His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated today, 6 March 2009, the remembrance service for the late Patriarch Miron Cristea, the first Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, on the occasion of the anniversary of seventy years since his passing away (6 March 1939). His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel celebrated the religious service in the Patriarchal Cathedral, beginning with 12.00 o’clock p.m., together with His Grace Vincenţiu Ploieşteanu, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Ciprian Câmpineanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, and His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest. Also present were the members of the Standing Meeting of the Church National Council and of the Standing Meeting of the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, clergy and hundreds of faithful from the capital city of the country.

To end with the religious service, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a speech in which he evoked the personality of Patriarch Miron Cristea, emphasising three qualities of the first Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church: great fighter for the freedom and dignity of the Romanians of Transylvania and for the unity of the Romanian people, good organiser of the church life, and promoter of the dignity of the Romanian Orthodoxy at international level. Afterwards, His Beatitude celebrated a trisaghion at the grave of Patriarch Miron Cristea.

Patriarch Miron Cristea headed the Romanian Orthodox Church from 1925 and 1939. On 18 December 1919, he was elected Metropolitan Primate of the whole Romania, and next day he was invested and enthroned. On 4 February 1925 he becomes the first Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, having been installed in the new dignity on 1 November 1925. He passed away at Cannes (France) where he was for medical treatment. He was buried in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest, 70 years ago, having been the first of the four Patriarchs whose graves have been here.