Romanian Church to glorify two metropolitans

(Basilica) - The working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church of 21 July 2011, approved the canonisation of the Metropolitans of Transylvania Andrei Şaguna (celebrated on 30 November) and Simeon Ştefan (celebrated on 24 April), as a result of the synodal proposals of the Metropolitan Synods of the Metropolitan Sees of Transylvania and of Cluj, Alba, Crişana and Maramureş.

Met. Şaguna Andrei of Transylvania

Metropolitan Şaguna Andrei (baptised Anastasie) was Metropolitan of Transylvania (of Aromanian origin). He was born on 20 December 1808 (1 January 1809 st. n.) in Mişcolţ, Hungary, and passed away on 16/28 June 1873 in Sibiu (buried in Răşinari). He attended the courses of the secondary school in Mişcolţ and Pesta (graduated in 1826), then philosophy and law at the University of Pesta (1826 – 1829) and theology at the Orthodox Seminary of Vârşeţ (1829 – 1832). After finishing the theological studies he joined the community of the Serb monastery of Hopovo, where he became a monk, with the name of Andrei (24 October 1833), and was ordained hierodeacon (February 1834); professor at the Theological Seminary of Carloviţ and secretary of the “Archdiocesan Consistory” over there (since 1834), hieromonk (29 June 1837), protosingelos, metropolitan counsellor and “administrator” and proxy of the abbot at Iazac monastery (1838) and then at Beşenovo (1841); archmandrite and abbot at Hopovo Monastery (1842), and then at Covil (1845); after 1842, he worked for a time as professor at the Romanian section of the Theological Seminary of Vârşeţ and “counsellor” of the Consistory over there. On 15/27 June 1846, he is appointed “general vicar” of the Diocese of Transylvania, seated in Sibiu; on 2 December 1847, he is elected bishop (confirmed on 5 February 1848, ordained at Carloviţ on 18/30 April 1848); on 12/24 December 1864, he is appointed archbishop and metropolitan of the re-established Metropolitan See of Transylvania, seated in Sibiu.

Met. Simion Ştefan of Transylvania

Metropolitan Simion Ştefan was metropolitan of Transylvania and passed away in June /July 1656 in Alba Iulia. He studied at the Academic College of Alba Iulia; he became a monk at the Romanian Monastery in the city. In 1643, he is elected metropolitan of the Transylvanian Romanians seated at Alba Iulia (Bălgrad). During his pastoral rule the New Testament “from Bălgrad” was printed, the first complete Romanian translation (1648), with a remarkable preface by the metropolitan in which he debated the Romanian language unity. It was re-edited in 1988 and 1998. In 1651 he printed a Psalter Book in Romanian.