In its traditional pastoral letter for the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church emphasizes the pedagogical role of holy icons, which serve as guides leading to Christ, the Source of all holiness, according to basilica.ro.
Within the context of the Centennial of the Romanian Patriarchate, the Synod states:
“For us, Romanians, the Sunday of Orthodoxy is an occasion of joy and thanksgiving to God for His abundant blessings upon our nation, as well as a tribute of gratitude for the multitude of venerable saints and confessors who have preserved the rule of faith as it was handed down to them by their forebears.”
Additionally, the hierarchs call attention to the collection for the Central Missionary Fund, encouraging the faithful to contribute to the missionary, pastoral, and social-philanthropic activities of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Pastoral Letter of the Holy Synod for the Sunday of Orthodoxy 2025
To the venerable monastic order, the reverend clergy, and the beloved faithful of the Romanian Patriarchate,
Grace, joy, peace from God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and fatherly blessings from us!
Venerable and reverend fathers,
Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord,
The first Sunday of the Holy and Great Lent, known as the Sunday of Orthodoxy, reminds us each year of the trials and triumphs the Church has endured throughout history to uphold the true faith and preserve its dogmatic, canonical, and liturgical unity. In particular, this Sunday commemorates March 11, 843, when the veneration of the holy icons was fully and definitively restored in Constantinople, and the victory over the iconoclastic heresy was recognized as a triumph of Orthodoxy over all heresies.
Theological disputes regarding the veneration of holy icons erupted in the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717–741). Through two imperial decrees issued in 726 and 730, he imposed the fight against icons as state policy. These conflicts continued under Emperor Constantine V (741–775) and Emperor Leo IV (775–780), during whose reign the opposition to holy icons intensified, leading to the formulation of erroneous iconoclastic teachings.
The Christological controversies surrounding the veneration of icons led the iconoclast emperors to take extreme measures, resulting in the destruction of holy icons and the persecution of those who honored them. Many faithful were tortured, imprisoned, exiled, or even condemned to death. Countless clergy, monastics, and lay believers who venerated the holy icons sacrificed their lives in defense of the true faith.
Saint John of Damascus (676–749) stood out among the defenders of Orthodoxy during this period. He emphasized that veneration is directed to the person depicted in the icon, not to the material from which it is made, stating: “I do not worship matter, I worship the God of matter, who became matter for my sake and deigned to inhabit matter, who worked out my salvation through matter.”
The first period of persecution against the veneration of holy icons lasted until the reign of Emperor Constantine VI (780–797) and his mother, Empress Irene (752–802). With the support of Patriarch Tarasius of Constantinople (784–806), they convened the Seventh Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 787, where the Orthodox doctrine on the veneration of holy icons was officially restored.
At this Holy Council, based on Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, the Holy Fathers condemned the iconoclastic heresy and formulated the Orthodox teaching regarding the veneration of icons and holy relics. They proclaimed that the honor given to an icon passes to its prototype and that he who venerates an icon venerates the person depicted therein. With scriptural evidence, they affirmed that the one who gazes upon an icon is drawn into a personal relationship with the one represented in it: “Through the icon, we come to know the archetype, for it serves as a means of elevating our thoughts to Christ and of partaking in communion with Him. When we behold the icon, we invoke the one depicted upon it in prayer.”
The Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, inspired by the Holy Spirit and in harmony with the dogmas of the faith established at the preceding Ecumenical Councils, reaffirmed the doctrine of the veneration of holy icons and relics, decreeing in the synodal dogmatic definition the following:
“We preserve unchanged all ecclesiastical traditions, both written and unwritten, that have been entrusted to us, among which is also the depiction of holy icons through painting, in accordance with the history of the Gospel’s proclamation, as a testimony that the Incarnation of God the Word was real and not merely an illusion.
Following the divinely inspired teaching of our Holy Fathers and the Tradition of the universal Church, which we recognize as being of the Holy Spirit dwelling within her, we decree with all precision and diligence that, just as the honorable and life-giving Cross is exalted, so too must the honorable and holy icons be set up—whether painted, in mosaic, or crafted from any other suitable material—in the holy churches of God, on sacred vessels and vestments, on walls and wood, in houses and along roads.
These include the icons of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, of our Most Pure Lady, the Holy Theotokos, of the venerable angels, and of all the saints and righteous ones. For the more frequently these are seen through their representation in icons, the more those who behold them will be lifted to remember and long for their prototypes, offering them a reverent kiss and the honor of veneration—not, however, the true worship (latreia), which, according to our faith, is due only to the divine nature—but rather the kind of veneration (proskynesis) offered to the image of the honorable and life-giving Cross, to the Holy Gospels, and to other sacred objects of worship.
Incense and candles shall be offered in their honor, according to the pious custom of the ancients. For the veneration given to an icon passes to its prototype, and he who venerates an icon venerates the person depicted therein.”
Although the Church received this decree of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, a new period of iconoclasm began with the accession of Emperor Leo V the Armenian (813–820), bringing renewed persecutions against those who venerated holy icons.
This period came to an end in 843, when Empress Theodora of Byzantium (842–846), together with Patriarch Methodius, convened a Synod in Constantinople, which, based on Holy Scripture and the writings of the Holy Fathers, reaffirmed the Orthodox doctrine on the veneration of holy icons and confirmed the validity of all the rulings of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. From that time forward, we Orthodox Christians have celebrated each year on the first Sunday of Great Lent the triumph of the true faith over all heresies, which is why this day is called the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
Right-believing Christians,
The Church has always understood the pedagogical role of holy icons, as they serve as guides leading to Christ, the Source of all holiness. For this reason, she has depicted the countenances of our Savior, the Theotokos, the angels, the apostles, and the saints in iconography.
Through this, the Church emphasizes that Orthodox sacred art is not merely artistic expression but an expression of divine revelation and sanctity. As Leonid Ouspensky states, this sacred art “must, on the one hand, convey the dogmatic truths of the faith, and on the other hand, communicate the lived experience of these truths—the spiritual experience of the saints, that living Christianity in which dogma and life are one and the same.” [ Leonid Ouspensky, Theology of the icon]
For this reason, “the Church sees the icon not as an optional aspect of Orthodox teaching, but as the very expression of Orthodoxy as a whole—of Orthodoxy in its entirety.” The holy icons “are not an addition to Orthodox faith as a mere embellishment, but rather they express the fullness of Orthodox faith, as a confession of faith through both word and image, through prayer before the icon of Christ and the saints depicted therein.”
The foundation of Christ’s depiction in icons lies in His Incarnation, as the Holy Evangelist John testifies:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Orthodox teaching affirms that, out of love for mankind, the Son and Word of God became Man (John 3:16), taking on flesh and the form of a servant so that we, in turn, might become children of God by grace, partake of eternal life, and behold the radiance of divine glory, just as He revealed Himself to His disciples on Mount Tabor.
The light emanating from Christ’s icon and the icons of the saints directs us toward the unending light of divine glory in the Heavenly Kingdom, and the holiness of the icon also calls us to the sanctification of our lives.
Beloved spiritual children,
In the context of the anniversary events of 2025, for us Romanians, the Sunday of Orthodoxy is an occasion of joy and gratitude to God for His abundant blessings upon our nation, as well as an opportunity to offer thanksgiving for the multitude of venerable saints and confessors who have preserved the rule of faith as it was handed down to them by their forebears.
The Sunday of Orthodoxy is the feast of the right-believing faith, proclaimed in word and deed by those who safeguard and confess the truth of the faith, which forms the foundation of authentic Christian life and Christ’s work in the world through His Holy Church. This day calls us to unity and communion with God and our fellow men through acts of Christian charity.
These acts are the tangible expressions of love for our neighbor, as the fruits of true faith, which ceaselessly spring forth and aim to help those in distress and suffering, as the Holy Apostle Paul teaches us:
“But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16).
No matter how great the challenges and crises of the world in which we live may be, we are called to remain steadfast in the true faith and in good works, placing our hope in God, “Who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17)
Let us be united in doing good, bringing comfort to those in need, relief to the sick, compassion to those in sorrow, and offering generosity and kindness to our brethren, as Christ, the world’s Saviour, has taught us.
A Call to Christian Generosity
Again this year, we address our priests and faithful with a fatherly exhortation to organize, both on this Sunday and in the following Sundays, a collection for the Central Missionary Fund, each contributing according to the generosity of their heart, knowing well that “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
This fund is dedicated to supporting Romanian Orthodox parish and monastic communities with limited financial resources, as well as social institutions both in the homeland and abroad, ensuring the continuation and completion of various missionary endeavors.
We know that all good gifts come from the Father of Lights, and thus, during the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, we call upon God’s mercy for those who offer fruits and do good works in His holy churches, and who remember the poor, praying to the Lord that He may “reward them with His abundant and heavenly gifts […], remember all His people, and pour out His rich mercy upon all, fulfilling their requests for salvation.”
Having full confidence that you will once again show Christian generosity and respond to our call in this sacred work of charity, we pray to the Merciful God, “that always having all sufficiency in all things, you may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)
And may “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all!” (2 Corinthians 13:13)
The text is signed by Patriarch Daniel, together with all the members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
