Patriarch Daniel of Romania blessed on Thursday the reliquary that will house the relics of the Confessor Priest Saint Dumitru Stăniloae. On Saturday, Cernica Monastery will host the ceremonies marking the local proclamation of the saint’s canonization.
“This beautiful reliquary, adorned in silver and gilded scenes, shows the devotion and esteem of our Church’s faithful for this great saint, who was a confessor, as designated by the Holy Synod of our Church,” the Patriarch of Romania said after officiating the service in the historic Chapel of St. George the Great Martyr at the Patriarchal Residence.
His Beatitude explained that the saint bore witness to the faith under the communist regime in two ways. Firstly, by spending five years in communist prisons. At the same time, by bearing witness through the theological and spiritual writings he authored and published. So much so that French theologian Olivier Clément called him the greatest Orthodox theologian of the 20th century.
A Saint Close to Cernica
Patriarch Daniel recalled that Saint Dumitru Stăniloae greatly loved Cernica Monastery and chose it as his burial place, as well as that of his wife.
“Just a few months before his repose, in the spring of 1993, he gave an interview there in which he spoke profoundly about the Christian meaning of life, about the love of the Holy Trinity, who created the world, sustains all creation, and especially shows love toward humanity.”
The Patriarch highlighted Cernica Monastery’s hesychast tradition, mentioning Saints George and Callinicus of Cernica.
“These two hesychast fathers showed that this spirituality of the heart — which emphasizes the prayer of the mind and heart, the descent of the mind into the heart, and the unceasing bond between man and God — is soul-illuminating. It is peace-giving and a foretaste of the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven,” Patriarch Daniel said.
Source of Steadfastness in Unity
His Beatitude further spoke about the saint’s theological work.
“Father Stăniloae was a teacher of the Philokalia and of hesychast writings. He published a three-volume Dogmatics. He translated and explained the Philokalia into Romanian in 12 volumes. He understood that the Philokalia Fathers, as hesychast practitioners, represented the deepest expression of Orthodox thought and spirituality,” Patriarch Daniel said.
“For this reason, we have decided that his holy relics be placed in the Church of St. Nicholas on Cernica Island, a large and spacious church. In this way, he remains close to Cernica Monastery.”
“We pray to God to grant us the peace, joy, and blessing that the saint highlighted in all his writings and his life, and to be a source of strengthening in faith, steadfastness in the unity of the Church, and communion within our Romanian Orthodox Church, as well as communion with all the other Sister Orthodox Churches, since he was highly esteemed in many Autocephalous Orthodox Churches. To the glory of the Holy Trinity and for our salvation,” the Patriarch concluded.
Patriarch Daniel also announced that a cultural-missionary center bearing the name of Saint Dumitru Stăniloae will be built at the monastery. It is currently in the planning stage.
Congratulations to the Reliquary’s Makers
“We congratulate those who contributed to the making of this reliquary, especially Archimandrite Dionisie Constantin and the skilled nuns from the engraving workshops of the Romanian Patriarchate at Pasărea Monastery. They once again offered a jewel, a remarkable reliquary,” the Patriarch said.
“The nuns from Copou Monastery in Iași crafted this covering depicting the Holy Confessor Priest Dumitru Stăniloae.”
Local Proclamation to Follow
After the blessing, the reliquary was taken to Antim Monastery for the placement of the saint’s relics. On Friday at 3:30 p.m., the reliquary will arrive at St. Nicholas Church on the island of Cernica Monastery, where it will be placed for veneration.
The local proclamation of the canonization of the Holy Confessor Priest Dumitru Stăniloae will take place on Saturday at Cernica Monastery.
The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m. in the island church by Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina. The service will be followed by the reading of the Tomos of canonization, the presentation of the saint’s icon, and the chanting of his troparion.
On this occasion, pilgrims will also be able to visit the open-air photo exhibition “CERnica – between earth and heaven”, organized by Basilica News Agency in cooperation with Cernica Monastery.
Context
In 2024, the Holy Synod approved the canonization of 16 confessor saints from communist prisons and great spiritual fathers. This includes Saint Priest Confessor Dumitru Stăniloae.
On February 4, 2025, during the Centennial Year of the Romanian Patriarchate, the general proclamation of their canonization took place in Bucharest, followed throughout the year by local proclamations in the dioceses where they had dedicated their lives to God.
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Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
