Upon the initiative of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, in the working session of October 29, 2008, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has proclaimed 2009 as the Memorial Year of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea Cappadocia († 379) and of the other Cappadocian Saints in the Romanian Patriarchate.

The programme of the memorial activities, developed by the Chancellery of the Holy Synod, will unfold both at the level of the Romanian Patriarchate and that of the dioceses at home and abroad, and will consist of theological and pastoral-missionary conferences, scientific symposiums, spiritual evenings, editorial projects, pilgrimages in Cappadocia (Turkey) etc. The purpose of these activities is to underline the contribution of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea Cappadocia and of the other Cappadocian Saints to the defining and defense of the teachings of faith, to the development of the interpretation of the Holy Scripture, to the enrichment of the liturgical and canonical heritage, to the development of monastic life, and as examples for the pastoral-missionary and social-philanthropic work being carried away by the Romanian Orthodox Church.