Abstract: Sfințirea Altarului Catedralei Mântuirii Neamului a fost săvârșită duminică, 25 noiembrie, de către Sanctitatea Sa Bartolomeu, Patriarhul Ecumenic al Constantinopolului, și Preafericitul Părinte Daniel, Patriarhul Bisericii Ortodoxe Române, înconjurați de numeroși ierarhi ortodocși români și străini, slujbă la care au participat zeci de mii de credincioși veniți din întreaga țară și din străinătate. Manifestările dedicate acestui eveniment istoric au debutat vineri, 23 noiembrie, cu întâmpinarea de către Preafericitul Părinte Patriarh Daniel, la Catedrala patriarhală din București, a Sanctității Sale Bartolomeu, Patriarhul Ecumenic, şi a delegației Bisericii Ortodoxe a Greciei, condusă de Înaltpreasfințitul Părinte Hrisostom, Mitropolit de Patra, care a adus racla cu mâna dreaptă a Sfântului Apostol Andrei, cel întâi chemat, Ocrotitorul României. În ajunul Sfințirii Altarului Catedralei Mântuirii Neamului, sâmbătă, 24 noiembrie, manifestările au continuat cu întâlnirea de la Palatul Cotroceni dintre Sanctitatea Sa Patriarhul Ecumenic Bartolomeu, Preafericitul Părinte Patriarh Daniel și E.S. Klaus Iohannis, Președintele României, apoi cu şedinţa solemnă a Sfântului Sinod al Bisericii Ortodoxe Române, care a avut loc în Sala Sinodală din Reşedinţa Patriarhală din Bucureşti, și cu prima slujbă de pomenire a eroilor neamului săvârșită în Catedrala Naţională, slujbă oficiată de Patriarhul României împreună cu mai mulți ierarhi români, preoți și diaconi. Manifestările au culminat duminică, 25 noiembrie, cu oficierea primei Sfinte Liturghii în noua Catedrală, în continuarea momentului istoric al sfințirii ei, în contextul împlinirii a o sută de ani de la Marea Unire. De asemenea, în seara aceleiași zile, a avut loc, la Sala Palatului din București, spectacolul extraordinar „Uniți prin Centenar”, organizat de Centrul de presă Basilica al Patriarhiei Române, cu participarea Grupului psaltic „Tronos” al Catedralei patriarhale, a Orchestrei reprezentative a Armatei Române și a Orchestrei Naționale „Lăutarii din Chișinău”.
Keywords: Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral, National Cathedral, Patriarchal Cathedral, Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch, His Beatitude Daniel, consecration, 100th anniversary of the Great Union
Summary: The Altar of the Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral was consecrated on Sunday, 25 November, by His Holiness Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, alongside numerous Romanian and foreign Orthodox bishops. The holy service was attended by tens of thousands of worshippers coming from all over Romania and abroad. The series of events dedicated to this historic moment began on Friday, 23 November, at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, where His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel met His Holiness Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch, and the delegation of the Orthodox Church of Greece, led by His Eminence Chrysostomos, Metropolitan of Patras, who brought a reliquary containing the right hand of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First Called, the Protector and Patron Saint of Romania. On the eve of the Consecration of the Altar of the Cathedral of National Salvation, Saturday 24 November, the events continued at Cotroceni Palace with a meeting between His Holiness Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and His Excellency Klaus Iohannis, the President of Romania, followed by the solemn meeting of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church which took place in the Synod Hall of the Patriarchal Residence in Bucharest, and the first memorial service for the national heroes, celebrated in the National Cathedral and officiated by the Patriarch of Romania together with a synaxis of Romanian bishops, priests and deacons.
The religious services continued in the morning of the next day, Sunday 25 November, culminating with the consecration of the Altar of the National Cathedral and the celebration of the first Holy Liturgy in this new Cathedral, in the presence of numerous guests from all eparchies of the Romanian Orthodox Church, representatives of the central and local state authorities, academics, scholars, and thousands of pilgrims – both clergymen and laypersons – from Romania and abroad. The consecration of the National Cathedral, dedicated to the „Lord’s Ascension” and „The Holy Apostle Andrew”, was officiated by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the Patriarch of Romania and the Metropolitan of Patras, together with a synaxis of Romanian and foreign bishops, and the liturgical responses were chanted by the Psaltic Music Choir „Tronos” of the Patriarchal Cathedral, conducted by archdeacon protopsaltis Mihail Bucă. Following the consecration service, His Grace Varlaam Ploieșteanul – Patriarchal Vicar Bishop and secretary of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, solemnly read out the Tomos of Consecration of the National Cathedral, signed by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Patriarch Daniel and all the other celebrant hierarchs.
The historic moment when the Altar of the National Cathedral was consecrated, in the year of the 100th anniversary of the Great Union, was followed the first Liturgy in the new Cathedral, officiated by the the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Daniel of Romania, together with a synaxis of 60 Romanian and foreign bishops. At the end of the Holy Liturgy, after the speeches of hierarchs and the exchange of gifts offered to each other, Romania’s Patriarch announced that the relics of Saint Andrew and Saint Catherine had been brought into the National Cathedral and invited the faithful to venerate the newlyconsecrated Holy Altar. The events in honor of the consecration of the new National Patriarchal Cathedral’s Altar concluded in the evening of 25 November, with a extraordinary performance entitled „United by the Centennial”, organized at Palace Hall [Sala Palatului] in Bucharest, by BASILICA Media Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate.
