The Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe (MOREOM) marked its 75th anniversary alongside the patronal feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael Cathedral in Paris.
Events began last Thursday with a pilgrimage to the Paris cathedral, bringing the relic of Saint Nicholas from “St. George-New” Church in Bucharest.
The cathedral patronal feast was celebrated on Friday, followed by the Eparchial Assembly of the Archdiocese of Western Europe.
Saturday was dedicated to MOREOM’s anniversary, recalling the establishment of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Western Europe by Metropolitan Visarion Puiu in September 1949.
On Saturday morning, all seven hierarchs within the metropolis concelebrated at the Divine Liturgy and blessed the chapel’s new iconography, dedicated to the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs and Saint John Maximovitch.
Two conferences were conducted in the afternoon to commemorate the occasion. The archdiocese’s history under Metropolitan Visarion Puiu’s administration was presented by historian Adrian Nicolae Petcu, in conjunction with an exhibition of documents and images from that era.
Fr. Dr. Florin Țuscanu reflected on The Final Year of Metropolitan Visarion Puiu’s Life, commemorating 60 years since his death and burial, and introduced the book The Correspondence of Metropolitan Visarion Puiu with Don Giovanni Calabria, published by Lexon Prim, Chișinău, in 2020.
The evening concluded with a concert featuring the cathedral’s Junior Choir and Archangels Choir, along with artists Maria Coman, Valentina Dascălu, and Ionel Streba.
About MOREOM
The Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Iosif, provides spiritual guidance to the Romanian Orthodox faithful in France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
Hierarchs who have led the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Western Europe, later becoming MOREOM, include:
- Metropolitan Visarion Puiu (from 1945 until 1964, founder of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Western Europe, which became an Archdiocese in 1974),
- Archbishop Teofil Ionescu (1964–1975),
- Bishop Lucian of Făgărăș (1975–1980 as locum tenens),
- Archbishop Adrian Hrițcu (1980–1982 as acting hierarch and from 1982–1992 as diocesan bishop),
- Metropolitan Serafim Joantă of Germany, Central, and Northern Europe (1992–1998).
Photo: Diocese of Italy
