His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, officiated after the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, 12 December 2015, the blessing of the restored painting of the St Spyridon the New Metropolitan Cathedral in Bucharest, surrounded by an assembly of priests and deacons. His Grace Timotei of Prahova, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, who had officiated the Divine Liturgy before the blessing service took place, was also present together with His Beatitude. The event took place on the feast day of St Spyridon, the spiritual protector of the place of worship.
Different representatives of the state authorities but also of other public institutions, along with hundreds of faithful were present at the event.
In his homily, the Patriarch of Romania said that the restoration of a church has a spiritual importance, along with the aesthetic significance.
“Restoration is an artistic necessity, but beyond this it is also an icon, an image, a metaphor, a symbol, a symbolic work, because in the same way a church is renewed by restoration, from time to time, in our spiritual life, we also have to renew God’s image within us; the illumined and hallowed image of Christ that we had received by Holy Baptism. And this is accomplished by the tears of repentance, by the good beginning, by spiritually advancing when reading useful books, by spiritual conversations with spiritual people, and by working the good deeds; thus the image of Christ received at Holy Baptism is restored within us”, His Beatitude said.
Furthermore, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church spoke about the meaning of the church painting.
“The painting, as an aesthetic embellishment, a beauty, and this beauty is not created in order to be admired in itself, but is created in order to direct us to an unseen but real celestial beauty: the glory of the Kingdom of the Most Holy Trinity”.
After the blessing service, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered the place of worship several useful volumes. Also, His Beatitude awarded patriarchal orders and diplomas to the persons involved in the works of consolidation and restoration of the St Spyridon the New Metropolitan Cathedral in Bucharest.
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