This Monday, 1 December 2014, the representatives of the Patriarchate of Antioch present in Romania visited several important religious objectives of Bucharest. The delegation was headed by His Eminence Sava, Metropolitan of Hautan and accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Targoviste and Patriarchal Exarch.
Monastery of Radu Voda
First, the delegates visited “Radu Voda” Monastery where they prayed to the holy relics of Saint Hierarch Nectarie.
“The place we are in here is full of history and good deeds both for our Romanian Orthodox Church and for the other sister Orthodox Churches. Our monastery was built at the middle of the 16th century as Metropolitanate, as well as princely residence.
Besides the fact that the ruling prince lived here, the monastery hosted from time to time the foreign delegations who were visiting Wallachia”, Archimandrite Nectarie Sofelea, abbot of “Radu Voda” Monastery said.
His Eminence Sava, Metropolitan of Hauran, conveyed the blessing of His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All East to the community of faithful.
“This visit paid to the Romanian Orthodox Church is a real blessing for us”, His Eminence Sava, Metropolitan of Hauran, Patriarchate of Antioch, underlined.
Orthodox Theological Seminary of “Metropolitan Nifon”
Then, the delegation visited the Orthodox Theological Seminary of Bucharest.
“Beloved students, you learned when studying the history of the Universal Church that the Patriarchate of Antioch is an Apostolic Church holding the 3rd place in the dyptics of the Universal Orthodoxy. Orthodoxy keeps her dogmatic and canonical unity with all the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches and this is why such visits are the expression of this unity of the universal Orthodoxy. Thus, it is a church event of special importance for our holy Church”, His Eminence Metropolitan Nifon, Metropolitan of Targoviste and Patriarchal Exarch said.
“You have lived in an Orthodox country – a real blessing for you – but we live with those who are not Orthodox Christians. We know very well the nature of the challenges related to our presence which involves a very great responsibility for us to be up to it”, His Eminence Sava, Metropolitan of Hauran, Patriarchate of Antioch, said, according to Trinitas Television.
Antim Monastery
The last place of worship visited during the first half of the day was Antim Monastery of Bucharest. Here too, the abbot of the monastery thanked for visit and underlined the importance of the monastery and of the monastic community throughout the centuries.
“Our holy monastery contributed through Saint Hierarch Antim of Ivir to the setting up of the Arabian speaking service since the 18th century. This is why we pray God that our common prayers to contribute first of all to our unity, of the Orthodox Christians, to the protection of the peoples from the East and from Eastern Europe – of the Orthodox peoples – and that our prayers should be well received with grace, peace, mercy from God for the salvation of our souls”, protosingelos Vincentiu Oboroceanu, abbot of Antim Monastery said.
The delegation of the Patriarchate of Antioch also included His Eminence Basil, Metropolitan of Arcadia, and His Grace Qais, Bishop of Erzeroum.
