Funeral Service of His Eminence Archbishop Epifanie held

10/1/13

At 11.00 hours, the funeral service for His Eminence Archbishop Epifanie was celebrated by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, together with several hierarchs, members of the Holy Synod: His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina, His Eminence Andrei, Metropolitan of Cluj, Maramures and Salaj, His Eminence Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Targoviste, His Eminence Teodosie, Archbishop of Tomis, His Eminence Pimen, Archbishop of Suceava and Radauti, His Eminence Gherasim, Archbishop of Ramnic, His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Arges and Muscel, His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, His Eminence Timotei, Archbishop of Arad, His Grace Corneliu, Bishop of Husi, His Grace Nicodim, Bishop of Severin and Strehaia, His Grace Vincentiu, Bishop of Slobozia and Calarasi, His Grace Ambrozie, Bishop of Giurgiu, His Grace Visarion, Bishop of Tulcea, His Grace Gurie, Bishop of Deva and Hunedoara, and His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, His Grace Vasile Somesanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Cluj, His Grace Ioachim Bacauanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacau, and His Grace Emilian Lovisteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Ramnic.

His Grace Datev Hagopian, Primate of the Armenian Eparchy of Romania, representatives of the central and local authorities, hundreds of priests, monks and nuns of the Archdiocese of Buzau and Vrancea and thousands of faithful attended the funeral service.

In the speech delivered, entitled “A missionary diligent arch-shepherd”, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel showed that while passing through times of trial with many obstacles, during the communist regime, this diligent hierarch (namely His Eminence Epifanie) succeeded, with constant patience and practical wisdom, in keeping and promoting the Christian Orthodox and Romanian culture in this ancient eparchy at the Curb of the Carpathians in several fields of the church life.

“His Eminence Epifanie remains in our memory as a missionary hierarch, a diligent shepherd, and a dynamic liturgical servant through his fidelity towards the living faith, and liturgical canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church, having been at the same time a good iconom and generous man. At this moment of great sadness for the Archdiocese of Buzau and Vrancea and for the entire Romanian Orthodox Church, we address, in the name of the hierarchs of the Holy Synod and of our personal one, fatherly condolences to the grieved family, clergy, inhabitants of the monasteries and of the mourning Archdiocese of Buzau and Vrancea, praying Jesus Christ, our Lord, the eternal High Priest, to put the soul of the worthy remembering Archbishop Epifanie, our brother, in the light, peace and love of the Most Holy Trinity, in the host of His servant saints who preached to the world the Gospel of salvation and of the eternal life”, His Beatitude said.

After the funeral service, the coffin of the dead body of His Eminence Archbishop Epifanie was taken out of the cathedral and carried, in procession, around the place of worship.

Then, the Archbishop was buried in the crypt prepared ever since his lifetime, inside the cathedral.

After sealing the grave, all those present at the funerals crossed themselves 12 times, saying: “Rest, Lord, the soul of your servant, Archbishop Epifanie”.

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