His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, together with 14 bishops, members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and other hierarchs representing sister Orthodox Churches, has proclaimed today, May 3, 2009, in Galaţi, the veneration of St. Athanasios III Pattelaras, Patriarch of Constantinople, in the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Holy Hierarch is already inscribed in the calendars of Greek and Slavic Churches, with the feast day on May 2. The proclamation tomos was read by Right Rev. Ciprian, Patriarchal Vicar Bishop.

At the end of the proclamation, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel addressed a sermon to those present, thanking God for the gift of the presence of St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, whose holy relics were brought from Greece for this occasion, and for the presence of St. Athanasios.

St. Athanasios III Pattelaras was Patriarch of Constantinople in the 17th century. Due to conflicts with the representatives of the Turks, he had to ask for help from Russia's czar. However, Holy Hierarch Athanasios stopped in Galaţi between 1642 and 1653, when he ministered at the St. Nicholas Monastery there. St. Athanasios III Pattelaras died in Ukraine and his intact body can be found at the Cathedral in Kharkov.