Bucharest. 24 – 27 October 2025. Participation in the Consecration of Icons of the National Cathedral of Bucharest

Upon an official invitation, the Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos and the President of the IAO General Assembly, Mr. Ioan Vulpescu, participated in the Consecration Ceremony of the Mosaic Iconography of the National Cathedral in Bucharest. These festivities are in the framework of the 140th anniversary of the Autocephaly of the Church of Romania and the 100th anniversary of its Patriarchate as decided by the Ecumenical Throne.

Following the Divine Liturgy, headed by His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Patriarch of Romania Daniel, the IAO Secretary General noted: “It is with joy and great respect, we participated in this glorious ceremony of consecration of the holy icons, the mosaics of the striking, magnificent Cathedral of Bucharest by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Patriarch of Bucharest and Romania Daniel. Orthodoxy is beaming in Romania and throughout the Christian Balkans, despite the ordeal of the hardship of communist atheism, today it emanates even more light, the light of justice, love and solidarity. I want to congratulate our Orthodox brothers in Romania and wish them peace, progress and prosperity, and that they may always be committed, firm to the faith of their ancestors and in the legacies they left them.”

The ceremony was also attended by the President of Romania, Mr. Nicusor Dan, the President of the Republic of Moldova, Ms. Maia Sandu, the Prime Minister of Romania, Mr. Ilie Bolojian, the President of the Parliament of Romania, Mr. Sorin Grindeanu, as well as the President of the Senate, Mr. Mircea Abrudean, members of the government, parliamentarians, religious and diplomatic authorities and a vast number of faithful citizens.

During his stay in Bucharest, the head of the IAO had a meeting with the member of the Romanian Parliament, Mr. Drago Zisopoulos, whom he congratulated for his multifaceted work. The IAO Secretary General also participated in the Church service in honour of the Holy Martyr Demetrius held in the Church of Annunciation of the Theotokos.

You can watch the video with Maximos Harakopoulos’ statements:

    Photo gallery. Bucharest. 24 – 27 October 2025. Participation in the Consecration of Icons of the National Cathedral of Bucharest