The Romanian Orthodox Church organized a rather extensive ceremony on Sunday in the Western Transylvanian city of Nagyvárad (Oradea, Großwardein) to celebrate the consecration of an Orthodox cathedral. The highest-ranking guest of the religious festivities was none other than the leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church himself, Patriarch Daniel of Romania (born Dan Ilie Ciobotea), reported the főtér.ro news portal.
“Through its consecration, this cathedral transforms to a gate to the skies above and to the home of God,” Patriarch Daniel pointed out at the ceremonial mass. According to the ebihoreanul.ro news portal, about 2,000 believers gathered around the church building to catch a glimpse of the high priest and the consecration. The cathedral, whose foundation stone was laid 25 years ago, was consecrated to Christ the Savior, reported ebihoreanul.ro.
As he had already journeyed from his Bucharest residence to Bihar (Bihor) County in western Romania on Saturday, the Patriarch of Romania also consecrated a smaller church in Kerpenyéd (Cărpinet). Daniel was traveling in a minivan, and the local authorities made sure to fix all the potholes on the village roads ahead of his arrival, mentioned the article on főtér.ro.
In Nagyvárad, the church leader was certainly welcomed in accordance with his status, as he did not stay in the quarters of the local diocese, but in a luxury hotel in the nearby spa resort of Félixfürdő (Băile Felix).
One might note the slight irony that the Patriarch of Romania stayed at a five-star hotel in Félixfürdő but did not fail to call upon the congregation for donations. He also pointed out at the consecration mass in Nagyvárad that donations were most welcome so that the interiors of the cathedral could be decorated, wrote főtér.ro.
Title image: The leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church at the consecration mass in Nagyvárad
Source: bihon.ro
