Romanian Orthodox Archbishop Varsanufie of Râmnic officiated the Divine Liturgy in Ude, Georgia – Hieromartyr Anthimus the Georgian’s native town. The saint was one of the Romanian hierarch’s predecessors on the throne of Râmnic.
St Anthimus, who is honoured by both Romanians and Georgians, is celebrated in Georgia on June 26. On this day this year, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the monastery of the saint’s native town, Ude.
The Archbishop of Râmnic was joined in concelebration by Metropolitan Teodor of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti and Metropolitan Sabbas of Khoni and Samtredia.
In his homily, Archbishop Varsanufie spoke of St Anthimus the Georgian.
“The strong faith he received in his native village helped him adorn his life with the virtues gained through long patience and deep humility, always cultivating gratitude towards God, his ancestors and his benefactors,” the Romanian hierarch said.
HE Răzvan Rotundu, Ambassador of Romania to Georgia, by numerous local faithful and by the Ude Children’s Choir also attended the event.
His Eminence Varsanufie of Râmnic gifted the Ude Monastery, protected by the saint, with an icon representing their spiritual patron.
The celebrations dedicated to the Georgia-born holy hierarch continued at the Ude Cultural Center with children’s groups performing local folk songs and dances.
On the same day, the hierarchs and the foreign guests visited “St Nina” Monastery, dating back to St Anthimus the Georgian’s time and surrounded by the old local community cemetery.
Romanians celebrate Hieromartyr Anthimus the Georgian on September 27.
Hieromartyr Anthimus the Georgian, metropolitan of Wallachia († 1716), was born around 1650, captured by the Turks, enslaved in Constantinople and then redeemed by Christians.
He became fluent in Greek, Turkish and Arabian. Around 1690, following the advice of Dositheus Notarius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, he came to Wallachia, where Holy Martyr Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu asked him to help with the printing of church books.
He took up the monastic vows, received the name of Anthimus and was ordained hieromonk at Snagov Monastery, near Bucharest.
In the summer of 1691, the former bishop of Huşi, Metrophanis, entrusted him the printing press of the Metropolitanate of Wallachia.
In 1705, he was elected bishop of Râmnic and in 1708 he became Metropolitan of Wallachia.
He unfolded a rich printing activity in many languages, including Romanian, using the language of the people, which he enriched and adorned, becoming the founder of the Romanian literary and liturgical language.
Photo source: Archdiocese of Râmnic
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