Today, 5 October 2013, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania celebrated the remembrance service in the church of “Saint Nicholas” of Cernica Monastery, county of Ilfov, on the occasion of the commemoration of 20 years since his passing away. Besides His Beatitude Daniel, His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest concelebrated assisted by a group of priests and deacons.
The participants in the International Theological Congress dedicated to Father Dumitru Staniloae held these days at the Patriarchate Palace were also present.
On this occasion, the Patriarch of Romania delivered a speech entitled: Rest in the peace and love of the Most Holy Trinity in which he eulogized the personality and work of the great Romanian theologian, as well as his relationship with the monastic settlement of Cernica where his grave is: “In the cemetery of Cernica Monastery there are not only graves of monks, but also the graves of some hierarchs, theology professors, priests and laics, people of culture, as well as of some ordinary people. All of them rest here in the peace and love of the Most Holy Trinity and in the hope of the universal Resurrection and of the eternal life about which father Dumitru Staniloae wrote a lot and very nicely as theologian of the Cross, of the Resurrection of Christ, and of the light of the Most Holy Trinity. A few months before his passing away, Father Dumitru Staniloa spoke here, at Cernica Monastery, just about the sense of the Christian life as existence focused both on Resurrection and on the Kingdom of the eternal love of the Most Holy Trinity. Father Dumitru Staniloae prayed and served at the Holy Altar during his lifetime on the earth, but now he does that in heaven for the humans’ salvation, for the Church and people, so that he remains for all of us, in the light of his life and theology, a resurrection flame on the way to salvation and to eternal life in the Kingdom of the Most Holy Trinity. The peace and the joy of the Resurrection are mysteriously included in his theological and spiritual writings”.
To end with the remembrance service, the book entitled “Father Dumitru Staniloae – confessions and evocations” was launched, recently published at “Life Word” Publishing House of the Metropolitanate of Muntenia and Dobrudgea. The book was presented by Rev Prof. Viorel Ionita, from “Patriarch Justinian” Faculty of Theology of Bucharest: “This book presents some of the confessions and evocations of the one who was Father Professor Dumitru Staniloae. We find first of all evocations signed by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, then by the worthy remembering Patriarch Teoctist, as well as by hierarchs, priests, theologians and even faithful. I have the honour to point out the fact that these confessions come as an answer to the discussions held yesterday and the day before yesterday at the Patriarchate Palace when the participants underlined that the process of reception of the work of the greatest and most representative Romanian Orthodox theologian of the whole world in the 20th century can be done much better and deeply if his life is known.”
In the end, the Trisaghion service was celebrated at the grave of Father Dumitru Staniloae at the cemetery of Cernica.
The event ended the International Theological Congress on the theme “Reception of the Work of Father Dumitru Staniloae Today”.
