During a doxology at the Patriarchal Cathedral last Thursday, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel turned his thoughts to refugees and exiles, stressing that the Prophet Daniel and the Three Holy Youths are their patron saints.
Prayers of thanksgiving were offered during a short service attended by members of the staff of the Romanian Patriarchate and the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
“These godly youths represent the fidelity to their own faith of those who are among strangers. All three together, but especially the Prophet Daniel, are intercessors for the refugees, the exiles, for those far from their country and deported to another country.”
“They remain faithful in a foreign land; they remain faithful in a hostile environment. From them we learn to keep the right faith and to keep our spiritual identity no matter where we are, especially since for the first time in history the number of Romanians who left the country is the highest,” Patriarch Daniel said December 17.
For this reason, the Holy Synod declared 2021 as a solemn year of the pastoral care of Romanians outside Romania.
The Patriarch of Romania thanked the participants and wished everyone “much health and much help from God.”
The festive speech was given by the patriarchal auxiliary bishop Varlaam of Ploieşti, who officiated the service of Te Deum.
The bishop presented some aspects of the activity of Patriarch Daniel and mentioned that during His Beatitude’s stewardship the life of the Romanian Orthodox Church experienced “a dynamic and efficient development and activity among the Romanian people”.
About the current Patriarch of Romania, Bishop Varlaam said: “He is recognized by all as a great organizer and a great steward of the affairs of our Church.”
“The patriarch occupies all his time working only for the Church and its sons.”
Bishop Varlaam pointed out that Patriarch Daniel enjoys the same gift as his patron saint, the visionary prophet Daniel.
“The strength and perspective of His Beatitude” became visible in the construction of the National Cathedral, an ideal of over a century of Romanians that became reality during the patriarchal ministry of the 6th Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Bishop Varlaam of Ploieşti wished “Happy Name Day” to Patriarch Daniel and offered him a basket of flowers.
“May our prayers to the Holy Prophet Daniel, the protector of Your Beatitude, always keep you the same zeal for the House of God, the same zeal for the service of the Church, and we want this service to be as long and full of rich fruits as possible.”
The festive moment continued at the Palace of the Patriarchate in Bucharest.
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
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