Nine Romanian Hierarchs Decorated at Cotroceni

April – May 2014

On 29 April 2014, nine Romanian Orthodox hierarchs were decorated by the President of Romania, Mr. Traian Basescu. The ceremony took place at Cotroceni Palace, in the presence of the Patriarch of Romania, His Beatitude Daniel.

“The event is a symbol of the gratitude I feel for you and for the other five high hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church who were decorated today and who living far away from the mother country keep the Romanians united, near the Church and the country and who – most of all – enable the Romanians who live abroad to meet together. My often journeys did all over the world and the meetings with the Romanians outside the country’s frontiers showed me the importance of the service that you do to God, and to the Romanians as well”, His Excellency Mr Traian Basescu mentioned.

The President has also underlined the fact that the Romanian Orthodox Church is the only institution which keeps our co-nationals from abroad united: “The Romanian Orthodox Church remains the only institution which can keep the Romanians from abroad together. I have seen the love you show to the children and priests subordinated to you who organise Sunday schools in order to keep alive the teaching for the Romanian language. In all your churches, either if I was in America, in South America, Europe, here, in the Balkans or in the Republic of Moldova, the flag of Romania is wherever the Romanian Orthodox Church is”.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel mentioned that this confirmation is an honour for the entire Romanian Orthodox Church: “It is an honour for the hierarchs who were decorated, as well as for the entire Romanian Orthodox Church, because it is the confirmation of a very intense pastoral – missionary activity and very rich too. It is a new experience, because the Romanian Orthodox Church has never had such a large Diaspora, almost 4 million faithful, which fact meant setting up new eparchies and hundreds of parishes. Thus, we have both a chance and a challenge. It is a challenge as a new experience, as well as a chance to show that the Church follows her faithful and meets their pastoral spiritual needs wherever they are”.

The Patriarch of Romania has also thanked the Romanian state for having supported the mission of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Diaspora: “This combination or spiritual duty of ours was stimulated and supported by the Romanian state and we do wish to express our gratitude for the passion and wisdom with which Your Excellency support the Romanian Diaspora in general, and the Romanian Diaspora in particular who gathers the faithful in the church, around the Holy Altar and tries to keep alive both the Orthodox faith and the Romanian spirituality. This relationship between the cult and culture is a basic datum in the history of the Romanian people. This is why we accomplish, in fact, a vocation received since the beginning of the Christianity in the territory of our country, and we feel very encouraged when you point out the importance of keeping alive the Romanian identity and the cooperation between the State and the Church as well. We do thank you for the special care you show to the Romanians living in Timoc Valley and in Bessarabia.”

His Eminence Iosif, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe delivered a thanksgiving speech on behalf of all the hierarchs decorated: “We receive with much joy this sign of respect not for our work, of the hierarchs, but for the work that we do together with the priests and Romanian people who had to leave from the country during the last 15-20 years, but who do not love their country any less and so much the more they love their Church and God. The work we do for these millions of people together with the priests, deacons, and monks, in parishes, monasteries, parish schools, in our social centres, and everywhere else, is certainly for the glory of God, and because we speak the same language”.

The National Order of the “Faithful Service” – in Officer degree was received by His Eminence Iosif, Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe, National Order of the “Faithful Service” – in the Knight’s Degree, His Eminence Petru, Metropolitan of Bessarabia, Order of the “Cultural Merit” – in Great Officer Degree, category G – “Cults”, His Eminence Nicolae, Archbishop of the Americas, Order of the “Cultural Merit” – in Officer Degree, category G – “Cults”, His Grace Siluan, Bishop of Italy, Order of the “Cultural Merit” – in Knight’s Degree, category G – “Cults”, His Grace Timotei, Bishop of Spain and Portugal, His Grace Macarie, Bishop of Northern Europe, His Grace Daniil, Bishop of Dacia Felix from Varset, His Grace Siluan, Bishop of Hungary and His Grace Mihail, Bishop of Australia and New Zealand.

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