Synodal Tomos on the canonization of Venerable Saints Neophyte and Meletios from Stânişoara Monastery and Daniel and Misael from Turnu Monastery

Aurelian Iftimiu – Basilica News Agency – October 2016

Synodal Tomos of Canonization no. 1/2016, approved by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church through its decision ref. no. 2212/25.02.2016, and made public today, 28 September 2016, in the church of Saint Anthimos – Troianu Monastery, dedicated to the Life-giving Spring:

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church,

To the most beloved clergy, the monastics and the true believing Christians in the Romanian Patriarchate,

Grace, mercy and peace from God, and from Us, hierarchical blessings!

Blessed and praiseworthy is to honour the memory of those who fell asleep into the Lord in holiness, who gained confidence from God for their devout life full of good deeds. The Most Holy Trinity has foreseen from eternity that they will grow in the likeness of God, partaking of the light of the grace of the Holy Spirit and numbering them in the Church of the first-born, in the ranks of saints. Our Saviour Jesus Christ says about them that because they have listened to His word, they have become “His friends” (John 15:16). The Church honours these saints with praises and hymns, as the God-inspired Prophet Daniel says: But your friends, o God, were greatly honoured by me, exceedingly were strengthened their beginnings (Psalm 139:17, ABP Strongs). The saints have truly fulfilled God’s word and will, as we read in the Psalms: “As for the saints who are on the earth, They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight” (Psalm 16:3).

Among Godʼs chosen ones are numbered the Venerable Fathers from the hermitages of Stânişoara and Turnu: Neophyte and Meletios fromStânişoara Monastery and Daniel and Misael from Turnu Monastery.These great ascetics and lovers of God from Cozia Monastery – foundation of the renown Ruler Prince Mircea the Great, after dedicating entirely to anchorite life and reaching perfection – received from the Holy Spirit the gift of counsel and of spiritual guiding on the path to salvation. Being experienced labourers of the prayer of the heart, they have been honoured together with the great hesychasts of Romanian monasticism, being also named hermits. Thus, they remained in the living memory of the Church, in the devoted memory of hierarchs, priests, monastics and lay people, as examples of sacrificial love, of restraint, humbleness and diligent spiritual guidance.

Our Humbleness, at the proposal of the Metropolitan Synod of the Holy Metropolis of Oltenia, together with all the members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, observing the life well-pleasing to God of these Blessed Saints and Venerable Fathers, who have hallowed and embellished the land of Oltenia, taking into account their praiseworthy diligence towards prayer and in the defence of true faith, and pursuing the spiritual benefit of the Orthodox people bearing the name of Christ, following the holy tradition of the Orthodox Church, on a canonical and synodal basis, calling the help of the grace of the Most Holy, Consubstantial, Life-giving and Undivided Trinity,

WE DECIDE

That from now on and unto eternity the Venerable Saints Neophyte and Meletios from Stânişoara Monastery, with feast day on September 3^rd, and Daniel and Misael from Turnu Monastery, with feast day on October 5^th, be numbered among the Saints of the Church and be commemorated and honoured with hymns of praise on their feast days.

We also decide, in the Holy Spirit, that the priests, monastics and lay faithful of our Church receive, with piety, the lives, services and icons of the Venerable Saints Neophyte and Meletios from Stânişoara Monastery, and Daniel and Misael from Turnu Monastery.

In order to establish completely what we have decided synodically and canonically, we reinforce with our signatures this Synodal Tomos on the canonization of the Venerable Saints Neophyte and Meletios from Stânişoara Monastery, and Daniel and Misael from Turnu Monastery, bringing it to the knowledge of the clergy and all the faithful of the Romanian Patriarchate.

This canonization Synodal Tomos is proclaimed today, 28 September, the year of salvation 2016, in the church of the Holy Monastery of Saint Anthimos, Troianu neighbourhood in Râmnicu Vâlcea, dedicated to the Life-giving Spring and theHoly Hieromartyr Anthimos the Ivirite.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!

President of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church

†  D a n i e l
Archbishop of Bucharest,
Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudja, Locum tenens of  the throne of Caesareaof Cappadocia, and
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church

Source: