130th Anniversary of Autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church

The address of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, delivered on Wednesday, 28 October 2015, at Cotroceni Palace, at the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Klaus Werner Iohannis, President of Romania, on the 130^th anniversary since the acknowledgement of the autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the 90^th anniversary since her elevation to the rank of Patriarchate:

The Romanian Orthodox Church, the religious institution with the highest number of believers in Romania, with ancient traditions and deep roots in the cultural, educational and social fields of the entire Romanian space, celebrates this year (2015) the 130^th anniversary since the acknowledgement of her autocephaly (April 1885), and the 90^th anniversary since her elevation to the rank of Patriarchate (February 1925).

The autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church was acknowledged in 1885, after gaining the national independence of Romania (09 May 1887), following the War of Independence (1887), and after the year 1881, when Romania became a kingdom. Our Church was elevated to the rank of Patriarchate in 1925, after the Greater Romania was established in the year 1918, when, for the first time in history, almost the entire Romanian people was surrounded by the borders of a single state.

Both the autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church, as well as her elevation to the rank of Patriarchate, have been the results of a close co-operation between the State and the Church.

Today, by the common effort of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian State to solemnly commemorate two fundamental historical events in the life of the Romanian Church and people, the relation between spiritual unity and national unity of Romanians is emphasized.

†DANIEL

Patriarch of Romania