Today, 6 November 2014, His Eminence Nicolae was remembered 40 days since his passing away. The commemoration began with the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timisoara by a group of hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Then, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated the remembrance service. Besides His Beatitude, His Eminence Timotei, Archbishop of Arad, His Grace Lucian, Bishop of Caranssebes, His Grace Sofronie, Bishop of Oradea, His Grace Nicodim, Bishop of Severin and Strehaia, His Grace Daniil, Bishop of the Diocese of Dacia Felix with the administrative headquarters in Varset, Serbia, His Grace Siluan, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary and His Grace Paisie Lugojeanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Timisoara were also present.
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae was and would always be an enlightener through faith and culture, through sufferance and generosity, the Patriarch of Romania showed in the speech delivered in the end of the religious service.
“After 40 days of mourning and prayer for the rest of his soul, the worthy remembering Metropolitan Nicolae of Banat remains spiritually present in the Eparchy he served and in the Metropolitanate he ran. He is and remains present through the theological and cultural legacy bequeathed to the Church and to the Romanian society, as well as through the buildings he initiated, raised or patronised. He remains present through his fatherly love expressed in prayer for all those close to him and for the entire Eparchy which he served for 52 years, because who prayed a lot during his lifetime in the world will also pray in heaven together with the angels and saints in the Kingdom of the Most Holy Trinity”, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church said.
The light Metropolitan Nicolae of Banat bequeathed us, His Beatitude also said, was coming from his strong faith: “The light Metropolitan Nicolae of Banat bequeathed us was coming from his strong faith. The faith of Metropolitan Nicolae of Banat was constantly cultivated through his strong faith. The faith of Metropolitan Nicolae of Banat was constantly cultivated through culture and strengthened through much effort and sufferance. The light of the faith of Metropolitan Nicolae of Banat increased especially through a total detachment from the material things, as noticed in his will. He never gathered money, precious things, fortune, or treasures. He lived simply and modestly. He passed away poor in material things, but rich in merciful deeds, just like Saint Hierarch Nicholas, his spiritual protector. We thank God for the light of his life bequeathed to us and we pray God to give him the peace and joy of the saints in heaven. May he be always remembered!”
The members of the family of the worthy hierarch, people of culture, representatives of the religious cults of Timisoara and of the local institutions, and many priests and faithful of the Metropolitanate of Banat attended the remembrance service. To end with the commemorative manifestations, the Patriarch of Romania celebrated a trisaghion at the grave of Metropolitan Nicolae Corneanu, in the crypt under the altar of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timisoara, assisted by priests and deacons.
According to the Statutes for the organisation and functioning of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Archbishop locum tenens of Timisoara and Metropolitan of Banat is His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who will be remembered at all the religious services of the Archdiocese of Timisoara, till the election of the new canonical hierarch.
The Metropolitan of Banat passed away aged 90, on 28 September.
