On 18 December 2012, day of Saint Pious Daniil the Hermit, His Beatitude celebrated his spiritual protector. On this occasion, a Te Deum service was celebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral, as thanksgiving to God for the boons bestowed over the Patriarch of Romania.
The religious service was celebrated by His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, assisted by a group of priests and deacons, in the presence of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, of His Eminence Andrei, Metropolitan of Cluj, Maramures and Salaj, of His Eminence Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Targoviste, His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, His Grace Vincentiu, Bishop of Slobozia and Calarasi, His Grace Ambrozie, Bishop of Giurgiu, His Grace Visarion, Bishop of Tulcea, His Grace Ciprian Campineanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Paisie Lugojeanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Timisoara, His Grace Emilian Lovisteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Ramnic, of the members of the Standing meetings of the Church National Council and of the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, as well as in the presence of many archpriests, theology professors, priests and faithful.
To end with the Te Deum, His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube addressed a congratulatory speech on the occasion of this festive time in which he eulogized the activity of the Romanian Orthodox Church during the pastoral rule of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.
“You showed gratitude for the contribution of the brilliant prince of the Romanian and universal Orthodoxy, Steven the Great, and of his father confessor. You showed that both the vocation for the defence of the homeland and the faith are intertwined in the person of the strategist prince and in the spiritual strategy of the father confessor. This is why you proposed to the Holy Synod that the Prince of Moldova should be given his proper place in the calendar, but not without his father confessor. So you reminded that in the symphony of the love of homeland it is not enough to be a good leader only for the social temporary issues, but when you have the advice of the father confessor you can better reveal the vocation of a Christian people like the Romanian people.”
Then, the Patriarch of Romania thanked God for all the beneficial things received: “It is great wisdom when we recognize the help and work of God in the life of the persons and peoples because all the good things and gifts come from God, the Father of lights. The working grace of Christ is seen in the saints, together with the effort and love of every saint. We thank all those present here and pray Saint Pious Daniil the Hermit to keep on helping us so that we should continue to increase the works begun. The most important work of this period is the improvement of the souls through the grace of the Most Holy Trinity as well as the construction of the Cathedral for the Nation’s Salvation which is a liturgical must and a symbol of the devotion and dignity of the Romanian people”.
A short festive time followed in Europa Christiana hall of the Patriarchate Palace, on which occasion His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered those present the Pastoral letter for the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord 2012, entitled “For us men, and for our salvation”.
