Thousands of worshippers, high-ranking officials attend consecration of Romania’s grand National Cathedral

Thousands of worshippers and high-ranking officials gathered in Bucharest on Sunday, October 26, for the consecration of the mosaic paintings inside the National Cathedral - a landmark moment for Romania’s Orthodox faith. The ceremony was led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and Romanian Patriarch Daniel.

The ceremony was attended by Moldovan president Maia Sandu, Romanian president Nicușor Dan and his family, prime minister Ilie Bolojan and other government members, Parliament representatives, Custodian of the Romanian Crown Margareta and Prince Radu, former presidents Emil Constantinescu and Traian Băsescu, as well as senior clergy, diplomats, and representatives of other faiths.

Over 8,000 clergy and believers filled the cathedral’s esplanade, while more than 800 gendarmes ensured security during the event.

The special event also marked the centenary of the Romanian Patriarchate and 140 years since the country’s Orthodox Church gained autocephaly, according to Basilica.ro.

The ceremony brought together members of the Holy Synod, 67 priests, and 12 deacons. The consecration ritual began with the reading of three Gospel passages by Patriarch Bartholomew I, Patriarch Daniel, and Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina.

The two patriarchs then blessed the cathedral’s mosaic icons depicting Saints Andrew and Philip - apostles who brought Christianity to the lands of present-day Romania - before anointing the doors and altar with holy oil.

The cathedral’s exterior and interior mosaics were consecrated simultaneously by Romanian hierarchs, while two ornate silver reliquaries, intended for the relics of Saint Dionysius of Vatopedi and Saint Petronius of Prodromu, were also blessed.

“We have come again from the God-illuminated Phanar to this blessed Romanian land and the city protected by God, Bucharest, carrying the love and blessing of our common Mother Church, the Great Church of Christ in Constantinople,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, as quoted by Basilica.ro.

In his turn, Patriarch Daniel thanked him for attending the ceremony and emphasized the progress made since the cathedral’s initial consecration in 2018, noting the completion of extensive exterior and interior works in mosaic.

Patriarch Daniel also announced that the National Cathedral would remain open day and night until October 31 to allow the faithful to pray at the altar.

Dominating Bucharest’s skyline, the National Cathedral stands 120 meters tall and covers an area of 38,000 square meters, making it the largest Orthodox church in the world, according to