The annual working session of the National Church Assembly of the Romanian Orthodox Church was opened on Thursday morning by Patriarch Daniel at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest. In his address, the Patriarch reviewed the main events that took place in 2025.
The session was preceded by a Te Deum service officiated by Bishop Samuel of Bistrița, assistant bishop of the Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj, in the “Europa Christiana” Hall of the Patriarchal Palace.
Patriarch Daniel then delivered the opening address in the “Patriarch Teoctist” Hall, stressing that the summary report reflects the major events of the Centennial Year of the Romanian Patriarchate.
Devotion to the Romanian saints
The Romanian Patriarch recalled that, in February last year, the general proclamation of the 16 new Romanian saints—spiritual fathers and confessors of the Orthodox faith during the communist period—took place.
“This brought great joy and intensified the devotion of the Romanian people towards the recently canonised saints,” Patriarch Daniel said.
He added that this process made the Centennial Year of the Romanian Patriarchate “not only a time of remembrance of the activities and personalities of the Romanian Orthodox Church over the past 100 years, but also a strengthening of communion with the confessing saints of the communist era”.
Consecration of the National Cathedral’s iconography
Patriarch Daniel said that “the most significant event from a symbolic, ecclesial and national point of view was the consecration of the iconographic decoration of the National Cathedral”.
“This consecration strengthened the conviction of Romanians that they, too, have dignity and something of value,” he said, noting the large number of pilgrims who visited the church after the ceremony.
The Patriarch also referred to the main works currently under way at the National Cathedral and expressed the wish that the cathedral should stand at the centre of the events of the International Meeting of Orthodox Youth, which is due to take place in Bucharest in September.
Committee work
Members of the National Church Assembly were then invited to take part in the work of the standing committees.
The Assembly operates through five committees: administrative, legal and validation; social and media communications; cultural and educational; economic, budgetary and real estate patrimony; and a committee for Orthodox Romanians abroad and for external church relations. The committees examined reports covering various areas of church activity and subsequently presented them to the plenary session.
The members of the National Church Assembly approved the summary report prepared by the National Church Council on the Church’s activity in the past year. They also approved the current year’s budget execution and formulated proposals for the further development of the Church’s work.
The National Church Assembly is the central deliberative body of the Romanian Orthodox Church for administrative, social, cultural, economic and patrimonial matters. It is composed of three representatives from each diocese—one cleric and two lay members—delegated by the diocesan assemblies for a four-year term, with members eligible to serve no more than two mandates.
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Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
