Under the presidency of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church assembled today, February 10, 2010, at the Patriarchal Residence in Bucharest. The session was preceded by a thanksgiving service at the Patriarchal Cathedral.

In the address at the opening of the meeting of the Holy Synod, His Beatitude Daniel reminded that the Gospel read at the thanksgiving service talks about Christ's presence among those who are gathering on earth in His name. The prayers which are said at the thanksgiving service preceding the meetings of the Holy Synod are reminding all those in attendance of the example of the prayful hierarchs of the past, witnesses to the faith and ministers in the Church of our nation, and then demand of us to work in brotherly spirit, asking the Lord to cast away the spirit of dissent, envy and division through the power of the Holy Spirit, said the Romanian Patriarch.

In his address, HB Daniel also talked about the challenges of today's faithful.