Many believers and clerics came early in the morning, on December 26, 2023, to the historic Cathedral in Târgovişte, to celebrate with Metropolitan Nyphon, on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of his enthronement.
Metropolitan Nyphon performed the Divine Liturgy along with a group of priests and deacons.
At the end of the holy service, Metropolitan Nyphon was congratulated by many faithful and local authorities, who praised his quality as a moral and spiritual leader, with a fruitful cultural and academic involvement, but also they underlined the fact that through his service in the local and international inter-religious dialogue he made known the city of Târgovişte and the region of Dâmbovița and indeed the Romanian Orthodox Church worldwide.
The celebrations have continued in the “St. Voivode Neagoe Basarab” auditorium of the Metropolitan Residence, where the Cathedral Choir offered a concert of Christmas carols, in the presence of numerous clerics from the entire Archdiocese.
Both in the speech delivered in the Cathedral and the one in the Archbishop’s Residence, the Metropolitan emphasized the significance of the Nativity of our Lord for human history and civilization, showing its deep theological meanings, which underpin our Christian life, and which also constitute the basis of our contemporary world`s values. The Metropolitan highlighted the fact that: “The Incarnation of God produced a real ontological revolution, a fundamental renewal of human nature”. He also emphasized in his sermon, that “on this Christmas feast, by the Grace of God, we may more humble, more holy and therefore more happy and affectionate and more generous in the love of Christ, our Savior” become the special importance of the Mother of God in the history of salvation, urging her to pursue her virtues in the present spiritual life.
In the end, Metropolitan Nyphon addressed some advice to the 150 priests present in the festivity to intensify the pastoral mission in the parishes, and at the same time, to deepen their vocation to serve the people of God, particularly in our time of economic crisis and dreadful war near the Romanian border.