Today, 29 May 2014, Rev Archimandrite Ieronim Cretu was ordained Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch within the Divine Liturgy celebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest.
The Divine Liturgy and the ordination were celebrated by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, together with a group of Romanian and foreign hierarchs, as follows: His Eminence Irineu, Archbishop of Alba Iulia, His Eminence Metropolitan Ambrozie of Durostorum and Silistra, His Grace Tihon of Podolsk, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Teodosie, Bishop of Devol, His Grace Ambrozie, Bishop of Giurgiu, His Grace Mihail, Romanian Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, His Grace Varlaam, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Varsanufie, Archbishop elect of Ramnic.
His Grace Ieronim Sinaitul was elected Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church during its working session of 29 November 2009, and Wednesday evening, 28 May 2014, after the Vesper service the call to this rank of service was celebrated.
During today’s ordination as hierarch, Archimandrite Ieronim Cretu answered the questions of His Beatitude and of the hierarchs present through a confession of faith. Then, the candidate was ordained Bishop receiving the specific vestments: sakkos, omophorion, engolpion, cross and mitre.
To end with the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, Secretary of the Holy Synod, read the Patriarchal Act by which the new hierarch was recognised as Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, with the title of Sinaitul.
Then, the Patriarch of Romania offered the new Assistant Bishop the cloak and walking staff, insignia of the hierarchic service, and His Grace Ieronim Cretu blessed the faithful in his new dignity.
Finally, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel spoke about the mission of the new Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch.
“We are glad because the Holy Spirit offered us today one more hierarch at the Romanian Patriarchate, because there is more and more work to do and we must meet the needs of our faithful from the country and abroad too. Freedom means one more responsibility.
The freer we are the more responsible we are to God and to people. We have spiritual works blessed by the church for the welfare of the clergy and of the faithful. We wish all those present good health and joy and we do congratulate His Grace Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch Ieronim Sinaitul and wish him much help of God in the new service of the Church”.
In his turn, the new Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch expressed his desire to keep on being a good servant of the Church.
“I renew, as I confessed today to Your Beatitude, to the celebrant hierarchs and to all those present my never ending love for the Church, and for our Orthodox teaching. I shall continue to serve with all due faithfulness our right faith so as the work entrusted to me should be in accordance with the development and welfare of our Holy Church, under the guidance of Your Beatitude, and make it a success in this crucial time for our Church when the generations are changed and when more and more attention should be paid especially to those who will serve the Church tomorrow and be faithful in the Church.”
His Grace Ieronim Sinaitul was born in Braiesti commune, county of Buzau, on 21 November 1959. After graduating the Theological Seminary in 1981, he attended the courses of the University Theological Institute of Bucharest and dedicated himself to the monastic life in July 1986, at Bistrita Monastery of Neamt county.
On 2 January 1987, he took the monastic vows and soon after he was ordained hierodeacon, and then hieromonk, also licensed as father confessor at Bistrita Monastery – Neamt. On 29 April 1988, he was appointed servant priest of the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest and in charge with the Central Patriarchal Library; on 2 March 1990 he was appointed Ecclesiarch of the Patriarchal Cathedral.
On 25 December 1990, His Beatitude Teoctist, Patriarch of Romania raised him to the rank of protosingel, and on 10 April he was awarded the Cross of the Romanian Patriarchate and made archimandrite. On 5 August 1994, the celebration day of Saint Pious Jacob the Hosevite from Neamt, he was appointed delegate of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Holy Places and Superior of the Holy Romanian Settlement of Jerusalem, Jericho and Jordan. In his new capacity he continued the activity of his predecessors, developing and reorganising the religious assistance and pilgrimages. His initiatives and projects attracted a large number of pilgrims to the Holy Places, both Romanians and foreigners coming from all over the Christian world. After great endeavour and administrative diplomatic work the foundation of a new Romanian Settlement was laid at the Holy Places in the Bible city of Jericho, a generous project which is coming to a close today.
The great success of all his diplomatic, administrative and religious works brought many awards to Rt Rev Archimandrite Ieronim Cretu, so that he was awarded the Patriarchal Cross of the Ecumenical Patriarchate by Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, and Cross of Jerusalem, having become “Knight of the Holy Sepulchre” of the Resurrection of the Lord in Jerusalem, by decision of Patriarch Diodor I of Jerusalem, and the Russian Patriarchal Cross awarded by Patriarch Alexei of Moscow and All Russia. The history of the Romanian Settlement at the Holy Places also presents a part of the diplomatic, administrative and religious activity of Rt Rev Archimandrite Ieronim. Due to his love and endeavour, many delegations and official authorities, as well as Romanian pilgrims or workers from the Holy Places always found places of religious assistance, guidance and prayer, accommodation and pilgrimage in the Holy Land.
