Patriarchs of Constantinople and Romania consecrated the world's largest Orthodox cathedral in Bucharest

On Sunday, the National Cathedral (Cathedral of the Salvation of the Nation), the largest Orthodox church in the world, was consecrated in the Romanian capital. The solemn ceremony was attended by thousands of pilgrims and the country’s top officials. The service was led by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

According to the press service of the Romanian Patriarchate, more than 2,000 official guests attended the event. Among them were President Nicusor Dan and his family, Prime Minister Ilie Bolhogan, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, former Romanian heads of state Emil Constantinescu and Traian Basescu, as well as members of the royal family — Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu. Sixty-five hierarchs, 70 priests and 12 deacons participated in the large-scale Divine Service.

The National Cathedral is impressive in size and has already set several records. As the largest Orthodox church in the world, it has also become the tallest religious building in Romania — its height to the top of the main cross is 120 meters. The total area of the complex exceeds 38,000 square meters, and the cathedral has a capacity of 5,000 to 8,000 people, while the surrounding area can accommodate up to 100,000 worshippers. Its iconostasis, according to the Book of Records, is recognized as the largest in the world (23.8 m long and 17.1 m high).

The architecture of the cathedral combines traditional Romanian styles with modern elements, including Moldovan niches, Bryncovian galleries and Transylvanian towers. According to the source, the monumentality of the project is inspired by Western European cathedrals, symbolizing the connection between the Romanian community in the country and the diaspora in the West.

The construction was financed from mixed sources: state and local funds, as well as donations from individuals and companies. The total estimated cost of the project, when completed, exceeds 200 million euros.

Speaking about the occasion of the visit — the 140th anniversary of the granting of autocephaly and the 100th anniversary of the elevation of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the rank of Patriarchate — Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized: «These events are worthy of memory and honor… Their celebration has to do with the very being of the Church and with the mystery of faith in Christ, which is constantly renewed in the Church.»

Recall, Epiphanius Dumenco recently broke out criticizing the Romanian Orthodox Church. Dumenko, speaking against the establishment of the Romanian Church of the Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine, stated that the Romanian Patriarchate has no right to create parallel jurisdictions on the territory of Ukraine without agreement with the OCU. He is convinced that the OCU can independently meet the religious needs of Romanian-speaking believers within the Romanian Vicariate, which was previously established in the organization.