Patriarch Daniel on Monday, May 20, 2019 told the hierarchs of the Metropolitan Synod of the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobrudja that they should encourage the believers to strengthen their devotion to the Romanian Saints.
‘It is a great joy to have many Saints interceding for us,’ the Patriarch of Romania said opening the working session of the assembly of bishops of the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobrudja.
The bishops met under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel at the patriarchal residence to complete the texts of the life, akathist and services of several saints, as well as to discuss administrative issues.
The day’s agenda, as announced at the beginning of the working session by the Patriarch, included the following topics:
- choosing the location for the next edition of the ‘Tradition and Novelty’ camp organized within the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobrudja;
- the approval of the thematic proposals necessary for the conduct of courses and exams for obtaining clerical degrees;
- the election of members for the Metropolitan Monastic Consistory;
- the approval of church service texts of several Saints in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church, including St Irenaeus of Sirmium, Martyrs Nicandros and Marcianus, Dasius, Hermes, Ermylus and Stratonicus, Saint Ephrem of Tomis, Martyrs Maximus, Quintilian and Dadas, Martyr Lupus of Novae. The akathist to Saint Theoctistus of Palestine was also approved.
In his speech, the patriarch thanked the hierarchs for participating in this working session, expressing his hope that the Metropolitan Synod will contribute to the proper conduct of the liturgical, pastoral and missionary activities of the Church.
‘There are over 100 Romanian Saints in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church, with two or three Romanian Saints being celebrated every month,’ the Patriarch noted.
His Beatitude also pointed to the fact that the Second Sunday after Pentecost is dedicated to all Romanian Saints saying that ‘it is a joy to celebrate them all together, the known and the unknown.’
Photography courtesy of ZL/Luigi Ivanciu