{"id":538820,"date":"2025-08-27T11:31:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T08:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=538820"},"modified":"2025-08-27T11:31:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T08:31:59","slug":"national-cathedral-consecration-countdown-60-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/national-cathedral-consecration-countdown-60-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Romania counts down 60 days to consecration of National Cathedral in Bucharest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Beginning Wednesday, August 27, only 60 days remain until the great consecration of the National Cathedral, scheduled for October 26, 2025<\/a>, when Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will come to Bucharest for this unique event dedicated to the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While construction teams are finalising the last installation works\u2014particularly the fire suppression and smoke extraction systems\u2014the team of iconographers is working against the clock on the mosaics in the narthex.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are working intensely to remove the scaffolding in the narthex. It will take about 10\u201315 more days,\u201d said Daniel Codrescu, coordinator of the cathedral\u2019s painting team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat remains to be completed are the pilasters with the Romanian Saints, the Prothesis, and the Diaconicon.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Romania’s National Cathedral, August 26, 2025. Photo: Basilica.ro \/ Mircea Florescu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

New Romanian Saints to be depicted<\/h2>\n

The icons of the Romanian saints whose canonisation<\/a> was proclaimed in the Centennial Year of the Romanian Patriarchate will be placed on the narthex pilasters, while mosaic icons of the Holy Apostles Andrew and Philip will stand guard at the entrance.<\/p>\n

On the narthex vault, the Mother of God Orans will be depicted surrounded by a choir of 16 angels, while on the arch separating the nave from the narthex, the Holy Mandylion will be depicted.<\/p>\n

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Romania’s National Cathedral, August 26, 2025. Photo: Basilica.ro \/ Mircea Florescu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Certain unfinished vertical wall surfaces will be covered during the consecration event with printed panels reproducing the planned iconographic designs. A recent milestone has been the installation of chandeliers with diameters of seven and six meters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is the most important project I have carried out in 22 years of work in this field, and the atmosphere inside the cathedral is truly impressive,\u201d said<\/a> last month Constantin Marcu of Orion Grup, the company that designed and installed the lighting fixtures.<\/p>\n