoara

† Daniil
Bishop locum tenens (administrator) of
Dacia Felix Diocese

† Siluan
Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary

† Mihail
Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Australia and New Zeeland

† Siluan
Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Italy

† Timotei
Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Spain and Portugal

† Macarie
Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Northern Europe

† Varlaam Ploieşteanul
Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch

† Ieronim Sinaitul
Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch

† Calinic Botoşăneanul
Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Iaşi

† Andrei Făgărăşeanul
Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Sibiu

† Vasile Someşeanul
Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Vad,
Feleac and Cluj

† Paisie Lugojeanul
Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Timişoara

† Antonie of Orhei
Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Chişinău

†Marc Nemţeanul
Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox
Archdiocese of Western Europe

† Sofian Braşoveanul
Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox
Archdiocese of Germany, Austria and Luxemburg

† Emilian Lovişteanul
Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Râmnic

† Ioachim Băcăuanul
Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău

† Ioan Casian of Vicina
Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox
Archdioceseof the Americas

† Iustin Sigheteanul
Assistant Hierarch to the Romanian Orthodox
Diocese of Maramureş and Sătmar

† Ignatie Mureşeanul
Assistant Hierarch to the Romanian Orthodox
Diocese of Spain and Portugal

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