The Cotroceni Palace Church celebrated its patronal feast on Tuesday, honouring the Holy Great Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. Among those attending the celebration was Romanian President Nicușor Dan.
On this occasion, the President congratulated the clergy and community members, expressing appreciation for those who have contributed to preserving and revitalising the church within the Cotroceni Palace complex. He also promised to attend future services.
“For this place, which has a rather tumultuous history, I want to congratulate everyone who helped make it a place we can be proud of. To all those who come here regularly, I send a message of openness on our part,” said President Dan.
“We are glad that you choose to come here, because this is a place for the people of Bucharest — not something distant or inaccessible. We are happy to have you, and I look forward to meeting again here.”
A place of prayer within an institution
Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, who was Patriarch Daniel’s delegate to the event, emphasised the great blessing it is for any institution to have a chapel where the Divine Liturgy is celebrated — especially in the case of Romania’s Presidential Administration.
“It is a joy every time we celebrate a patronal feast, for the church being honoured represents the heart of a community,” Bishop Varlaam said.
“It is a great blessing for any institution of crucial importance — such as the Presidency of Romania, hospitals, or schools — to have a church or chapel where the Divine Liturgy is offered, asking God for wisdom, patience, and discernment in making sound decisions for the good of the community.”
The saints’ role in the life of a ruler
The bishop also recalled how Șerban Cantacuzino, the founder of the Cotroceni Palace Church, chose Saints Sergius and Bacchus as its patrons.
According to Bishop Varlaam, Șerban Cantacuzino once sought refuge in this place, praying to the saints to save him from his pursuers:
“He stayed here for three days, fasting and praying to Saints Sergius and Bacchus for deliverance. Being a man of great learning, he had read Byzantine chronicles and knew how Emperor Justinian the Great had once been miraculously saved through their intercession.”
“Cantacuzino’s life was spared; he later travelled to Istanbul, where he was appointed Prince of Wallachia in 1678. Upon ascending the throne, he built the Cotroceni Palace Church, which, despite its turbulent history, remains — as Bishop Varlaam noted — “a place of prayer for those who labour within the Presidential Administration.”
At the conclusion of the service, several distinctions from Patriarch Daniel were presented to members of the Presidential Administration in recognition of their service.
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Photo: Basilica / Mircea Florescu
