The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, celebrated his name on Thursday, on the day of commemoration of Saint Daniil the Hermit, in a ceremony held in the Europa Christiana Hall of the Palace of the Patriarchate.
“We are grateful to the good God for the gift of life and for the help given to us in the work we do together for the believers given to us for shepherding”said the Patriarch, according to the Basilica Agency of the Romanian Patriarchate.
The high hierarch showed that the chapel at the residence of the National Cathedral is under the protection of Saint Daniil the Hermit and Saint John Jacob of Neamţ, the New Hozevit, represented on the stained glass window at the entrance to the National Cathedral.
The chapel has the area of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timişoara, over 1,500 square meters, and will be used mainly for services during the week.
“The large iconostasis is already prepared, sculpted in Arad and painted in Bucharest, but the walls still need to be painted”stated PF Daniel.
At the same time, the Patriarch recalled that, this year, dedicated to the Centenary of the Romanian Patriarchate, the Romanian Orthodox Church canonized several Hesychast saints, including Paisie (Olaru) from Sihăstria, Neamţ county, and Sofian (Boghiu) from Antim, Bucharest, writes Agerpres.
“At least 16 or 17 pious Athonite could be in the near future, God willing, passed among the saints, because their sanctity is not primarily recognized by other Romanians, but by the foreigners who knew them”, conveyed the high hierarch, mentioning Archimandrite Dometie Trihenea, former abbot of the Athonite Zografu Monastery, rectored by Saint Stephen the Great.
The event, which began with a Te Deum officiated by PS Timotei Prahoveanul, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, was attended by Father Ionuţ-Gabriel Corduneanu, Administrative Patriarchal Vicar, the moderator of the ceremony, Patriarchal Vicar Bishops Varlaam Ploieşteanul and Paisie Sinaitul, members of the Permanent National Church Council and members of the Diocesan Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest. The anniversary speech was delivered after the service by PS Timotei Prahoveanul.
Blessed Patriarch Daniel (Daniel Ciobotea) was born on July 22, 1951 in the village of Dobreşti, Bara commune, Timiş county.
He graduated from the University Theological Institute in Sibiu (1970 – 1974). In 1979, he defended his doctoral thesis at the Faculty of Protestant Theology in Strasbourg.
From 1980, he worked as a lecturer at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland, where between 1986 and 1988 he was deputy director.
On August 6, 1987, he entered monastic life at the Sihăstria Monastery with the name Daniel. In March 1990, he was ordained bishop-vicar of the Archdiocese of Timisoara, with the title “Lugojanul”. On July 1, 1990, he was enthroned as Archbishop of Iasi and Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina.
He was elected to the position of Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, after the passing of Patriarch Teoctist, on July 30, 2007.
