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Pilgrimage of the Holy Relics of Saint Constantine Brancoveanu to Sambata de Sus

 

Saturday, 4 October 2014, the holy relics of Saint Prince Martyr Constantine Brancoveanu were brought from the church of Saint Nicholas of Fagaras to Brancoveanu Monastery – Sambata de Sus. The holy relics were met by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, and by His Eminence Laurentiu, Metropolitan of Transylvania. Hierarchs, eparchial counsellors, archpriests, priests, officials and many faithful were present. 

 

On this occasion, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon in which he eulogised the personality of Saint Prince Martyr Constantine Brancoveanu.

 

His Beatitude showed that Bancoveanu Monastery of Sambata de Sus has been a place where the Orthodox faith has been preserved and conveyed through the printed books and through the formation of servant priests.

 

“This night is blessed by God because tonight the founder of the Monastery situated here, at Sambata de Sus, came home, namely Saint Prince Constantine Brancoveanu. He founded this monastery in Transylvania, although he was the prince of Wallachia. He founded is on a property of his to protect, strengthen, and promote the Romanian Orthodoxy. At his time, this Monastery was not only a place of prayer and meditation, but also a place where the Orthodox faith was preserved and conveyed through the printed books and formation of servant priests so much needed in Transylvania. The Metropolitan of Wallachia was also exarch of Transylvania appointed into this dignity by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople; the Ecumenical Patriarch and almost all the Eastern Patriarchs stayed at Brancoveanu’s court years on end, having been helped a lot with printed books, money, holy vessels, vestments and everything necessary so that they could survive in the Orient under the Ottoman occupation. Thus, in 1701, at Snagov, a book in the Arabian language was printed for the first time in history, on the expense of prince Constantine Brancoveanu.  The one who built the printing press for the Arabian language was Saint Hierarch Martyr Antim of Ivir, who will be celebrated in 2016, on the occasion of the commemoration of 300 years since his martyr’s death”.

 

The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church showed that Saint Constantine Brancoveanu was a prince who fought for Orthodoxy, who did not fight military wars, but who spiritually fought for 25 years to keep the Orthodox faith: “he built a lot of churches, libraries, and set up a school of high level in Bucharest – the Princely Academy, the predecessor of the University of Bucharest. Constantine Brancoveanu was a diligent generous man, who related tradition to the progress of his time. Some counsellors of the sultan reproached him with having spent too much of the sultan’s money; in fact they wanted every money earned to be given to the sultan. He was reproached with having built too many churches, bridges and roads. Thus, he was reproached with having been religious and diligent. Saint Prince Constantine, later on martyr, was a man who saved the people from wars through diplomacy, and generosity. He reigned for 25 years at a time when 4 sultans were changed in Istanbul, 10 Ecumenical Patriarchs, and 12 ruling princes in Moldova. Thus, the stability of the country at his time was due, first of all, to his wisdom”.

 

At the same time, the Patriarch of Romania emphasised the fact that Saint Prince Martyr Constantine Brancoveanu was a man of faith and culture, who used his fortune to progress and to develop art and culture: “He loved the synthesis in art so much that we have inherited the Brancovean style in architecture which combines whatever is most beautiful in the Eastern tradition and adapted what ever he borrowed from the Western tradition. Saint Prince Martyr Constantine Brancoveanu was a defender of Transylvania, of the Orthodox faith and this is why both Metropolitan Nicolae of Transylvania, and the worthy remembering Metropolitan Antonie took good care lest this foundation of Brancoveanu disappear. It was somehow re-made to show that everything Constantine Brancoveanu built was for eternity, for keeping the faith and identity of the Romanian nation”.

 

“We thank His Eminence for having organised this pilgrimage which we blessed starting from Bucharest to Fagaras where it is another foundation of the Saint Prince Martyr Constantine Brancoveanu and stopping over here, at Sambata de Sus Monastery. We pray God to give all the founders of churches and culture the joy to be missionaries. The clergy and the faithful people convey the faith throughout the centuries, but very often helped by generous, religious and sacrificial rulers. Thus, we are living a moment of great spiritual importance and we believe that in heaven Saint Prince Martyr Constantine Brancoveanu and his four sons: Constantine, Stefan, Radu, Matei and counsellor Ianache are glad because he is present here through his holy relics as it is a graceful relationship between the soul in heaven and his holy relics on the earth”, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church also said.

 

In the speech delivered, His Eminence Laurentiu, Metropolitan of Transylvania spoke about the importance of this moment: “A great joy came over Fagaras Land and not only there, a joy part of the joy of the whole country, when, 300 years after his martyrdom, the Saint Prince, his martyr sons and counsellor Ianache come up again into our attention, as His Beatitude said. He came home or his coming to his foundations to strengthen our faith. It is an event which we shall keep in the history of this monastery, in the history of Fagaras land, in the history of Saint Nicholas church of Fagaras, and not only there. This joy was for the glory of God and for strengthening our faith. We thank all those who were with us and will always be to help the greatest mission we have to accomplish headed by His Beatitude, namely building the Cathedral for the Nation’s Salvation, a Cathedral belonging to all of us. We also thank His Grace Assistant Bishop Varlaam Ploiesteanul who came and supervised the manifestations organised in Fagaras together with Rev Caramizaru from the church of Saint George the New. We also thank Their Eminences and Their Graces of the Metropolitanate of Transylvania, and the other hierarchs as well”.

 

Sunday, 5 October 2014, the Patriarch of Romania will celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the summer altar of Brancoveanu Monastery, together with the other hierarchs of our Church. The faithful may venerate the relics of Saint Constantine Brancoveanu Sunday, all day long, because they will be brought back to Bucharest Monday morning.

 

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