Romanian Synod holds working session

(Romanian Church) - The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church held this year’s first working session Thursday, February 15, at the Synodal Hall of the Patriarchal Residence, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.

During the meeting, the members of the Holy Synod proceeded to the election of an assistant bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy and an assistant bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal.

The Holy Synod elected by secret vote the Very Reverend Archimandrite Atanasie (Tudor) Rusnac as Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy. The new assistant bishop will bear the title of His Grace Bishop Atanasie of Bogdania.

The Holy Synod also elected by secret vote the Very Reverend Archimandrite Teofil (Petru) Roman as Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal. The new Assistant Bishop will bear the title of His Grace Bishop Teofil of Iberia.

The following decisions were made during the same working session:

The commemorative themes of the year 2018, declared Solemn Year of the unity of faith and nation and Commemorative Year of the founders of the 1918 Great Union, were completed with a new chapter entitled Consequences of the Great Union. Centenary lights: heirs and developers of the Great Union for 100 years.

Thus, personalities who through their achievements have developed this great moment of the Romanian national history will be highlighted: founders of places of worship, promoters and defenders of Romanian Christian culture, spirituality and education.

Given the 2018 Centenary, the Holy Synod encourages the intensification of pastoral, cultural and spiritual programs promoting the unity of faith and nation in the Romanian Orthodox communities outside Romania, especially the use of the Romanian language during the divine worship, in activities with the youth and in family. This is a bit contrary to the lingua franca push of other jurisdictions.

Given the Church’s contribution to the promotion of education for national unity and dignity, the Holy Synod decided that the Diocesan centres should continue offering financial and material support to schools that need repair, renovation and equipment.

Since cultural, artistic activities performed inside the places of worship can cause tendencies of self-secularization of the sacred space of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod decides that cultural activities be organized in other parish spaces or in public spaces rented for this purpose.

Filming in places of worship will only be accepted with the approval of the Diocesan Centres and only in cases where it is desired to highlight the liturgical, architectural and historical heritage of the respective churches. Subsequently, broadcasting the divine services live on the Internet will be carried out only with the approval of the Diocesan centres, having the obligation to observe the liturgical norms and the Typikon (instructions).

The Holy Synod approved the inclusion of Saint Matrona of Moscow into the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church beginning with 2019, being commemorated on May 2.

The Holy Synod also included into the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church the Feast of the Syriac Icon of the Mother of God from Ghighiu Monastery to be commemorated on the Feast of the Life-giving Spring, beginning with 2019. The Holy Synod approved the Akathist and the Service of the Syriac Icon of the Mother of God.

The synodal fathers approved the Akathist and Service of Martyrs Claudius, Castorius, Sempronianus and Nicostratus (November 9), the Akathist and Service of the 26 Holy Martyrs in Gothia (March 26), the Akathist to St Luke the Evangelist (October 18), and the Akathist to the Holy Martyr Christopher (May 9).