His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel blessed on Saturday the reliquary that will hold the relics of Saint Sofian of St Anthimos Monastery. The blessing service was officiated in the historic Chapel of Saint George the Great Martyr of the Patriarchal Residence, three days before the local proclamation of the canonisation of Saint Sofian the Confessor.
On this occasion, the Patriarch of Romania said that the local proclamation of the canonisation will emphasise the veneration of the recently canonised saint.
“With the help of God, this beautiful silver reliquary, adorned with many gilded scenes, has been blessed, in which the relics of Saint Sofian the Confessor of Antim Monastery will be placed. The devotion to Saint Sofian the Confessor of Antim will be even more emphasised, or amplified, through the local proclamation of his canonisation on Tuesday, September 16.”
“Of course, we must also recall that the general proclamation of the sixteen Romanian spiritual fathers and confessors from the communist period took place on February 4 this year. That is why, here on the Patriarchal Hill, we celebrated the general proclamation of these Romanian fathers and confessors, among whom was also Father Sofian, as we used to call him,” His Beatitude added.
Archbishop Casian of the Lower Danube and Saint Sofian
The Patriarch of Romania went on to explain why Tuesday’s service will be presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Casian of the Lower Danube.
“The service of the local proclamation of his canonisation at Antim Monastery will be celebrated by an assembly of hierarchs, presided over by our delegate, His Eminence Archbishop Casian of the Lower Danube. Why?”
“Because between November 1988 and July 1989, for a period of eight months, Father Sofian Boghiu was invited to the United States of America for two medical operations. During that time, he entrusted his spiritual sons and daughters, who used to confess to him, to us — for we were then serving in the Chancellery of the Holy Synod as a patriarchal counsellor, while living at Antim Monastery — and also to Father Casian Crăciun, then a patriarchal inspector,” Patriarch Daniel explained.
The Apostle of Bucharest
Patriarch Daniel also shared details about the spiritual bond he had with Saint Sofian during his lifetime.
“When I was a doctoral student in Bucharest, he very often asked us to give a meditation at Antim Monastery after the Paraklesis of the Mother of God. It was in the midst of communism, and of course, we tried to be obedient. He was very generous with all the doctoral students who were invited to give a meditation on Sunday evenings after the Paraklesis of the Mother of God. It was an atmosphere of great spiritual strengthening, so much so that Father Sofian was truly, as Elder Cleopas called him, the Apostle of Bucharest.”
“We pray to all the saints canonised by the Synod of our Church, and especially to Saint Sofian the Confessor of Antim, to grant us the strength of prayer and of confessing the faith not only in good times, but also in more difficult times, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for our salvation. Amen,” the Patriarch said.
Photography courtesy of Lumina Newspaper
