On Monday evening, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, secretary of the Holy Synod, officiated the final memorial service for sixteen newly canonized Orthodox confessors and martyrs of the 20th century ahead of their official proclamation as saints.
“We are the ones in need of the prayers and intercession of these chosen ones of God,” the bishop emphasized during the service held at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest following Vespers.
A Universal Call to Holiness
Reflecting on the significance of the memorial service preceding the formal canonization ceremony, Bishop Varlaam underscored that all people are called to holiness:
“This service highlights the truth that all people are called to holiness, and those who strive for it, with God’s help, attain it. In the Book of Leviticus, God commands His chosen people: ‘I am the Lord your God; sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.’”
The bishop explained that the sixteen new saints being commemorated had sought and achieved this holiness through faith and perseverance.
“Martyrs and confessors, theology professors and parish priests, abbots and spiritual fathers, city missionaries and hermits in forests and hidden places, iconographers and scholars, philanthropists and benefactors—true pillars of the Church and the nation during times of great peril. These sixteen luminous torches were placed by God to shine in a century darkened by totalitarian and anti-Christian ideologies,” he stated.
Canonization Coincides with Patriarchate Centennial
Bishop Varlaam highlighted that the official proclamation of these saints on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Romanian Orthodox Church’s elevation to Patriarchate status.
The year 2025 has been designated as the “Solemn Year of the Patriarchate’s Centennial” and the “Commemorative Year of Orthodox Confessors and Spiritual Fathers of the 20th Century.”
“This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the first canonization of Romanian saints, conducted by our Church on February 28, 1950,” the bishop reminded the faithful.
Historical Context of Romanian Canonizations
The secretary of the Holy Synod also spoke about the history of canonization within the Romanian Orthodox Church, noting that although this is a prerogative of autocephalous Churches, Romanian Metropolises exercised this right even before 1925, reflecting their historical autonomy.
He highlighted one such exceptional moment—the canonization of Saint Nephon, Patriarch of Constantinople, which took place in Curtea de Argeș in the presence of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Final Blessing
Concluding his address, Bishop Varlaam invoked the words of Saint Paul:
“Let us leave for our homes with the Apostle’s exhortation in our ears, our minds, and our hearts: ‘Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.’”
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