The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church proclaimed the year 2013 as Solemn year of Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen on the occasion of the anniversary of 1700 years since the Edict of religious freedom of Milan (313), and as “Dumitru Stăniloae” Commemorative Year (1903 – 1993) at the anniversary of 110 years since his birth and 20 since the passing away of the most important Romanian theologian.
On the occasion of the feast of Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen, the historical dedication day of the Patriarchal Cathedral, the Romanian Patriarchate organises a series of manifestations according to the following programme:
Tuesday, 21 May 2013, 7.00 hours, the holy relics of Pious Dimitrios the New, Protector of Bucharest, of Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen and of Saint Hierarch Nectarie of Egyna, Healer of Diseases, will be taken out and laid under the canopy on the Patriarchate Hill to be venerated by faithful.
At 9.00 o’clock, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel will celebrate the Divine Liturgy assisted by a group of hierarchs, priests and deacons, on a podium specially arranged in the yard of the Patriarchal Cathedral.
After the Divine Liturgy, at 11.30 hours, the winners of the four national contests for children and adults organised in 2013 by the Romanian Patriarchate will be announced and awarded prises:
1.“The Joy to be Christian”, a contest of interpretation and reciting a religious chant or folk song, a religious or folk poem, or a literary text in prose, 2. “Rev. Dumitru Stăniloae – 110 years since his birth and 20 since his passing away” contest of dogmatic theology for the seminarian pupils and students of the Orthodox theological schools of the country, 3.“Choose School!” contest of literary, artistic and multimedia creation, and 4) “The Orthodox Icon – Light of Faith” contest for the icon painters in fresco and mosaic from all over the country.
At 13.00 hours, the exhibition entitled “The Orthodox Icon – Light of Faith” will be opened in Europa Christiana hall of the Patriarchate Palace. The exhibition displays the paintings by the participants in the contest organised by the Romanian Patriarchate.
Monday, 20 May 2013, 19.00 hours, the awarding of the winners of the four national contests will be preceded by the Trinitas television film – presented in the Patriarch Teoctist Aula Magna of the Patriarchate Palace – on the National Contest entitled “Joy to the Christian” organised in the eparchies of the Romanian Patriarchate.
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From 21 – 24 May 2013, the International Theological Congress entitled Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen, promoters of the religious freedom and supporters of the Church will be held at the Patriarchate Palace, organised by the Theological – Educational Department of the Romanian Patriarchate.
The Congress will benefit of the participation of professors from the Faculties of Orthodox Theology of Bucharest, Sibiu, Cluj, Athens (Greece), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Hetzegovina), from the Universities of Heidelberg (Germany), Edlangen-Nürenberg (Germany) and Freiburg (Switzerland), Augustinian Patristic Pontifical Institute of Rome (Italy), Faculty of Evangelical Theology of Kiel (Germany) and of the researchers from the Museum of National History and Archaeology of Constanța, from Institute of Archaeological Research (Ukraine) and from the Academy of Sciences of Bulgaria.
To start with the Congress, the representatives of the Ministry for National Education, of the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs, of the Romanian Academy, and of the University of Bucharest will address messages to the participants.
PRESS OFFICE OF THE ROMANIAN PATRIARCHATE
