On Wednesday evening, Patriarch Daniel of Romania welcomed at the Patriarchal Residence a delegation from Italy, which delivered a fragment of the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle from Amalfi for the National Cathedral.
The holy relic was offered by Orazio Soricelli, Archbishop of Amalfi-Cava de’ Tirreni, at the request of Patriarch Daniel.
The delegation that brought the particle of the holy relics to Bucharest consisted of Archimandrite Andrei Anghel, Patriarchal Vicar, Prof. George Grigoriță, and Fr. Costin Spiridon, Patriarchal Counselors.
Saint Andrew’s Relics in Amalfi
Upon receiving the holy gift, Patriarch Daniel recounted the history of Saint Andrew’s relics in Amalfi.
“In the 4th century, the holy relics were taken from Patra and brought to Constantinople, where they were placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles. These holy relics of Saint Andrew remained in Constantinople until the Fourth Crusade from 1202-1204. After the Fourth Crusade, Cardinal Pietro Capuano, originally from Amalfi and one of the papal delegates for the crusade, took the holy relics from Constantinople to Amalfi,” explained Patriarch Daniel.
“On May 8, 1208, the holy relics were taken to the chapel in the crypt of the Cathedral of Amalfi. Some were placed under the chapel’s altar for veneration, while another part, including the skull of Saint Andrew, was placed in a casket and bricked into a secret place within a wall of the chapel to prevent theft during a barbarian invasion of the city.”
“During the transformations of this old cathedral into a Baroque-style church on January 2, 1603, the holy relics were first discovered, but those who found them decided to hide them again to protect them from invaders, bricking them up once more in another secret location in the chapel wall. On the night from January 28 to 29, 1846, during the reconstruction of part of the floor, the urn with the holy relics was discovered again.”
“Since then, they have been exposed for veneration in the Cathedral of Amalfi, in the Chapel of the Holy Relics. Since their last discovery, every year on January 28, the Finding of the Holy Relics of Saint Andrew is celebrated in Amalfi,” said Patriarch Daniel.
Amalfi Archdiocese delegation invited to Romania
His Beatitude thanked those who offered the relics of Saint Andrew and the members of the delegation for bringing them to the country.
“Through these relics received directly from Amalfi, where the skull of Saint Andrew is also kept, we strengthen our appreciation and veneration for Saint Andrew, the Protector of Romania and Apostle of the Romanians, who preached the Gospel of the Saviour Jesus Christ together with Saint Philip from the same town, Bethsaida, in our country’s territory, in Scythia Minor, today’s Dobruja.”
“We hope that at the consecration of the National Cathedral on October 26, 2025, representatives from the Archdiocese of Amalfi will come so we can thank them in front of the believers,” said Patriarch Daniel.
National Cathedral
Saint Andrew the First-called Apostle has been chosen as the patron saint of the National Cathedral, with an additional patronal feast being the Ascension of the Lord – Heroes’ Day.
Last fall, the National Cathedral received another significant fragment of Saint Andrew’s relics, the right foot’s fibula. The gift was made by the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Italy, His Grace Bishop Siluan, on behalf of all the parishes in the peninsula.
Additionally, in 2018, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, provided the National Cathedral with a fragment of the relics of Saint John Jacob of Neamț, along with an epitrachelion that belonged to the saint from Crăiniceni, Botoșani.
The National Cathedral will be consecrated on October 26, 2025, by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
After consecration, the Cathedral will remain open for liturgical service and the participation of believers.
Six years ago, Pope Francis visited this emblematic place of worship for Romanian Orthodoxy.
Photo: Lumina Newspaper / Luigi Ivanciu
Source: basilica.ro
