His Holiness Pope Tawadros II consecrated today the Church of Saint Mina the Martyr in the Romanian capital, Bucharest — the first Coptic Orthodox church in Romania. This event took place as part of His Holiness’s current pastoral visit to the country, which is part of a wider pastoral tour of the Diocese of Central Europe that began on April 25.
Joining His Holiness in the consecration prayers and the Divine Liturgy that followed were His Grace Bishop Giovanni, Bishop of the Diocese of Central Europe, along with 11 Coptic Orthodox bishops serving in various European dioceses, whom His Holiness had met yesterday to discuss the role and service of the Coptic Church in Europe. Also participating in the prayers were His Grace Bishop Fam and His Grace Bishop Axios, both accompanying the Pope on his pastoral visit.
The consecration included the church’s three altars: the main (central) altar in the name of Saint Mina the Martyr, the northern altar in the name of Saint Pope Cyril VI, and the southern altar in the name of the Virgin Mary. The church icons and altar vessels were also consecrated.
In his sermon during the Divine Liturgy, His Holiness noted that the Church divides the Holy Fifty Days (Pentecost period) into five Sundays. He said, “Last week, we celebrated the Sunday of Faith or the Renewal of Faith, and tomorrow, Sunday, we celebrate the ‘Sunday of the Bread,’ during which the Church presents to us the miracle of feeding the multitudes.”
His Holiness posed the question: “Are you spiritually satisfied with Christ? Do you feel full spiritually? Christ alone can satisfy the thirsty and hungry soul, for He said: ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled’ (Matthew 5:6).”
He then outlined four sources of spiritual nourishment:
The Holy Bible:
“The Bible is the first means of spiritual fulfillment,” said the Pope, quoting the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart’ (Jeremiah 15:16). The more we feed on God’s Word, the more we are filled inwardly. The Gospel is not only for blessings but is daily spiritual nourishment. Don’t let a day pass without reading from your Bible.”
Prayer:
“Our prayers, the Agpeya (Book of Hours), Psalms, and hymns — all are spiritual means that satisfy the soul and bring joy to the heart.”
The Holy Sacraments:
Confession: Through confession and repentance, sins are cast at the foot of the Cross.
Holy Communion: When we partake in Communion, we receive the Body and Blood of Christ — He dwells in us, and we in Him. “Blessed is the one who lives in Christ,” said the Pope.
Love and Acts of Mercy:
Practical love is shown through acts of mercy, no matter how small, and these are never forgotten by God.
In conclusion, His Holiness expressed his joy for the occasion, saying:
“Today, we rejoice in the consecration of this blessed church bearing the name of the great martyr Saint Mina. With this, we write a new chapter in the history of our Coptic Orthodox Church, as the first altar is established in the country of Romania.”
It is noteworthy that the Coptic Church in Romania is the result of a pastoral ministry that began in May 2010 with the ordination of Father Mina Takla by the late Pope Shenouda III to serve the Coptic communities there. The Church of Saint Mina is one of the newer churches, having been completed in 2020 as part of the Saint Mina Services Complex, which Pope Tawadros inaugurated last Monday evening.
The consecration of the Church of Saint Mina in Bucharest marks the final stop of His Holiness’s visit to Romania, after which he and his accompanying delegation are scheduled to head to Serbia to continue the pastoral tour.
This page is also available in:
العربية
