Patriarch Daniel at the arrival in Bukovina: 'Putna Monastery is a school of devoutness and Orthodox culture'

His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, arrived Saturday afternoon in Bukovina. His visit was occasioned by the canonization ceremony of the Putna Saints.

His Beatitude landed May 13 on Stephen the Great International Airport in Suceava where he was welcomed by the Metropolitan of Moldova and Bukovina, His Eminence Teofan, and the Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuţi, His Eminence Pimen.

The delegation of the Romanian Patriarchate headed by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel was welcomed at Putna Monastery by His Eminence Ioachim, Archbishop of Roman and Bacău, the V. Rev. Archimandrite Melchisedec Velnic, Abbot of the Putna Monastery, and many faithful dressed in traditional folk costumes.

*RO:În așteptarea Preafericitului Părinte Patriarh Daniel pe Aeroportul Internațional Ștefan cel Mare, Suceava.

O postare distribuită de Basilica.ro (@basilica.ro) pe 13 Mai 2017 la 01:51 PDT

After officiating a Te Deum service, the Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuţi thanked His Beatitude for participating in this important event wishing him good health and strength: May God bless you with good health, and may He strengthen you in the ministry that you carry out for the profit of our people and Church.

In his speech, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church addressed thanks for the warm welcome and stressed the importance of the Putna monastic settlement in the history of Romanian spirituality saying that Putna Monastery is a genuine school for national unity and a school of devoutness and Orthodox culture.

The patriarch remarked that in Bukovina, in an almost unique way, the beauty of nature races the beauty of culture.

For a good reason, the patriarch said, monastics have chosen the most beautiful places in nature to use as places for monasteries. He went on saying that the monastics have a great joy to respond to the outer beauty of nature with the inner beauty of the spiritual man and that the saints withdrew from the exterior walls to extend the church Liturgy to nature, to the creation.

Saturday evening was officiated the final Memorial service for Metropolitan Jacob of Putna, as well as for the Venerable Fathers Silas, Paisios and Nathan before the proclamation of their canonisation to take place.