{"id":521527,"date":"2025-04-09T11:40:24","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T08:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=521527"},"modified":"2025-04-09T11:42:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T08:42:37","slug":"seven-tonne-cross-installed-national-cathedral-romania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/seven-tonne-cross-installed-national-cathedral-romania\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven-tonne cross installed atop Romania\u2019s National Cathedral: A top engineering moment"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Tuesday, a seven-tonne cross was installed at approximately 130 meters above sea level atop the main dome of Romania\u2019s National Cathedral.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe top engineering moment was elevated by the blessing service officiated by His Grace Varlaam of Ploie\u0219ti,\u201d said Fr. Nicolae Cr\u00eenga\u0219u, Patriarchal Counselor coordinating the Department for Church Monuments and Construction at the Romanian Patriarchate.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt 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,\u201d added the coordinator of the National Cathedral construction works.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Varlaam of Ploie\u0219ti, together with Archimandrite Ciprian Gr\u0103dinaru, Ecclesiarch of the Chapel of the National Cathedral, officiated the blessing of the cross before its elevation.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s installation of the Holy Cross on the cathedral\u2019s tallest dome\u2014the Dome of the Almighty or Pantocrator\u2014holds special significance,\u201d Bishop Varlaam said following the blessing.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“May it be a sign of victory for every Romanian”<\/h2>\n

\u201cBefore 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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\u2014that Christ is with us in every trial of our lives,\u201d said Bishop Varlaam.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd 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\u2019s highest dome, illuminate and sanctify our daily lives,\u201d the hierarch added.<\/p>\n

“The great mobilization begins now”<\/h2>\n

Intensive preparations at the Cathedral will continue ahead of the grand consecration, scheduled for this autumn as part of the Romanian Patriarchate\u2019s Centennial.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe installation of the cross marks a milestone. From now on, the great mobilization begins, so that everything\u2014from flowerbeds to jackhammers\u2014is disciplined, and each does its part in preparing for the great moment,\u201d said Fr. Nicolae Cr\u00eenga\u0219u, who also expressed hope that the church will be open for services.<\/p>\n

The National Cathedral will be consecrated<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n