Metropolitan Antonie of Bessarabia sent a message to Patriarch Daniel on Wednesday to mark his 75th birthday. In it, he highlighted the Romanian Patriarch’s decisive contribution to the revival of Romanian ecclesiastical and national life, especially to the reactivation and development of the Metropolis of Bessarabia.
“History will record that our generation was blessed with a Patriarch whose name is identified with one of the most extensive movements of ecclesiastical and national renewal among Romanians. In the rebirth of the Metropolis of Bessarabia, which occupies a distinct chapter in the history of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Your Beatitude’s name will remain inscribed among the principal founders of this work,” Metropolitan Antonie wrote.
“For the Romanians of Bessarabia, Your Beatitude is the shepherd who has carried this province in your heart ever since your ministry as Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina.”
The Romanian Orthodox Church, a home for all Romanians
According to Metropolitan Antonie, under Patriarch Daniel’s leadership, the Metropolis of Bessarabia “has regained confidence, prestige and tangible support throughout the Orthodox world,” while numerous parish and monastic communities, together with educational, cultural and social-philanthropic projects, bear the mark of his fatherly care.
“Future generations will look upon this period as the time when the Romanian Orthodox Church reaffirmed its vocation to be the home of all Romanians. Wherever a Romanian may live today, the Romanian Patriarchate strives to ensure that he or she can hear the Gospel in the language of their forefathers, baptise their children, honour their parents and never forget their roots,” the newly enthroned Metropolitan of Bessarabia wrote.
“In an era marked by profound social change, Your Beatitude has shown that the identity of a people is preserved through faith, culture, education and the continuity of historical memory.”
The Patriarch who always believed in the mission of the Metropolis of Bessarabia.
“This vision has strengthened the bonds between Romanians separated by history and placed the Romanian Orthodox Church at the heart of a natural process of spiritual reconciliation among all the sons and daughters of the same nation, giving us the certainty that we naturally and fully belong to the ecclesial and spiritual space of the Romanian Patriarchate,” the Metropolitan continued.
Metropolitan Antonie noted that Patriarch Daniel’s anniversary is, for the clergy and faithful of the Metropolis of Bessarabia, an occasion to express gratitude to “the providential man who believed in the mission of this Metropolis at a time when few had the courage to look so far ahead.”
The message concludes with a prayer to Christ the Saviour that Patriarch Daniel may be granted “many years, good health, peace and the same wisdom” in his service to the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Photo: Doxologia.ro / Oana Nechifor
