The Romanian Patriarchate marks Wednesday, the 101st anniversary of its establishment. The founding act of the Romanian Patriarchate was approved by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on 4 February 1925.
The Holy Synod’s decision was communicated to the Parliament of Romania, and the establishment of the Romanian Patriarchate was unanimously recognised and approved by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. On 23 February 1925, the law was promulgated by Ferdinand I of Romania.
On 12 March 1925, the sister Orthodox Churches were informed of these developments through an irenic letter.
In May, this irenic letter was delivered to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople by Dragomir Demetrescu, a professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest.
By the Tomos of 30 July 1925, the Ecumenical Patriarchate formally recognised the elevation of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the rank of Patriarchate.
The enthronement of Metropolitan Primate Miron Cristea as the first Patriarch of Romania took place on 1 November 1925, at the Patriarchal Cathedral, Bucharest, in Bucharest.
The Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate
In 2025, the Romanian Orthodox Church marked the 100th anniversary of the Patriarchate with a series of major commemorative events.
In the context of the Centennial, sixteen confessors and spiritual fathers of holy life from the twentieth century were canonised, and the proclamation of their canonisation took place on 4 February at the Patriarchal Cathedral.
Another major event for Romanian Orthodoxy was the consecration of the iconography of the National Cathedral, which took place on 26 October and was celebrated by Patriarchs Bartholomew I of Constantinople and Daniel of Romania.
The Romanian Orthodox Church also marked last year 140 years since the recognition of its autocephaly.
At the same time, the Holy Synod approved the canonisation of sixteen holy women (martyrs, monastics, rulers’ wives, mothers of saints, and women confessors). The proclamation of their canonisation is scheduled for 6 February 2026 at the Patriarchal Cathedral.
Read more about the activities and events organised in the context of the Romanian Patriarchate’s Centennial.
Source: basilica.ro
