More than 40,000 people have venerated in the altar of the National Cathedral so far, Father Adrian Agachi, Patriarchal Counsellor and coordinator of the Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate, told Agerpres on Tuesday.

According to a tradition specific to the Romanian Orthodox Church, after the consecration of a place of worship, all believers—men and women alike—are permitted to enter and venerate through the holy altar.

For this purpose, the National Cathedral will remain open day and night until November 5, 2025.

Pilgrims also have the opportunity to venerate the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the Protector of Romania and of the National Cathedral.

The reliquary containing the saint’s relics was blessed shortly before the consecration of the cathedral’s iconography and is shaped like the holy edifice itself, up to the cornice.

By Wednesday, the wait had reached over 9 hours.

Interactive map link

To assist pilgrims, the Archdiocese of Bucharest has created an interactive map link that shows the length of the queue and the current waiting time in real time.

Volunteer teams from the Archdiocese of Bucharest are continuously updating the data.

Photo: Agerpres / Cristian Nistor