The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church held its working session at the Patriarch Teoctist Aula Magna of the Palace of the Patriarchate, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.
On July 11, 2020, the Metropolitan Synod of the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina, in consultation with the Archdiocesan Assembly of Suceava and Radauti, appointed by secret ballot two candidates for the vacant see of Archbishop of Suceava and Radauti:
His Grace Bishop Calinic of Botoșani, assistant bishop to the Archdiocese of Iași;
His Grace Bishop Damaschin of Dorna, assistant bishop to the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți.
On July 21, the Holy Synod elected by secret ballot His Grace Bishop Calinic of Botoșani with 30 votes out of 46 validly cast votes.
Other decisions of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church included:
- At the request of the Diocese of Deva and Hunedoara, the Holy Synod approved the establishment of a post of assistant bishop.
- It was approved to include in the Church Calendar for 2021, in the section “Important days and dates”, the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women (the third Sunday after Easter) as the Sunday of Christian Women, as well as the Sunday of the Christian Family in the proximity of May 15.
- The proclamation by the Romanian Parliament of August 16 as the National Day of Remembrance of the Brancoveanu Martyrs and of Awareness of Violence against Christians was appreciated.
- The Holy Synod resolved to include Saint Xenia of St. Petersburg (January 24) in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
- Several liturgical texts were approved: The Akathist and the Supplicatory Canon to the Mother of God “Quick to hear”; The Akathist and the Supplicatory Canon to the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice”; The Akathist to the Mother of God “Assuage my sorrows”; The Akathist to the Mother of God – “The Guide and Protectress of children”; The Akathist and the Supplicatory Canon to Saint Paisios of Mount Athos (July 12); The Akathist to the Holy Hierarchs Athanasius and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria (January 18), as well as the inclusion of these texts in the worship books of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
- The Regulation for the organization and functioning of the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate of the Romanian Orthodox Church was approved.
The Holy Synod took note of the following:
- The answers of the Primates of Autocephalous Orthodox Churches addressed to the Patriarch of Romania regarding the way of distributing the Holy Eucharist during the Divine Liturgy in the context of the new coronavirus pandemic. All Autocephalous Orthodox Churches remain faithful to the Orthodox liturgical tradition of administrating the Holy Eucharist to the believers from a single blessed Chalice and with a single blessed spoon.
- the contribution of the Romanian Patriarchate to the support of the persons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during the national state of emergency. The quantifiable financial aid offered by the Romanian Orthodox Church was 20,896,872 lei (4,316,601.32 euro);
- the donation of 4617 tablets and other electronic devices offered to students and teachers at the request of the Ministry of Education and Research;
- the approval of the new Statute for the organization and functioning of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal by the Ministry of the Presidency, Relations with the Parliament and the Democratic Memory of Spain;
In the run-up to the local public administration elections in autumn 2020, the Holy Synod reiterated that the Romanian Orthodox Church remains politically neutral, but urges all Orthodox citizens to exercise their right to vote in the light of criteria aimed at achieving the community profit and promoting Christian values in society.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanked all the hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church who supported locally the dialogue with the authorities and respected the guidelines of the Holy Synod’s Chancellery in the context of the pandemic with the new coronavirus (SARS-VOC-2). The Holy Synod demands observance of sanitary rules throughout the pandemic.
Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
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