Bucharest, July 22, 2020
Photo: basilica.ro
Meeting under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest yesterday, July 21, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church made a number of decisions, including new additions to the Church’s liturgical calendar.
According to the communique published by the Patriarchate’s Basilica News Agency, the Synod “resolved to include Saint Xenia of St. Petersburg (January 24) in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church.”
St. Xenia, one of the most beloved saints in all of Russia, was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in 1978 and by the Moscow Patriarchate in 1988.
Her inclusion in the Romanian Church’s liturgical calendar indicates her growing veneration among the Romanian people as well, and means her services and prayers will be translated into Romanian.
Another great Russian saint, St. Seraphim of Sarov, is also highly venerated in Romania.
The life, troparion, kontakion, akathist, and paraklesis to St. Xenia were submitted for approval at a meeting of the Synod of the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobrogea, and will be sent to the Romanian Holy Synod for a final decision.
In 2018, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church officially added 9 Romanian saints to its calendar.
The Romanian Synod also decided to include two familial feasts in the 2021 Church calendar, establishing the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women (the 3rd Sunday of Pascha) as the Sunday of Christian Women, and the Sunday nearest to May 15 as the Sunday of the Christian Family.
A number of liturgical texts were also approved, including several akathists to the Mother of God, the akathist and supplicatory canon to St. Paisios the Athonite, and the akathist to Sts. Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria.
The Synod also voiced its appreciation for the Romanian Parliament’s proclamation of August 16 as the National Day of Remembrance of the Brancoveanu Martyrs and of Awareness of Violence Against Christians.
