90 Years Of Existence Of The Eparchy Of Vad, Feleac And Cluj

The Eparchy of Vad, Feleac and Cluj dresses feast garments today because it celebrates 90 years since setting up. The historical tradition confirmed by documents too shows that the founder of this eparchy is prince Steven the Great. The Diocese is revived after the Great Union when a Consistory was set up in Cluj city (7/20 July 1919), then as a diocese (on 18 July 1921) with jurisdiction over the counties in the North of the River Mures with the title of the Diocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj.

Today, 6 December 2011, feast of Saint Hierarch Nicholas, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cluj, assisted by a group of hierarchs, priests and deacons. A large number of faithful have also come to attend this special moment in the history of the Eparchy of Vad, Feleac and Cluj.

The following hierarchs, members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated together with His Beatitude: His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina, His Eminence Laurentiu, Metropolitan of Transylvania, His Eminence Andrei, Metropolitan of Cluj, alba, Crisana and Maramures, His Eminence Irineu, Metropolitan of Otenia, His Eminence Irineu, Archbishop of Alba Iulia, His Eminence Timotei, Archbishop of Arad, His Grace Lucian, Bishop of Caransebes, His Grace Sofronie, Bishop of Oradea, His Grace Visarion, Bishop of Tulcea, His Grace Petroniu, Bishop of Salaj, His Grace Macarie, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Northern Europe, His Grace Vasile Somesanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Cluj, and His Grace Iustin Sigheteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Diocese of Maramures and Satmar.

After reading the Gospel, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church showed in the sermon delivered that Saint Nicholas was for all people an icon of the kindness of God in this world, a gentle diligent and generous shepherd who preached by deed and word and urged all people to reach salvation.

His Beatitude the Patriarch congratulated all those of the name of Saint Nicholas.

“We congratulate today all those of the name of Nicholas or Nicoleta, wishing them all good health and joy, many blessed years of life and to be confessors of the love of God by words and deeds. Let us all be confessors of the love of God and pray Saint Hierarch Nicholas to give us through his prayers gentleness and kindness, especially in a world with much selfishness concerned only with it”, said His Beatitude.

The Patriarch of Romania has also emphasised the fact that Saint Nicholas is the symbol of the brightest foundation of the Christian civilisation.

“Saint Nicholas is the symbol of a certain civilisation, namely of the civilisation of generosity, of the magnanimity which contrasts a lot with greed, rapacity, with the desire to become rich by all means till dehumanisation. The Church has cultivated the civilisation of the disinterested generosity, through all the places of worship with Saint Nicholas as saint patron. This is why Saint Nicholas is not a simple symbol of the children’s joy, but a symbol of the brightest foundation of the Christian civilisation. We no longer know how to appreciate dignity without generosity, without helping our fellow beings. We dehumanise ourselves unless we have generosity, mercy in our souls”, also said His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.

To end with the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel spoke both about the re-establishment of the Archdiocese of Vad, Feelac and Cluj and about the first bishop of the eparchy, Nicolae Ivan, who set up the Theological Academy of Cluj, in 1924, and raised the monumental Orthodox Cathedral: “This eparchy was set up by the care, generosity, courage and faith of prince Steven the Great of Moldova. The hostility of the time hindered the Eparchy of Vad and Feleac to continue its activity uninterrupted throughout the history. But in 1921, as a result of the Great Union of Alba Iulia of 1918, the Eparchy of Vad, Feleac and Cluj was re-established, just like some other eparchies, like the Diocese of the Army and Diocese of Tomis, for example. So, the beneficences of the Great Union of 1 December 1918 could be seen in the church organisation too”.

“Nicolae Ivan was a diligent person, with a pragmatic and spiritual vision, but differently from Saint Nicholas whom we celebrate. There are people generous with their fellow beings, offering them clothes, money, food, but their mercy ceases here. But when you set up philanthropic cultural institutions, especially liturgical ones, which last beyond your earthly life, you become merciful not only for your generosity, but also for the generations to come. This is why Nicolae Ivan was merciful to all the generations of bishops, priests, deacons and faithful who prayed for this foundation”, said His Beatitude.

The event continued in the semi-basement of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cluj-Napoca, where the new Museum of the Archdiocese was inaugurated, which houses the treasure of Romanian old art, as well as the oldest church objects of the patrimony of the Metropolitanate of Cuj.

Source: Romanian Orthodox Church