Romanian Patriarchate Marks 100 Years Since Recognition by Ecumenical Patriarchate

Photo: basilica.ro

BUCHAREST — The Romanian Orthodox Church marks a century since it was officially recognized as a Patriarchate by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on July 30, 1925. The historic tomos issued that day confirmed the decision of the Romanian Holy Synod from earlier that year, establishing the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate as the highest ecclesiastical authority in the country.

The recognition followed the Romanian Synod’s decision on February 4, 1925, which was formally communicated to sister Orthodox Churches in an irenic letter dated March 12. The letter, signed by Metropolitan Miron Cristea — soon to become Romania’s first Patriarch — emphasized the Romanian people’s early embrace of Christianity and outlined the church’s historical and canonical foundations.

“The exceptional importance of this reality and the historical precedent of other nationally organised Orthodox Churches call for [Miron Cristea to be] Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church,” the letter stated.

Ecumenical Patriarch Basil III responded warmly, addressing Miron Cristea as “Patriarch of the Autocephalous Church of Romania” and greeting him with “a fraternal embrace in the Lord.”

The tomos of recognition was officially presented on September 27, 1925, at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest by a Constantinopolitan delegation led by Metropolitans Joachim of Chalcedon and Germanos of Sardis, along with Spyridon Constantinidis, the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s chief interpreter. Basil III also issued an encyclical letter informing all autocephalous Orthodox Churches of the decision.

Metropolitan Miron Cristea was formally enthroned as the first Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church on November 1, 1925.

To commemorate the centennial of this foundational moment, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has declared 2025 as the Solemn Year of the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate, and the Commemorative Year of Romanian Orthodox Spiritual Fathers and Confessors of the 20th Century.

An article on five key figures behind the founding of the Romanian Patriarchate can be found here.

Previously, UOJ reported that the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) had officially recognized the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church–Ohrid Archbishopric.

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