During the scientific session in remembrance of the 100th anniversary of Bessarabia’s Union with Romania that took place on 27 March 1918, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel spoke at the Romanian Academy about the newly-glorified Romanian Saints Joseph the Merciful and George the Pilgrim, offering them as a symbol of the 1918 Great Union.
‘Two Romanian Saints have been officially glorified: a Bessarabian and a Transylvanian – the symbol of the two provinces that united in 1918 with the motherland, the Kingdom of Romania,’ Patriarch Daniel said Monday at the Romanian Academy.
The Patriarch pointed to the important event that was held at the end of last week in Iasi and recalled that the glorification ceremony took place in the presence of fourteen hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church, including Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia and his assistant bishop Antonie of Orhei.
The solemn scientific session dedicated to the Centennial of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania – ‘Romania and the Republic of Moldova Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow’ – began at 10 a.m. at the Romanian Academy’s Aula.
The Patriarch of Romania evoked the activity and personality of the Bessarabian Metropolitan Joseph Naniescu, who was canonized by the Church 200 years after his birth. He was Metropolitan in Iasi for 27 years, between 1875-1902.
Among the numerous activities carried out during the pastorship of Metropolitan Saint Joseph, the Patriarch noted the building of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iasi.
His Beatitude also spoke about the newly-glorified lay-ascetic George Lazar who was born in Transylvania but lived in Moldova a big part of his life at Piatra Neamt.
Patriarch Daniel noted that ‘the highest dignity in the Church is not administration or hierarchy, but holiness.’
‘Holiness is the highest dignity level of the human being created in the image of God and called to reach His likeness,’ Patriarch Daniel said March 26, 2018.
‘We want to be united in thought and in our senses and cultivate unionism of the hearts, but we must also work for the unionism through deeds. As the Holy Fathers teach us, in life sometimes you must be silent and let your deeds speak,’ Patriarch Daniel said ending his speech.
The event was attended academicians from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, state officials, and scholars.
Photography courtesy of Robert Nicolae / Basilica.ro
