Today, 12 April 2014, thousands of faithful and over 700 priests participated in the traditional Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest.<\/p>\n
Blessing of the willow branches and beginning of the pilgrimage<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The pilgrimage began at Radu Voda Monastery, after the Vesper service celebrated in the church monastery of Bucharest founded by prince Radu Voda. To end with the religious service, His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest celebrated the blessing of the willow branches. Then, His Grace and the servant priests shared the willow branches to the pilgrims and set off the pilgrimage on the route Radu Voda St, Marasesti Bd, Dimitrie Cantemir Bd, Bibescu Voda St, and Serban Voda St.<\/p>\n The pilgrimage was headed by the priests beating the wooden slab, followed by the monks who were carrying the holy cross, and church banners, as well as by deacons censers in their hands. There followed the group of priests divided on deaneries (deanery district 1, deanery district 2, deanery district 3, deanery district 4, deanery district 5, deanery district 6 of Bucharest, North and South Ilfov deanery), the priests of charity of Bucharest (hospitals, old people\u2019s homes, military units, prisons and cemeteries), rev professors of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of Bucharest, as well as the counsellors and eparchial and patriarchal vicars. The procession continued with the icon of the Feast of the Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem the clergy of the North Ilfov Deanery carried on their shoulders. There followed His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, the chorus of the Orthodox Theological Seminary of Bucharest, the seminary students, and thousands of faithful willow branches in their hands who ended the procession.<\/p>\n During the pilgrimage the singers and faithful sang together: the Palm Sunday troparion, God is with us, It is really proper and Your Chamber, Lord<\/em>.<\/p>\n Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Spiridon the New \u2013 Patriarchal Chapel <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The first stop was at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Spiridon the New \u2013 Patriarchal chapel, followed by a threefold litany, and His Grace said the Condak II of the Akathistos of the Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem<\/em>. The procession was met by the servant priests of the Metropolitan Cathedral in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Spiridon the New.<\/p>\n Liturgical time at Saint Catherine church, chapel of the Faculty of Theology<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Then, the procession made for Saint Catherine church, chapel of “Patriarch Justinian\u201d Faculty of Theology of Bucharest, on the following itinerary: Principatele Unite St., Ienachita Vacarescu St., Saint Catherine St<\/em>. A threefold litany and Condak XI of the Akathistos of the Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem were said again, and then the procession went for the Patriarchal Cathedral. All the participants were met by the members of the teaching staff of the “Patriarch Justinian\u201d Faculty of Theology of Bucharest in front of the academic chapel of Saint Catherine of Bucharest.<\/p>\n End of the pilgrimage on the Joy Hill <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n When the pilgrims arrived at the Patriarchate Hill they sang the stanza of the 6th voice: Today the grace of the Holy Spirit gathered us all together and we all carry Your Cross, and say: Blessed are you, who come in the name of the Lord; Osana, to the One in the Highest<\/em>.<\/p>\n The pilgrims were met at the Patriarchal Cathedral by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, together with His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch and Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.<\/p>\n The condak XIII of the Akathistos of the Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem was said by His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest.<\/p>\n Then, after the threefold Litany, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania said the following prayer: “Remember us, Lord, our God, from Your holy place and chair of the glory of Your Kingdom, and send Your holy blessing to this icon to Your beloved Son, to remember the Incarnation, all the glorious wonders and boons shown to the humankind through His coming as Man on the earth, His Entrance in Jerusalem, His Crucifixion on the Cross and Resurrection from the dead, and bless it by splashing it with this holy water<\/em>; give it power to heal all sorrow and helplessness; make it chase away all the devilish plots for all those who believe in it and will run to it, venerate You and pray to You; and may their prayers always be listened to and well received<\/em>. With the grace and mercy and love for people of Your One Born Son, with Whom You are blessed, with the Your Holy Life Giver Spirit. Now and forever and ever\u201d<\/em>, and blessed the icon of the Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n Then, His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul said the blessing prayer of the pilgrims. The pilgrimage ended with the sermon of the Patriarch of Romania addressed to the pilgrims present at the Joy Hill<\/em>.<\/p>\n To end with, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanked all those who contributed to the good organisation of the Palm Sunday pilgrimage: “We do want to thank the members of the standing meeting of the Church National Council, the members of the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, the archpriests and all those who contributed to the good organisation of this pilgrimage. We all thank the priests and faithful for their large participation full of devotion and joy in this pilgrimage. We do not forget to thank the order forces who ensured the good unfolding of the pilgrimage and the mass-media employees who transmitted the event to make it a joy both for the Romanians in the country and for those abroad.<\/p>\n We wish you all good health and joy, peace and help of God and may tomorrow\u2019s feast of the Entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem bring us more blessing and strength so that passing through the Week of the Holy Passions of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we should reach the glorious Resurrection of God and our salvation\u201d.<\/p>\n The origin of the Palm Sunday pilgrimage<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The origin of the Palm Sunday pilgrimage dates ever since the 4th century, when the Christian celebrated the Palm Sunday in quite a special way. Some of the references bequeathed concern the way of celebrating the Entrance of the Saviour in Jerusalem. The Western pilgrim Egeria (alias Silvia or Etheria) speaks, in her travel notes to the Holy Places, about the procession organised on this day after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. All the Christians gathered at 13.00 hours and went together with the servant priests and the bishop of the city to the Olive Mountain, till the place where the Lord ascended to the sky. Hence, at 17.00 hours, they came down to the Holy City, all Christians of all ages and children too, going in front of the bishop, fig and olive branches in their hands, and shouting: \u2018Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord\u2019. When they reached the city they went to the church of the Holy Resurrection where they celebrated the Vesper service. This beautiful tradition was conveyed to our people, till today.<\/p>\n In Bucharest, the Palm Sunday pilgrimage was forbidden by the communist regime in 1948, and resumed in 2008, with the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today, 12 April 2014, thousands of faithful and over 700 priests participated in the traditional Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest. Blessing of the willow branches and beginning of the pilgrimage The pilgrimage began at Radu Voda Monastery, after the Vesper service celebrated in the church monastery of Bucharest founded by prince Radu Voda. To end…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":93586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-romanian-patriarchate"],"yoast_head":"\n