The Romanian Orthodox Church officially proclaimed sixteen newly canonized saints on Tuesday, during a historic ceremony at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, attended by Patriarch Daniel and the members of the Holy Synod.
The proclamation ceremony took place after the Divine Liturgy, marking the 100th anniversary of the Romanian Patriarchate. The event gathered members of the National Church Assembly and hundreds of believers on Metropolitan Hill.
Proclamation of the Saints
Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, who also serves as Secretary of the Holy Synod, read the Synodal Tomos, officially announcing the sixteen new Romanian saints.
“Today, our Orthodox Church brings great joy to its faithful on the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate, as it adds to the calendar of saints those righteous ones who pleased God from among the Romanian people.”
The bishop read the names of the saints and their respective feast days.
The decree highlighted that these newly recognized saints lived lives of prayer, fasting, repentance, humility, and love, achieving spiritual perfection.
“Some of them paid for their confession of faith with their lives, being crowned with the glorious wreath of martyrdom. Others endured continuous, bloodless martyrdom, suffering imprisonment, torture, and endless humiliation, and even after their release, they continued to be persecuted by those who denied God.”
“Neither hardship, distress, hunger, lack of clothing, nor danger could separate them from the love of Christ. In all these things, they proved to be more than conquerors through Christ, who loved them,“ the synodal text stated.
Following the reading of the canonization decree, icons of the new saints were presented, and the Tronos Byzantine Choir chanted their troparia.
Patriarch Daniel: “The Most Precious Spiritual Fruit of the Church”
Patriarch Daniel described the sixteen saints in his address as “the most precious fruit that our Church has offered in these 100 years.”
“Through them, the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit in the Romanian Orthodox Church is more intensely revealed.”
He emphasized that they were canonized because their lives bore clear signs of holiness, including:
- Orthodox faith,
- A life of repentance and prayer,
- Humble and merciful love for others,
- Sacrificial confession of faith,
- Miracles attributed to them,
- The veneration of the faithful.
The Patriarch clarified that their canonization is a recognition of their sanctity beyond any political context, reaffirming that true Christian witness does not endorse worldly ideologies but rather the eternal values of faith and love for God.
“The Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate is, therefore, a moment of sacred joy and gratitude for the entire Romanian Orthodox Church. Looking back, we see not only a rich history but also a profound spiritual legacy left by our predecessors—patriarchs, hierarchs, priests, monks, and lay faithful—who defended and transmitted the Orthodox faith over time.”
Te Deum and Synodal Assembly
Following the proclamation, Metropolitan Iosif of Western and Southern Europe officiated a Te Deum service in gratitude for the Romanian Patriarchate’s Centennial and for the opening of the Holy Synod and National Church Assembly.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca Emanuela Ene
