The Patriarch of Romania Consecrated Snagov Church Monastery
On Wednesday, 26 September 2012, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated the re-consecration service of the oldest monastic settlement of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, Snagov church monastery, founded by Saint Prince Neagoe Basarab.
Several hierarchs of the Metropolitanate of Muntenia and Dobrudgea assisted His Beatitude at the re-consecration service: His Eminence Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Târgovişte, His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Argeş and Muscel, His Grace Vincenţiu, Bishop of Slobozia and Călăraşi, His Grace Ambrozie, Bishop of Giurgiu, His Grace Visarion, Bishop of Tulcea, His Grace Macarie, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Northern Europe and His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archbishop of Bucharest, together with a group of priests and deacons.
In the sermon delivered the Patriarch of Romania eulogised the personality of Saint Neagoe Basarab, showing that he was a very pious man and that “his piety was accompanied by good deeds. He added many merciful things to his piety. He is the image of the Romanian generous ruler. At that time, his generosity was not to be appreciated, but a necessity for defending Orthodoxy. He had, just like the rulers of Moldova, the conscience that he followed the Byzantine emperors in their spiritual duty to help the Church of their country, as well as the entire Orthodoxy.
Then, His Beatitude emphasised the historical importance of Snagov Monastery: “The first book with Latin letters was printed here, and it was also here that in 1701 Antim Ivireanul printed the first book in the Arabic language in the world, with a printing press he himself did, and which still exists in a monastery of Lebanon. We cannot realise how important the island and monastery are! Because of our ignorance we do not know how much history it is concentrated here.”
At the same time, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel expressed the desire to build a museum close to Snagov church monastery: “We want to build, in the near future, a museum at a certain distance from the church. This monastery is too important not to have a museum to present its history, from the beginning we know till today, especially the life of its founder Saint Prince Neagoe Basarab and the life of Saint Hierarch Antim Ivireanul, the greatest metropolitan of Wallachia. So, a museum to honour the history of this monastery and its two founders Neagoe Basarab and Antim Ivireanul is badly needed. A chapel will be set up at the ground floor of this museum in order to protect the painting of the church, where the religious services will be rarely celebrated not to smoke the painting. The new chapel of the museum will be used especially in wintertime. Besides the chapel we want to have a hall for receiving the pilgrims, where to give a warm meal to the poor pilgrims. We do want to worship the two saints founders of the monastery as well as to do charity.
During the religious service, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel awarded abbot Varahiil Bănăţeanu the rank of protosinghelos.
To end with the service, the hierarchs present received an icon of Saint Prince Neagoe Basarab and a medal marking 500 years since the enthronement of Saint Neagoe Basarab as ruler of Wallachia on behalf of the Patriarch of Romania. The persons who helped with the restoration of Snagov church monastery were awarded Diplomas of Worthiness.
His Beatitude offered a blessing cross and several religious books to the church of Snagov Monastery. Rev. Varahiil Bănăţeanu, abbot of the monastery offered, in his turn, an icon of Saint Prince Neagoe Basarab to His Beatitude Daniel. Snagov Monastery was first documentary mentioned in the second half of the 14th century, in the time of the rulers of Wallachia Dan I (1383 – 1386) and Mircea the Old (1386 – 1394 and 1397 – 1418). In 2008, Snagov Monastery celebrated 600 years of documentary existence (1408 – 2008). In 2008, besides the historical dedication day, Presentation of the Mother of God in the Church, the place of worship received two other saint patrons Saint Prince Neagoe Basarab, celebrated on 26 September, and Saint Hierarch Martyr Antim Ivireanul, on 27 September, who was the abbot of the monastery from 1694 – 1705.
