The National Cathedral will be consecrated on October 26, 2025, in a ceremony led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church. According to Basilica.ro, the event will commemorate the centenary of the Romanian Patriarchate, marking 140 years since the Romanian Orthodox Church gained autocephaly and 100 years since it was elevated to the status of a patriarchate.  

Following its consecration, the National Cathedral will open permanently for worship and feature a special liturgical schedule, including events for the feast of Saint Dimitrie the New, Protector of Bucharest, on October 27.

The cathedral’s altar was first consecrated in 2018, during the centennial of the Great Union. At that time, the altar table was imbued with symbolic significance, incorporating a list of 350,000 Romanian heroes to honor the sacrifices made for faith, independence, and freedom.

Work on the National Cathedral, which is 120 meters high, is nearing completion, the same source said. In 2025, the cross will be installed on the main tower, alongside the completion of interior systems, exterior stained glass windows, and structural reinforcements for the main entrance porticos.

The painting also continues under the supervision of Patriarch Daniel, following an iconographic plan that adheres to Byzantine tradition and spans a total area of 25,000 square meters. The mosaic-painted iconostasis, covering over 400 square meters, is the largest of its kind in the Orthodox world, Basilica.ro said.

A team of 220 painters is working intensively on the mosaics under the coordination of church painter Daniel Codrescu.

The National Cathedral is located near the famous Parliament Palace in Bucharest.

editor@romania-insider.com

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