On Saturday, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, led the funeral service for Romania’s last sovereign together with an assembly of eight metropolitans, priests, and deacons, pointing to King Michael’s spiritual qualities and his tie with the Romanian Orthodox Church.
‘King Michael I of Romania was a deeply faithful person throughout his life. His faith was not formal, but existential and practical. The King felt God present and active in his life, especially in difficult times,’ the patriarch said Dec. 16.
‘The faith in God was His Majesty’s light and help during his life’, the patriarch said adding that ‘his virtues have been valued by both European royals and ordinary people.’
Concelebrants for the funeral service included:
- His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina
- His Eminence Metropolitan Laurentiu of Transylvania
- His Eminence Metropolitan Andrei of Cluj
- His Eminence Metropolitan Irineu of Oltenia
- His Eminence Metropolitan Ioan of Banat
- His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif of Western and Southern Europe
- His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia
- His Eminence Hon Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Târgoviște
Alongside the Royal Family of Romania, also attending the funeral service at the Patriarchal Cathedral were President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose, Senate President Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Deputies’ Chamber Speaker Liviu Dragnea, Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu, National Defence Minister Mihai Fifor, representatives of the European Commission, Georgia, Macedonia, the UK, Turkey and the Holy See.
Moreover, the service was attended by representatives of the Royal Families of the UK, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Jordan, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Albania, France, Prussia, Italy, and Portugal. Members of the Imperial Families of Russia, Austria and Germany, the Grand Duchy Family of Baden, the Royal Family of Wurttemberg and the Prince Family of Ligne also attended the funeral service.
King Michael – a symbol of the suffering and hope of the Romanian people – Basilica.ro
Address of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at the Funeral Service of King Michael I of Romania, in the Patriarchal Cathedral from Bucharest on Saturday, 16 December 2017: “I am the resurrection and the life! The one who believes in Me, even though he dies, will live!
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Photo credit: Robert Nicolae / Basilica.ro
