On Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025, just days before the 140th anniversary of the recognition of its autocephaly, the Romanian Orthodox Church will consecrate the Holy and Great Chrism for the 23rd time.
The event, marked by special solemnity, is part of the Romanian Patriarchate’s Centennial Year program.
Before consecration, the Great Chrism is prepared with over 40 ingredients, including olive oil, pure wine, herbs, and spices.
Event Schedule
The preparation of the Holy Chrism will begin on Holy Monday at the “Sunday of All Romanian Saints” Monastery in Bucharest. The process will take place in the Myrostirion, a special room built for the previous Chrism consecration in 2019.
Throughout the preparation, continuous readings from the Gospels and Psalms will be heard in the Myrostirion.
Once prepared, over 200 liters of Chrism will be taken to the Patriarchal Hill for consecration.
The event will take place during the Holy Thursday Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Patriarch Daniel and other members of the Holy Synod. The service will be held at the outdoor altar of the Patriarchal Cathedral, with liturgical responses provided by the Tronos Byzantine Choir.
The Holy Thursday Liturgy is also notable for consecrating a second Lamb (Eucharist), which will be used throughout the ecclesiastical year for administering communion to the sick, children, and others in special situations.
During the service, the faithful will have the opportunity to venerate the relics of Saints Demetrius the New, Nectarios, Constantine, and Helen, which will be placed in the Saints’ Baldachin.
About the Holy Chrism
The Holy Chrism is “the foundation and the source of the sanctification of the Church’s life,” according to Patriarch Daniel.
Only autocephalous Orthodox Churches are permitted to consecrate Holy Chrism.
It is used for the anointing of newly baptized believers, the consecration of churches, of antimensions (consecrated altar cloths), the enshrining of saints’ relics, and in the reception of individuals returning to Orthodoxy or entering from other Christian denominations whose baptisms are recognized by economia (pastoral discretion).
Photo: Basilica.ro Files / Mircea Florescu
Source: basilica.ro
