Source: Basilica News Agency

October 3, 2016

Synodal Tomos of Canonization no. 1/2016, approved by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church through its decision ref. no. 2212/25.02.2016, and made public today, 28 September 2016, in the church of Saint Anthimos – Troianu Monastery, dedicated to the Life-giving Spring:

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church,

To the most beloved clergy, the monastics and the true believing Christians in the Romanian Patriarchate,

Grace, mercy and peace from God, and from us, hierarchical blessings!

Blessed and praiseworthy is it to honor the memory of those who have fallen asleep in the Lord in holiness, who have gained confidence from God for their devout lives full of good deeds. The Most Holy Trinity has foreseen from eternity that they will grow in the likeness of God, partaking of the light of the grace of the Holy Spirit and numbering them in the Church of the first-born, in the ranks of the saints. Our Savior Jesus Christ says about them that because they have listened to His word, they have become His friends (John 15:16). The Church honors these saints with praises and hymns, as the God-inspired Prophet Daniel says: But your friends, O God, were greatly honoured by me, exceedingly were strengthened their beginnings (Psalm 139:17). The saints have truly fulfilled God’s word and will, as we read in the Psalms: As for the saints who are on the earth, They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight (Psalm 16:3).

Among Godʼs chosen ones are numbered the venerable fathers from the hermitages of Stânişoara and Turnu: Neophyte and Meletios from Stânişoara Monastery and Daniel and Misael from Turnu Monastery.These great ascetics and lovers of God from Cozia Monasterym founded by the renowned Prince Mircea the Great, after dedicating themselves entirely to the anchoretic life life and reaching perfection, received from the Holy Spirit the gift of counsel and of spiritual guidance on the path to salvation. Being experienced laborers of the prayer of the heart, they have been honored together with the great hesychasts of Romanian monasticism, being also named hermits. Thus, they remain in the living memory of the Church, in the devoted memory of hierarchs, priests, monastics and lay people, as examples of sacrificial love, of restraint, humbleness and diligent spiritual guidance.

Our Humbleness, at the proposal of the Metropolitan Synod of the Holy Metropolis of Oltenia, together with all the members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, observing the lives well-pleasing to God of these blessed saints and venerable fathers, who have hallowed and embellished the land of Oltenia, taking into account their praiseworthy diligence towards prayer and in the defence of true faith, and in pursuing the spiritual benefit of the Orthodox people bearing the name of Christ, following the holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church, on a canonical and synodal basis, calling the help of the grace of the Most Holy, Consubstantial, Life-giving and Undivided Trinity,

WE DECIDE

That from now on and unto eternity the venerable Saints Neophyte and Meletios from Stânişoara Monastery, with a feast day on September 3rd, and Daniel and Misael from Turnu Monastery, with a feast day on October 5th, be numbered among the saints of the Church and be commemorated and honored with hymns of praise on their feast days.

We also decide, in the Holy Spirit, that the priests, monastics and lay faithful of our Church receive, with piety, the lives, services and icons of the venerable Saints Neophyte and Meletios from Stânişoara Monastery, and Daniel and Misael from Turnu Monastery.

In order to establish completely what we have decided synodically and canonically, we reinforce with our signatures this Synodal Tomos on the canonization of the venerable Saints Neophyte and Meletios from Stânişoara Monastery, and Daniel and Misael from Turnu Monastery, bringing it to the attention of the clergy and all the faithful of the Romanian Patriarchate.

This canonization Synodal Tomos is proclaimed today, 28 September, the year of salvation 2016, in the church of the Holy Monastery of Saint Anthimos, in the Troianu neighborhood in Râmnicu Vâlcea, dedicated to the Life-Giving Spring and the Holy Hieromartyr Anthimos the Ivirite.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!

President of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church

† D a n i e l

Archbishop of Bucharest,

Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudja, Locum tenens of the throne of Caesareaof Cappadocia, and

Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church

† Teofan Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina

† Laurenţiu Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transylvania

† Andrei Archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj and Metropolitan of Cluj, Maramureş and Sălaj

† Irineu Archbishop of Craiova and Metropolitan of Oltenia

† Ioan Archbishop of Timişoara and Metropolitan of Banat

† Petru Archbishop of Chişinău, Metropolitan of Bessarabia and Exarch of the Territories

† Iosif Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Western Europe and Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe

† Serafim Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Germany, Austria and Luxembourg, and Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Germany, Central and Northern EuropeNord

† Nifon Hon Metropolitan, Archbishop of Târgovişte and Patriarchal Exarch

† Teodosie Archbishop of Tomis

† Pimen Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuţi

† Irineu Archbishop of Alba Iulia

† Varsanufie Archbishop of Râmnic

† Ioachim Archbishop of Roman and Bacău

† Calinic Archbishop of Argeş and Muscel

† Ciprian Archbishop of Buzău and Vrancea

† Casian Archbishop of Lower Danube

† Timotei Archbishop of Arad

† Nicolae Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of the Americas

† Justinian Hon Archbishop, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Maramureş and Sătmar

† Corneliu Bishop of Huşi

† Lucian Bishop of Caransebeş

† Sofronie Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Oradea

† Nicodim Bishop of Severin and Strehaia

† Vincenţiu Bishop of Slobozia and Călăraşi

† Andrei Bishop of Covasna and Harghita

† Galaction Bishop of Alexandria and Teleorman

† Ambrozie Bishop of Giurgiu

† Sebastian Bishop of Slatina and Romanaţi

† Visarion Bishop of Tulcea

† Petroniu Bishop of Sălaj

† Gurie Bishop of Deva and Hunedoara

† Daniil Locum tenens of the Diocese of Dacia Felix(Serbia)

† Siluan Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary

† Siluan Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Italy

† Timotei Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Spain and Portugal

† Macarie Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Northern Europe

† Mihail Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Australia and New Zealand

† Varlaam of Ploieşti Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch

† Ieronim of Sinaia Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch

† Timotei of Prahova Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest

† Calinic of Botoşani Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Iaşi

† Ilarion of Făgăraşi Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Sibiu

† Vasile of Someş Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj

† Paisie of Lugoj Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Timişoara

† Antonie of Orhei Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Chişinău

† Marc of Neamţ Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Western Europe

† Sofian of Braşov Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany, Austria and Luxembourg

† Emilian of Lovişte Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Râmnic

† Ioan Casian of Vicina Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Americas

† Iustin of Sighet Assistant hierarch to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese ofMaramureş and Sătmari

† Ignatie of Mureş Assistant hierarch to the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal