Viforâta, Dâmboviţa County, Romania, May 28, 2021
Photo: basilica.ro
There are several strong reasons for the possible canonization of Michael the Brave, the 16th-century Prince of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania, His Eminence Metroplitan Nifon of Târgovişte of the Romanian Orthodox Church believes.
The ruler is known as a unifier of the Romanian people and showed piety, support for Romanian Orthodoxy, and heroism in protecting European Christianity against the threat of the Ottoman Empire, the hierarch said on Thursday at a service commemorating the 420th anniversary of his martyric death, reports the Archdiocese of Târgovişte.
The service was held at Dealu Monastery, where the head of the great unifier is treasured. Michael the Brave was officially honored as a martyr and hero of the Romanian nation for the first time this year, according to a presidential promulgation last July.
Michael the Brave managed to stave off the power of the Ottoman Empire and offer hope to all Christians in the East, His Eminence emphasized. In 1595, Michael was victorious in the Battle of Călugăreni against the Ottoman forces, three times the size of his own army.
“The first great unifier of Romanians, Voivode Michael the Brave is one of the most important personalities of our history, a symbol of national unity, a supporter of the ancestral Church, and defender of the Romanian nation in times of restrictions,” he continued.
“His spiritual life, intense and endearing, full of piety, the heroism of his deeds of arms, his great contribution to supporting the pastoral mission of our Church, as well as to the defense of Christianity and Europe in dark times, justify the process of canonization for Voivode Michael the Brave,” Met. Nifon said.
As the Metropolitan explained, the Romanian ruler offered substantial support to the missionary work of Romanian Orthodoxy, including restoring old dioceses, bringing priests to vacant parishes, and founding numerous churches and monasteries.
During the celebration, Met. Nifon presented recent volumes dedicated to the ruler and donated them to a local school named in his honor.
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