The Patriarchal Cathedral Celebrated Its Historical Dedication Day

On 21 May 2011, the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen and the historical dedication day of the Patriarchal Cathedral, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Beatitude Daniel assisted by 14 hierarchs, tens of priests and deacons, on a scene specially arranged near the Patriarchal Cathedral.

After the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence Antimos, Metropolitan of Alexandroupoleos, Traianoupoleos and Samotrakis, Greece, delivered a sermon in which he eulogized the personality of Saints Constantine and Helen. His Eminence has also expressed his joy to have been present at this feast so important for the entire Orthodoxy.

“I am very glad and I thank God for having made me worthy of being here today, with you, on the day of such an important feast for the entire Orthodoxy. We all respect His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel in the entire Greece and I personally confess I am very fond of His Beatitude and I respect him a lot. I also have friendly relations with lots of hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church, so that I could see, through the relations I have with them, the love, faith and piety of the Romanian people. I do honour you for having kept the faith and, your behaviour gives a nice witness to the entire world”, said His Eminence.

To end with the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a sermon in which he showed among other things, the role of Saint Emperor Constantine the Great in ceasing the persecutions against Christians.

“The Roman Empire was a persecutor till Constantine the Great, hitting the mysterious body of Jesus Christ. The Roman pagan emperors unleashed almost 300 years of terrible persecutions against the Christians. Constantine the Great is called Apostle among emperors in the chants dedicated to him. Of all the emperors, he is an Apostle sent by God, but the troparion further says: call not from the people, but from God. So, it is an intervention of God in history through the Saint Emperor Constantine the Great and this intervention changed the history, because in 306 he became emperor together with other emperors or caesars, but in 312, after the victory against Maxentiu, his rival in Rome whom he defeated, Saint Emperor Constantine the Great issued the decree of freedom of conscience in 313, and so, through this decree or edict, called Mediolan or Milan, the persecution against the Christians ceases”, said His Beatitude.

To end with, the Patriarch of Romania awarded prizes to the winners of the “Child in the Family” contest, organised by the Theological-Educational Department of the Romanian Patriarchate. While referring to the fact that Saint Helene the Empress “is the example of the Christian mother who grows children in faith”, the Patriarch of Romania showed that the feast of the Saints Emperors was the best time for rewarding the children who won this contest.

“We thought today it was the best time to award prizes, emphasise, appreciate and honour with our appreciation, of the Church, all the children and professors who won the national contest entitled Child in the Family held first in eparchies and then, in the final phase of appreciation, here, at the Romanian Patriarchate, on the day of the Saints Constantine and Helen, the Emperors”, said His Beatitude.

The national contest of Christian Creation entitled “Child in the Family” was held within the framework of the manifestations of 2011, which the Holy Synod declared Homage Year of the Holy Baptism and of the Holy Wedding in the Romanian Patriarchate.

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