Today, 18 December 2012, a festive time was held in Europa Christiana hall of the Patriarchate Palace on the occasion of the name day of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, with the participation of some hierarchs members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, members of the Standing meetings of the Church National Council and of the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, of archpriests, theology professors, priests and faithful.
During the event, His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, addressed a congratulatory speech to the Patriarch of Romania on behalf of the Standing Meeting of the Church National Council and of the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, of the archpriests of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, as well as of the clergy and faithful. “We express, on this holyday for Your Beatitude, for the Archdiocese of Bucharest, for the entire Church and for the Romanian Christians from everywhere, our gratitude for the work you do night and day for the welfare of our Church. We spoke about the prophetic character of Your Beatitude’s service, pointed out by many hierarchs and theologians. We, those who attend the meetings of the Church National Council every week understand that everything that you achieve in our Church is related to future, and that every achievement of You Beatitude’s reflects the great care to prepare the Church for the challenges of the future, of the post-modern society. We address you, on this festive day, our gratitude and thanksgiving, as well as best wishes of good health, long life, and power permanently renewed by the work and presence of the Holy Spirit in the heart and soul of Your Beatitude for the welfare of our Church and of all the Romanian people”.
Then, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanked all those present at the feast of Saint Pious Daniil the Hermit: “We thank all those present at today’s Divine Liturgy, and at the Te Deum service, as well as those who work every week so that the pastoral – missionary, social – philanthropic and cultural work of the Church should continue. So, we thank God and express our gratitude to the members of the Holy Synod, the hierarchs present here and those who could not be present for various reasons. We also thank the authorities present here”.
To end with, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered all those present the Pastoral letter for the Nativity of the Lord 2012, entitled “For us men, and for our salvation”.
Present at the event, the priests’ chorus of the Deanery of Ploiesti sang several carols.
