Patriarch Daniel said on Saturday, at the consecration of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopal Cathedral in Madrid, dedicated to the Feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, that the event marks an important moment for the Romanian Orthodox Church, calling the cathedral 'a gate of heaven and a landmark of Romanian identity in the Iberian Peninsula'.

He highlighted the importance of establishing the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal in 2007, headquartered in Madrid.

'This day of holy joy is the fruit of a long and persistent journey. The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, aware of its pastoral responsibility toward the more than 800,000 Orthodox Christians from Romania and the Republic of Moldova living in Spain and Portugal, established, by its decision of October 22, 2007, the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal, with its seat in Madrid. This decision came as a response to the desire of Romanian Orthodox clergy and believers who wished to have their own bishop, a Romanian Orthodox diocese, and a recognized voice before the Iberian authorities. (...) The episcopal cathedral consecrated today is a synthesis of the Romanian soul and universal beauty. Modeled after the Royal Church of Curtea de Arges, Cozia Monastery, and the historic Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, it carries in its architecture and ornamentation the thread of Brâncovenesc spirituality - that spirituality which wonderfully united Orthodox faith with the rich artistic forms of Europe,' Patriarch Daniel said.

The BOR Primate pointed out that a European capital with a Romanian Orthodox cathedral is spiritually enriched, stressing that such a cathedral is not 'a spiritual luxury' but a pastoral and missionary necessity.

'It is the place where the children of emigrants receive Baptism, where young people marry and lay the foundation of a new family in the light of Christ's presence, where the elderly give thanks to God for a life lived in faith and honest work, where those who pass into eternity are accompanied with prayer and tears toward eternal rest. The cathedral is also a factor of unity in faith and nation for all Romanian Orthodox Christians in Spain and Portugal, a spiritual and cultural landmark that will endure over time, bearing witness to future generations that their forebears valued, above all comfort, the holy presence and work of God in their lives,' he went on to note.

The Patriarch expressed gratitude to all founders and donors who contributed to building the cathedral.

'We express our high appreciation to His Grace Bishop Timotei of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal for his rich pastoral-missionary and administrative activity and for the zeal with which he brought this holy place to completion. We thank all founders and donors who contributed to the construction of this house of God. We recall with special appreciation the efforts of Father Prof. Dr. Teofil Moldovan, the shepherd who carried for many years the pastoral care of Romanian believers in the Iberian Peninsula and undertook all steps required to obtain the land plot the episcopal cathedral is built upon,' he said.

The Patriarch also thanked the Romanian Government, which, through the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs and the Department for Romanians Abroad, provided sustained financial support for the construction and completion of the cathedral.

He concluded with a message to the faithful: 'Beloved Orthodox faithful, we urge you to love this Cathedral as a priceless spiritual treasure. Come to this Cathedral not only on feast days, but whenever you feel your soul needs peace, light, and strength! Stay united around the Holy Altar, in brotherly love for one another, in communion with the Romanian Orthodox Diocese and with the Mother Church in Romania! Do not forget that to be Romanian also means to be Christian, and to be Christian means to carry in your heart, wherever you may be in the world, Christ who was crucified and risen.' AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Loredana Ciobanu; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)

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