On July 12, festivities marking the 250th anniversary of the translation of the relics of Saint Demetrius the New were held in Bucharest. Thousands of clergy and believers participated in a procession in the center of the Romanian capital on Friday evening. The celebrations were attended by Romanian and Bulgarian hierarchs, with Patriarch Daniel of Romania leading the events.

The celebration began with an all-night vigil at the Patriarchal Cathedral. Following the vigil, Patriarch Daniel consecrated the reliquary containing the relics of Saint Demetrius. For the anniversary, the reliquary had been repaired and polished. After the consecration, the reliquary was solemnly carried out of the cathedral, and a procession began, in which tens of thousands of believers took part.

As reported by basilica.ro, the procession took place despite the scorching forty-degree heat. "Faith is hotter than the temperature outside," commented Bishop Timothy of Prahova of the Romanian Church. He addressed the believers with pastoral words and thanked them for participating in the prayerful procession.

"Perhaps never, since 2008, when we got used to processions on the feast days of Saint Demetrius, until now – not only in such hot weather – have there been so many people in the center of Bucharest and on this hill," said Bishop Timothy. He emphasized that this highlights the faith of the people, "the faith of the sons of the Church, which is hotter than the temperature, which can exceed 40 degrees." He added that such temperatures "are comfortable for great hermits" and "somewhat uncomfortable" for us.

At the end of the procession, Patriarch Daniel congratulated the believers on the feast and reminded them of the spiritual feat of Saint Demetrius and the circumstances under which his relics were brought to Bucharest 250 years ago.

"For two and a half centuries, the relics of Saint Demetrius the New have been a shield, a source of joy and peace, consolation, and blessing for the residents of Bucharest and for all believers who sought him in their prayers, witnessing miracles arising from his merciful love for suffering people," said Patriarch Daniel.

Saint Demetrius the New was a 12th-century monk whose relics were brought to Bucharest in 1774 to protect them from desecration by the Turks. Since then, he has been venerated as the patron saint of the city, and in 1955 he was canonized by the Romanian Church. Recently, the image of Saint Demetrius the New appeared on a banknote, and soon it will be placed on the coat of arms of Bucharest. This initiative was proposed by Patriarch Daniel of Romania last year.

During the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774, to save the relics from possible desecration by the Turks, it was planned to transport them to Russia. When the relics were brought to Bucharest, merchant Hagi Dimitrie and Metropolitan Gregory II of Ungro-Wallachia asked Count Ivan Saltykov to leave the relics in the city. The request was granted, and the relics of Saint Demetrius were placed in the cathedral, where they remain to this day.

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church decided to introduce the feast of the Translation of the Relics of Saint Demetrius the New into the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church at its session on July 5, 2022.

On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the translation of the relics of Saint Demetrius, the Romanian Patriarchate organized several jubilee events that began in the first months of this year. In March and April, the relics of Saint Demetrius were carried throughout the country so that believers could venerate the shrine. Additionally, the Romanian post issued a commemorative envelope with a printed stamp reproducing the icon of the patron saint of Bucharest. This year, the Bucharest municipality approved a decision to change the image on the city's coat of arms. The current coat of arms, adopted in 1994, depicts St. Demetrius the Myrrh-Gusher (of Thessaloniki), the heavenly patron of St. Demetrius the New. In 2022, Patriarch Daniel proposed updating the coat of arms, and this year it was decided to place the image of Saint Demetrius the New on it.

Photo: basilica.ro