On Tuesday, a seven-tonne cross was installed at approximately 130 meters above sea level atop the main dome of Romania’s National Cathedral.
“The top engineering moment was elevated by the blessing service officiated by His Grace Varlaam of Ploiești,” said Fr. Nicolae Crîngașu, Patriarchal Counselor coordinating the Department for Church Monuments and Construction at the Romanian Patriarchate.
“At this moment, when the imperfect work of our hands is sanctified in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, it truly gains dimensions of perfection,” added the coordinator of the National Cathedral construction works.
This milestone has been planned for a year and a half, and preparations have been ongoing for nearly two weeks. A special 600-tonne crawler crane enabled the successful execution of this complex engineering feat.
Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploiești, together with Archimandrite Ciprian Grădinaru, Ecclesiarch of the Chapel of the National Cathedral, officiated the blessing of the cross before its elevation.
“Today’s installation of the Holy Cross on the cathedral’s tallest dome—the Dome of the Almighty or Pantocrator—holds special significance,” Bishop Varlaam said following the blessing.
His Grace referenced the approaching Passion Week, during which Christ was crucified on the Cross, as well as the recent proclamation of the canonization of 16 new Romanian saints who bore the cross of suffering under the atheist communist regime.
“May it be a sign of victory for every Romanian”
“Before our eyes, a sign of hope and light for our everyday Christian lives is rising into the sky of our Capital, into the sky of Bucharest. And the numbers associated with this cross are also deeply symbolic: it is seven meters tall and weighs seven tonnes. In Christian spirituality, the number seven signifies perfection and fullness.”
“We wish for this cross to be not only a shield for the Cathedral, a strong and invincible covering, but also a sign of victory and hope for every Romanian, both at home and abroad—that Christ is with us in every trial of our lives,” said Bishop Varlaam.
“And just as His Cross, which He bore willingly for us and for our salvation, brought joy to the whole world, so too may this cross, adorning the sky from the Cathedral’s highest dome, illuminate and sanctify our daily lives,” the hierarch added.
“The great mobilization begins now”
Intensive preparations at the Cathedral will continue ahead of the grand consecration, scheduled for this autumn as part of the Romanian Patriarchate’s Centennial.
“The installation of the cross marks a milestone. From now on, the great mobilization begins, so that everything—from flowerbeds to jackhammers—is disciplined, and each does its part in preparing for the great moment,” said Fr. Nicolae Crîngașu, who also expressed hope that the church will be open for services.
The National Cathedral will be consecrated on Sunday, October 26, 2025, by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The year 2025 marks 140 years since the Romanian Orthodox Church was recognized as autocephalous and 100 years since it was elevated to the rank of Patriarchate.
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Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene and Mircea Florescu
