Bucharest, February 2, 2024
Photo: basilica.ro
The capital of Romania will soon have an updated coat of arms, featuring the image of the city’s patron saint.
By decision of the General Council of Bucharest on Wednesday, the coat of arms will be updated to include an image of St. Demetrius the New, a 12th-century monk whose relics were brought to Bucharest in 1774 to protect them from the Turks. He has been honored as the city’s patron ever since, reports the Basilica News Agency.
The current coat of arms, depicting St. Demetrios the Myrrh-gusher. Photo: Wikipedia
The current coat of arms, adopted in 1994, features an image of St. Demetrios the Myrrh-gusher, who is the patron saint of St. Demetrius the New. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel requested back in 2022 that the coat of arms be updated.
This year marks the 250th anniversary the relics of St. Demetrius the New were brought to Bucharest and placed in the metropolitan cathedral.
St. Demetrius will be depicted inside a red shield, holding a miniature of the cathedral where his relics are housed.
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