2013 – Solemn Year of Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen

2013 – Solemn Year of Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen and Commemorative Year of “Dumitru Staniloae” at the Romanian Patriarchate

Following the initiative of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel taken during the working session of 25 October 2011, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church approved that the year 2013 should be declared Solemn Year of Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen at the anniversary of 1700 years since the Edict of religious tolerance of Milan (313).

The Holy Synod Office worked out a church national frame programme for implementing the liturgical, cultural and media programme entitled 2013 – Solemn Year of Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen atthe Romanian Patriarchate.

-    The state of the Roman Empire before the Edict of Milan – 313 (political, military and social crisis, persecution of the Christians and sufferance of the Christian Church etc.);

-    Edict of Milan (313) – tolerance and freedom for the Christian Church (conversion of Emperor Constantine the Great to the Christian religion, consequences of the Edict of Milan – Chart of the Christian freedom and religious tolerance etc.);

-    Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen (social and religious politics of Constantine the Great and the relations between State and Church, the church life at the time of Constantine the Great etc.).

During the second semester of 2013, the theme will be complementary entitled “Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen, Supporters of the Church”, with the following subthemes:

-    Importance of Saints Constantine and Helen for the life and activity of the Church (development of the liturgical art, of the Christian art and architecture, Christian education and family, protection of the human dignity through laws and charitable deeds etc.);

-    Topicality of the religious, social, legislative and social-philanthropic politics of Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen for the life of the contemporary world (religious freedom in a secularised and laicized world, contemporary political man and Christian religion, celebration of the Sunday and of the great church feasts, construction of churches, support by the State of the social-philanthropic and cultural-educational activity of the Church etc.);

-    Devotion and worshipping of the Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen by the Church (liturgical, iconographic etc.).

In October 2013, a Holy Synod solemn working session will be held at the Patriarchate Palace on the theme 2013 – Solemn Year of Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen at the Romanian Patriarchate and a thematic exhibition will be organised representing Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen, as well as important churches with Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen as saint patrons.

In 2013, the pilgrimage agencies of the Romanian Patriarchate will organise pilgrimages to Rome, Milan, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Nis, as well as to other places where there are vestiges of Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen.

For the theological school of the Romanian Patriarchate the year 2013 is a “Dumitru Staniloae” Commemorative Year too. On this occasion, a national contest will be organised on the life and work of Rev Dumitru Staniloae (1903 – 1993), the greatest Romanian theologian, as well several commemorative events in Bucharest and other cities.

The manifestations organised during the “Solemn Year of Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen and “Dumitru Staniloae” Commemorative Year” will be publicised by Basilica Press Centre of the Romanian Patriarchate (Trinitas Radio, Trinitas Television, Lumina publications, Basilica News Agency and Press Office), church eparchial mass-media and by the laic press.

Source: Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE