Saint Dimitrie The New Celebrated On Patriarchate Hill

27/10/2010

On 27 October 2010, the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated Saint Pious Dimitrie the New, Protector of Bucharest, whose relics are at the Romanian Patriarchate. At this great feast, His Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch and His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the scene specially arranged close to the Patriarchal Cathedral.

38 hierarchs were present besides the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Patriarch of Romania.

Thronos Chorus of the Patriarchal Cathedral and protopsalt Theodor Vasilikos gave the answers.

Important state and local personalities attended the event, together with hundreds of priests and deacons of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, as well as thousands of faithful and pilgrims who endured the cold weather and waited patiently at the Patriarchal Hill to pray the Holy Relics and the Venerated Wood of the Holy Cross.

After delivering his speech and reading the evangelical pericope, His Holiness Bartholomew offered an engolpion to His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel as a present on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. On the occasion of the anniversary of 125 years since the proclamation of the autocephaly of the Holy Romanian Orthodox Church who used to be a daughter, but who is a sister now, the Patriarchate of Constantinople did not want to be represented at these holy feast only by one of her distinguished hierarchs, but she sent the Ecumenical Patriarch himself, so that he may be personally the interpreter of the love, affection and thanksgiving of the Mother Church for all the achievements you have and bestow her blessing and best wishes over the flock of the Church of Christ of Romania, so that you grow even more in the love of the Lord!”, said His Holiness.

The Patriarch of Romania thanked, in his turn, His Holiness for the sermon addressed to those present and underlined the role of the saints for overcoming the hardships of life.

“We thank His Holiness for the very deep beautiful speech delivered today and for the special appreciation of Saints Dimitrie, the Myrrh Bearer and Pious Dimitrie, Protector of Bucharest”, said His Beatitude.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered the Ecumenical Patriarch a mosaic icon in Byzantine style as sign of appreciation and gratitude.

To end with the Divine Liturgy celebrated at the feast of Saint Dimitrie the New, Protector of Bucharest, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church addressed a speech to the pilgrims present in the Patriarchate Hill in which he spoke about the meaning of the pilgrimage and underlined the fact that the pilgrim wants to find God and holiness.

“So, pilgrimage is a search of fullness, the fullness of eternal life, fullness of the never ending kindness of God, the fullness of holiness and of grace”, said His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel showing that “during a pilgrimage we thank God and His saints for having had His help and of His saints. We repent for our sins during a pilgrimage. This is why during the pilgrimage to Monasteries and churches people confess more and pray more and bring their present to the Church, a gift that expresses their gratitude to God and joy for having understood, in fact, that life is a gift of God, that the whole world is a gift of God, too.

Then, His Beatitude offered His Eminence Pavlos, Metropolitan of Drama, an icon of Saint Dimitrie the New, Protector of Bucharest, while Mr. Neculai Ontanu, mayor of district 2, Bucharest, was awarded the distinction of the “Patriarchal Cross for Laic”. Some other distinctions were also awarded.

His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch Of Romania: „His Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch Is A Friend Of The Romanian People”

On the occasion of the feast of Saint Dimitirie the New, Protector of Bucharest, His Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch and His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral together with 38 other hierarchs.

“We thank all the hierarchs present here, first of all His Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, who is, as I already said, a father, spiritual brother and friend of the Romanian people. Yesterday he said he did not know how many times he visited Romania, and that neither could he count the dates. And I think this is a sign of brotherhood, of rapprochement. Yet, we know for sure that Romania is the second country, after Greece that he visited most. We extend a permanent invitation. We do not count how many times he was here because in the brotherly communion we do not count how many times somebody came, neither how many times he showed gestures of appreciation, because it is not the number that matters, but the state of mind; if there is love, then it is a permanent one”, said His Beatitude.

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