Bucharest, July 24, 2024
Photo: Basilica News Agency
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania celebrated his 73rd birthday on Monday. The occasion was marked with a Te Deum celebrated by Assistant Bishop Timotei of Prahova, after which the Patriarch had the chance to talk about his experiences with several of the newly canonized elders and confessors.
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church formally approved the canonization of 16 martyrs, confessors, and ascetics of the 20th century at its session on July 11–12.
Bp. Timoeti spoke first, recalling that the future Patriarch first met Sts. Cleopa (Ilie) and Paisie (Olaru) while still a theology student. St. Cleopa later became his monastic Godfather, reports the Basilica News Agency.
He was later led through his doctoral studies by St. Dumitru Stăniloae, and when the future Patriarch lived as a monk at Anthimos Monastery in Bucharest, he had the blessing to get acquainted with St. Sofian (Boghiu).
Pat. Daniel then spoke, noting how these great saints contributed to formation of many young people after communism fell in Romania in 1989.
“During that period,” the Patriarch continued, “the meeting with Fr. Cleopa (Ilie) … was a joy and an encouragement.”
He spoke of the saint’s humility, recalling how he asked him: “Why have you come to learn from a simple and uneducated monk?”
“But being self-taught, he had read almost all the books in Neamț Monastery’s library… We were impressed by his extensive knowledge and quotations from the Holy Fathers. Although he had no university or high school education, Fr. Cleopa had an extraordinary memory, to the extent that Fr. Stăniloae said he knew as much patristic theology as a university professor.”
His Beatitude continued:
But these quotations from the Holy Fathers, which he remembered, were very well chosen.
During that memorable meeting, he said: “He who speaks of God but doesn’t pray to God is like one who has painted water on a wall and dies of thirst beside it.” Thus, he had these vivid expressions from St. John of Damascus.
And speaking of St. Paisie (Olaru), the Patriarch recalled:
He was very quiet. He rarely preached, but he had the great work of the prayer of the heart or mind, about which, when asked, he said, “I haven’t heard, I don’t know what it is”—such was his humility, hiding his private prayer life.
And after confession, you didn’t want to leave. He conveyed such inner peace and warmth.
His prayers were very simple, Pat. Daniel said, but very sincere.
His Beatitude concluded:
We remember with gratitude these praying, fasting, and confessing fathers. After the solemn proclamation of the canonization next year, meaning the public manifestation of this canonization, we will pray and remember them as our teachers because we learned not only from what they wrote and preached but also from their way of life.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
