The Assembly of Bishops of the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobrudja discussed the establishment of seven new church orders dedicated to Romanian Saints during a meeting held at the Patriarchal Residence on Monday evening.
Patriarch Daniel, who chaired the meeting of the Metropolitan Synod, explained that there are many patriarchal orders, but there is no metropolitan order. ‘These are necessary as a middle ground between the distinctions of the dioceses and those of the patriarchate.’
The new metropolitan orders will bear the names of the following Romanian Saints: St Hyacinth of Vicina, St Gregory the Teacher, St Callinicus of Cernica, St John Cassian, St Germanus of Dobrudja, St Dionysius Exiguus, and St Demetrios the New, Protector of Bucharest.
The church distinction dedicated to St. Demetrios the New is an opportunity to raise even more the prestige of the secondary patronal feast of the Patriarchal Cathedral, His Beatitude said July 20.
“We have the patriarchal order of Saints Constantine and Helen, but there is no order of Saint Demetrios the New. Therefore, we also proposed Saint Demetrios the New so that when we have the patronal feast here, we can offer this order to some hierarchs who are invited to the celebrations from the country and abroad, but also to some clergymen,” the Patriarch noted in his opening remarks.
The distinctions for the bishops will be in the form of an engolpion, for clergy a pectoral cross, and for laypeople a badge.
“Among the simpler distinctions, such as those of merit, and different patriarchal orders, metropolitan orders are also needed to highlight the personality of several saints from the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobrudja,” Patriarch Daniel said.
The agenda also included the review and approval of the following liturgical texts: The service and Akathist of the Holy Martyr Hesychius of Durostorum, The life, the Troparion, the Kontakion, the Akathist and the Supplicatory Canon of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg. After approval, the texts will be sent to the Holy Synod for a final decision.
Various administrative issues were also discussed during the meeting.
According to the Statute for the organization and functioning of the Romanian Orthodox Church, in force, the Metropolitan, together with the Archbishops, Bishops, as well as the assistant bishops of the suffragan Dioceses make up the Metropolitan Synod.
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
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