Between September 17-19, 2021, at the invitation of the Romanian Embassy in Mexico, His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan Nicolae visited the Romanian community in Mexico, and especially that of the capital of Mexico City. Along with the Metropolitan, V. Rev. Fr. Dean Daniel Ene was also present.
His Eminence Nicolae arrived on Friday, September 17, when he visited the Romanian Embassy and had several meetings with His Excellency, Mr. Ambassador Marius Lazurcă, as well as the diplomatic staff of the Romanian Embassy in Mexico.
Saturday morning was the time for an official meeting at the Curia of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico City, the office of Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes, the Cardinal of Mexico. The meeting was attended by a representative of HE Archbishop Carlos Aquiar, HG Salvador Gonzales Morales, Vicar Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese, and the delegation that also included His Excellency, Mr. Marius Lazurcă, Romanian Ambassador to Mexico, and V. Rev. Dean Fr. Daniel Ene. This was followed by a visit / pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Basilica of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe) where HE Metropolitan Nicolae signed the golden book of the Cathedral and was greeted by the Rector of the Cathedral, Monsignor Salvador Martinez Avila, Monsignor Juan Raymundo Maya and Monsignor Jorge Antonio Palencia Ramirez de Arellano.
On Saturday evening the Vespers service was celebrated at the Old Antiochian Cathedral of St. Jorge (St. George) with HE Metropolitan Ignacio Samaan of the Antiochian Orthodox Church of Mexico, Central America, and Venezuela, who received HE Metropolitan Nicholas as a true brother in Christ. HE Nicolae thanked HE Metropolitan Ignacio and the Romanian diplomatic corps for their presence and invitation, emphasizing how important it is to confess our faith right now in these times of trial and suffering. On this occasion, His Eminence also thanked Mr. Ionuț Marian Vâlcu, Chief Collaborator of the Romanian Embassy, offering him an icon of the Mother of God as a sign of gratitude for all the help given to the Romanian Church and community in the recent years.
After the Vespers service followed a meeting with some members of the Romanian community and of the Association of Romanians in Mexico, Mrs. Tamara Ariton receiving on this occasion a diploma of merit from HE Metropolitan Nicolae.
The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Sunday, September 19, at St. Sophia Greek Cathedral with the blessing of HE Archbishop and Metropolitan Athenagoras of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Caribbean.
"We are glad to be together these days and to be celebrating today the bicentennial of Mexico's independence in this beautiful Orthodox Cathedral, with Greek, Romanian and Mexican Orthodox clergy and faithful. The Divine Liturgy gathered us all to give thanks to Him for all the benefits seen and unseen, as we have said at the service, together, in several languages, without any distinction of nation and language, showing the Church in its fullness constituted at the Divine Liturgy as the Body of Christ. By bringing the gifts of bread and wine and offering them to the Father, we receive them back changed into the Body and Blood of Christ and, by partaking, we become His Body, His members, that is, Christians,” were the words with which His Eminence began his sermon, as he then went on to say:
“Today's Holy Gospel, from the Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross, tells us exactly what it means to be a Christian. We heard the words of the Savior Himself: "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34). It is an invitation to all of us to be Christians. If we respond positively, Christ reveals the steps to follow. To deny ourselves does not mean to deny what we are, our personality adorned with gifts from God, but to deny that which is pride and selfishness in our lives, that which separates us from Christ. He Himself, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2: 6-8). God humbled Himself and came down to us. Through our self-denial we make room for God in our lives. To take up our cross then means to assume and fulfill our Christian mission. Each of us is baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity, we become members of the Church, sons of Christ, and we are then anointed with the Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through this we also become christs, called to a mission in the world, that of proclaiming the Word of the Gospel, by word, by deed, by example.
And it is thus we follow Christ, fulfilling the last step of the invitation. “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me (John 14:21),” says Christ Himself. To be followers of Christ, to be Christians, means to listen to His word, to understand and fulfill it, to know His commandments, to know the ordinances of the Church and to fulfill them. Then comes the confession our faith to the world, our faith in Christ as Savior who overcame death and gave us eternal life. The world that is confused by various ethical issues, troubled by social unrest, frightened by the health crisis that has been going on for more than a year and a half, needs our courageous confession because it springs from faith in the Resurrection, of Christ and of us, His disciples.”
After the sermon followed an uplifting moment of awarding two outstanding members of the Romanian community in this year dedicated to the Pastoral Care of the Romanians Abroad, the homage diploma with medal from His Beatitude DANIEL, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
The two personalities who received this diploma with a medal from His Beatitude are: Mrs. MARIA MAGDALENA IONESCU (doctor, outstanding personality of the Romanian community in Mexico, Ana Aslan's personal doctor and director of the Ana Aslan Clinic and Foundation in Mexico City) and Mr. GABRIEL CORNEL CHEREBEȚIU (DOMSA) (outstanding personality of Sports Medicine in Romania and Mexico - Multiple World and European Volleyball Champion - PhD in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation, coach of the women's and men's Volleyball team of Mexico for many years - emeritus master of sports in Romania, professor at UNAM - University of Mexico and member of the Volley Hall of Fame). This was followed by a small agape and a meeting with the Romanian community present in the garden of the Cathedral.
In the evening, the Te-Deum service was celebrated in honor of the Bicentenary Independence of Mexico at the new Antioch Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul. This remarkable moment was attended by HE Metropolitan IGNACIO (Samaán) of the Antiochian Orthodox Church of Mexico, Central America and Venezuela, HE Archbishop and Metropolitan NICOLAE and HE ALEJO, Archbishop of Mexico City and All Mexico (OCA - Orthodox Church of America). The apostolic nuncio, Mexican officials and the ambassadors of the Orthodox countries represented in Mexico were also invited.
In his sermon, HE Metropolitan Nicolae said: “The Te Deum that we have celebrated is a service of thanksgiving, praise and request brought to the Triune God in Persons. Thanksgiving for all His blessings poured out on this country throughout history and, especially, in the 200 years of independence, for the protection and guidance of the Mexican people, for all the gifts with which He adorned the civil and religious rulers. We praise God for ‘His immeasurable and unspeakable mercy with which He received the prayers of His servants and fulfilled their requests.’ And we ask God to save this country from all trouble, to protect it from all danger, to give to all the people and the rulers length of days, health and growth in all good and needful things. We still pray that the Lord will make us worthy to grow in the right faith, in love of God and neighbor, to give to us the spirit of wisdom, justice, and truth. We have also commemorated all those who fulfilled the act of Mexican independence 200 years ago.”
At the end of his speech, HE Nicolae said: “Our presence at this holiday, clergy of the Romanian Orthodox Church and official representatives of the Romanian state, is the expression of the joy shared with this people at the bicentennial celebration of independence. We express our gratitude to HE Metropolitan Ignacio for hosting this event, to all the hierarchs, priests and official representatives of the various Orthodox countries in Mexico and Orthodox believers present. Last but not least, to the Ambassador of Romania in Mexico, Marius Gabriel Lazurca, for the initiative of organizing this evening's event.”
The Ambassador of Romania in Mexico, His Excellency, Mr. MARIUS GABRIEL LAZURCĂ, also said a few words: “Thank you for accepting this invitation of the Embassy and for accompanying us to this divine service to pray for the good of this wonderful country, who welcomed us all with open arms. Knowing the intention of HE Metropolitan Nicolae to make a pastoral visit to Mexico, and to meet once again with the Romanian community after 5 years since his last tour in these lands, I dared to propose the organization of a Te Deum in honor of the bicentennial of Mexico's independence. It is our way of showing the affection and love we have for Mexico, a country with which we are united by Latinity and the Christian faith, among many other things.”
The service ended with an official reception given by the local community in the Cathedral Garden.
¡Que viva México!
Submitted by
V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Ene
