Today, 26 November 2014, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church began a canonical visit to the Archdiocese of Lower Danube. On the occasion of the celebration of Saint Andrew the Apostle in the Eparchy of the Lower Danube, a delegation headed by His Beatitude brought the shrine of the relics of Saint Prince Constantine Brancoveanu.
The shrine was met by His Grace Timotei, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, in front of the University of “Lower Danube”.
There followed a procession of the holy relics in the streets of Galati city, accompanied by thousands of faithful, up to the Archiepiscopal Cathedral where they were met by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, His Eminence Ciprian, Archbishop of Buzau and Vrancea, His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, and by His Grace Lucian, Bishop of Caransebes.
After the celebration of the Te Deum service, His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, thanked the Patriarch of Romania for his presence in the eparchy and for having brought the relics of Saint Constantine Brancoveanu to Galati.
“We, the servant priests, monks, teaching staff, young people, and local authorities, meet with great devotion the Saint Prince Constantine Brancoveanu present in the middle of the righteous Christians of the Lower Danube through his holy relics brought for veneration by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church together with a distinguished delegation. While at the Danube, Saint Constantine is at home too, in the hearts, souls and life of the faithful over here, where the word of the Gospel was rooted through the apostolic mission of Saint Andrew, followed by that of the Saints Martyrs from the Danube, beginning with the 3rd century, from whose cup our great prince has also tasted. The one who can be considered another saint Constantine the New of the Romanians – descendent of Saint Constantine the Great, whose last strong walled city of the Roman Empire was at Galati, at Barbosi, where we have the witness of the first Dacian – Roman Christian, Innoces in the 3rd century – comes to strengthen the spiritual walls of the people through his right faith and sincere love of unity and harmony in the life of the people, His Eminence said.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a sermon in which he showed that “Saint Constantine Brancoveanu was a founder of many places of worship. The Ottomans reproached him he had spent the money of the sultan building churches. But Saint Constantine Brancoceanu did that as a sign of his love for Christ, for the Church and for the people. He was a prince of peace who never engaged in wars. It was only one war, but he did not send Romanian soldiers but paid foreign soldiers to fight. He has also been a builder of places of worship, a promoter of culture, of the printing press (through his five printing houses) and of the schools. Saint Constantine Brancoveanu developed a monarchy of culture or a cultural monarchy, as Nicolae Iorga calls it. He developed a Christian culture, a culture of the values stemmed from the Holy Scriptures, from the writings of the Holy Fathers and wisdom of the Christian thinkers. We must also mention that Saint Constantine Brancoveanu has also been a great supporter of the entire Orthodoxy. He organised the country well and the money he got was used for promoting, defending and developing the Christian culture”, the Primate of our Church emphasised.
After the meeting ceremony, the shrine of the holy relics was laid under a canopy for veneration, in front of the Archiepiscopal Cathedral, and then the vigil service for the Brancovean Saints Martyrs was celebrated.
From 26 – 27 November 2014, the Patriarch of Romania is paying a canonical visit to the Archdiocese of Lower Danube, at the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Casian Craciun, on the occasion of the manifestations organised for the celebration of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Protector of Galati city.
Then, the Patriarch of Romania will consecrate the new branch seat of “Saint Andrew the Apostle” of “Basilica Travel” pilgrimage office of the Romanian Patriarchate opened at Galati.
Thursday, 27 November 2014, 9.00 hours, His Beatitude will celebrate the consecration service of the chapel dedicated to the Meeting of the Lord and to the Brancovean Saints Martyrs at the Archiepiscopal Palace. At 10.00 hours, the Patriarch of Romania will bless and inaugurate the Museum of Christian History, Culture and Spirituality of Lower Danube and will visit the Eparchial Museum of the Archdiocese of Lower Danube.
On 27 November 2014, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel will bless, on his way back to Bucharest, the new branch seat of “Saint John Casian” of the “Basilica Travel” Pilgrimage Office of the Romanian Patriarchate.
