The Hieromartyr Neophyte the Cretan, who served as Metropolitan of Wallachia during 1738-1753, was officially proclaimed a Saint during a Sunday ceremony at the Patriarchal Cathedral’s patronal feast in Bucharest.
The patriarchal auxiliary bishop Varlaam of Ploiești read out the tomos on the canonisation of the new saint.
The canonisation ceremony took place on a stage next to the Patriarchal Cathedral in the presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.
While the hierarchs and servants of the Patriarchal Cathedral venerated the icon of the newly-canonised saint, cantors chanted St Neophyte’s troparion.
An icon of Hieromartyr Saint Neophyte the Cretan was also placed for veneration in the baldachin next to the relics of Saints Constantine and Helen.
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church approved the canonisation of Metropolitan Neophyte the Cretan in its meeting on October 28, 2022, setting the date of remembrance on June 16.
The holy hierarch Neophyte was the prominent supporter of the abolition of serfdom in Wallachia.
He freed all the peasants from the Metropolitan estates, established a public school subsidised by the Church in Pâtroaia, Dâmbovița County, established the Metropolitan Library and printed service and teaching books in Romanian.
He reposed in the Lord on June 16, 1753, after being poisoned by the physician of Prince Matei Ghica, who was dissatisfied that the metropolitan was on the side of the people, complaining about his irregularities to Sultan’s representative.
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
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