If it has been a few years since you last visited Bucharest, then you might have missed this one. We are talking about the People’s Salvation Cathedral, which was just consecrated on November 25, 2018. This is an Orthodox cathedral constructed to become the patriarchal cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
It is the tallest and largest Orthodox church in the world by volume, and the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world by area. The church is located in arsenal square, near another impressive building: the Palace of the Parliament (which is the heaviest building in the world, weighing in at 9.0356×109 pounds).
Actually, this Cathedral has not been completed yet and construction is expected to be in 2024. Nonetheless, the Cathedral has already been consecrated, meaning that it has been sanctified and dedicated as a church building.
The Cathedral’s Beginnings
It was not until the end of the Romanian War of Independence (which lasted from 1877-78) that the idea of a national cathedral was conceived. The war waged fought between the Russian and Ottoman Empires, so the idea behind a cathedral was to symbolize the victory or the Christians over the Muslims.
A national cathedral was not ever built back then, though, mostly because of lack of unity over the church’s specifics (such as design and location). The Metropolitan Cathedral had been the biggest cathedral in Bucharest at the time, but it would often get overcrowded and could not always accommodate all the people who wanted to attend some of the bigger events, such as the crowning of the First King Carol I in 1881. King Carol I then decided that a bigger church was needed, so he ordered the construction of a cathedral church in Bucharest in 1884.
King Carol I’s cathedral was not built, but in 1920, King Ferdinand announced his support for such a cathedral. Again, no cathedral was built, in part because of lack of funds. The idea then died with the second world war and the economic devastation that followed. The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Teoctist, brought the idea up again in 1999.
Actually, Teoctist decided to do more than just talk about the idea: he decided to sanctify a cross in February of 1999 to be the cornerstone of the future Cathedral. He placed it in Unirii Square where the Patriarch Miron Cristea had previously sanctified the spot for a cathedral. Later that year, Pope John Paul II visited Romania, from May 7-9 in 1999, and he donated $200,000 for the construction of the church. Still, construction and plans for the church were not put in place.
In 2005, the Bucharest City Hall proposed a new spot for the church: Arsenal Hill, the highest spot in Bucharest. Although this is a high and prominent spot in the city, the Patriarchate was hesitant because this would put the Cathedral right next to the massive Palace of the Parliament, blocking full view of the Cathedral.
For lack of better alternative, the Patriarchate agreed on this spot in Arsenal hill and the cornerstone for construction was sanctified in November 2007 by the Patriarch Daniel. In 2010, construction started and the Cathedral was consecrated in 2018. Nearly 55,000 people were in attendance at the consecration, including 100 priests and 60 bishops.
In May of 2019, almost exactly 20 years after Pope John Paul II visited Romania, Pope Francis visited the country too. He met with Patriarch Daniel and visited the People’s Salvation Cathedral. Pope Francis gave a beautiful speech calling for the communion of the followers of Christ: “Help us to recognize in every one of our brothers and sisters a source of support on our common journey to you. Inspire in us the courage to say together: Our Father. Amen.”
The People Salvation Cathedral has been in construction now for nearly a decade, but is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
Reasons to Visit the People’s Salvation Cathedral
The final Cathedral is expected to be able to host 125,000 visitors all at once! It is constructed with architectural aspects from many of Romania’s provinces and territories. This Cathedral is meant to be a Cathedral for the people, a Cathedral that represents all of Romania, not just Bucharest and not just the elite.
The Cathedral courtyard is set to have four annexes, which will include a missionary cultural center with a library and a medical social center with an emergency room and an intensive care center. The floor of the Cathedral will be marble by Ruschita, which is considered to be the best marble in Romania, and is the same marble used in the Palace of the Parliament and in the Milan Cathedral in Italy.
The dome of the Cathedral reaches 134.5 meters high, making the Cathedral the third tallest domed church in the entire world! This Cathedral also has the largest free-swinging church bell in the world, even bigger than Saint Peter’s Bell in the Cologne Cathedral! The final feature we will mention here is that the church has the largest Orthodox iconostasis in world.
If you are not familiar with an iconostasis, it is an Eastern Christian tradition of placing a wall of icons and religious paintings between the sanctuary and the nave of the church. The church has many more beautiful features, and it is still being constructed so who knows what kinds of surprises are in store. What we do know is that this church is definitely one to visit!
Cathedral Controversy
The Cathedral has faced fierce controversy because it is a publicly funded building. Romania is one of the European Union’s poorest countries, and rather than spend money on improving education or infrastructure, the government has decided to dedicate upwards of 400 million euros on construction.
Still, this Cathedral is impressive inside and out, and definitely worth a visit if you are going to Bucharest! Just be wary when talking about the Cathedral to locals – although many people are in support of this magnificent church, there are also many people who are not at all in favor of its construction. Whatever your opinions are of the church, we hope that you enjoy your visit to this remarkable Cathedral!