On Monday, Bishop Timotei of Prahova, the Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, conducted a special service to exhume Saint Dumitru Stăniloae’s relics from the cemetery of Cernica Monastery.
The bishop spoke about the desire of Saint Dumitru Stăniloae and other hierarchs and theology professors to “listen to the liturgy beneath the earth in the monastery’s cemetery.”
“Rev. Professor Dumitru Stăniloae came to Cernica Monastery, a place where many hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church await the Great Day of Resurrection, including primary metropolitans and auxiliary bishops who have served in Bucharest or other dioceses and chose this cemetery in the Wallachian Lavra as their final resting place.”
“Alongside Father Stăniloae, before and after him, other theology professors and priests who served in many of Bucharest’s important parishes also wished to listen to the liturgy beneath the earth in the monastery’s cemetery.”
The relics of Saint Dumitru Stăniloae were exhumed according to canonical regulations and placed in a new coffin, later to be placed in a specially prepared reliquary.
The exhumation was conducted in advance to adhere to the Church’s regulations regarding preparing holy relics. Specifically, previous experiences related to the canonization of saints from the Archdiocese of Bucharest were considered.
This exhumation aimed to properly prepare the relics for placement in a silver reliquary, currently being crafted at the Romanian Patriarchate’s workshops, in preparation for the canonization proclamation at the beginning of 2025.
Born in 1903, Saint Dumitru Stăniloae translated the writings of Orthodox ascetics, monks, and clerics from the 4th to the 15th centuries, focusing on the practice of Orthodoxy—a dimension as crucial as the dogmatic aspect of Orthodox theology. These works were published in a Philokalia series (Greek for “love of beauty”) and later translated for an international audience.
He was imprisoned during the communist regime for his involvement in the hesychast movement “The Burning Bush” at St Anthimos Monastery.
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
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