On 26 September, the Romanian Christian Orthodox calendar is commemorated Holy Prince Neagoe. In the working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, meeting at the Patriarchal Residence in Bucharest on 8-9 July 2008 decided canonization of St. Hyacinth Hierarch of Vicina, the first metropolitan of the Romanian Country, the Saint Pious Dionisios Exiguous father Christian era, and the Holy prince Neagoe Romanian ruler, hesychastic scholar and prince of peace. Curtea de Arges, in the presence of the Patriarch of Romania, today is the proclamation of the canonization of St. Prince Local Neagoe.
Prince Neagoe origin is not entirely clear. The only certainty is close to the great family of boyars Craioveşti by his mother, Neaga, which most documents presented as a Craiovescu Parvu’s wife. How after ascending the throne of Romanian Neagoe have to appear royal chancery documents as the son of Prince Basarab the Younger “Ţepeluş” (1477-1481 and 1481-1482), there are some doubts about its paternity. Vlad the Younger, ruler of Romanian between 1510 and 1512 was found in the beginning Craioveşti good relationships with family, young patrons Neagoe. With the support of a family so powerful boyars, any descendant of a ruler of the country can lay claim to the throne. Hearing that Neagoe got meanwhile head hunting in his court might be “royalty” Vlad the Younger would have sought either to lose or to “mean”, as was the custom of the time to maim any possible rival for the prince or his successors. This explains the fact that the question about the origin of Vlad Voda Neagoe boyars Craioveşti will be replied it was just a nobleman, son of Parvu Craiovescu and his wife, Neaga, therefore, no right to the throne. The threats were to continue, so that noblemen from Oltenia are forced to cross the Danube, in December 1511, asking for help Turks. On 23 January 1512 an army corps headed by Mehmet-Beg defeated Vlad Voda in a battle on the outskirts of Bucharest, the Văcăreşti. Only after the danger was eliminated, could assume the identity Neagoe reign, the descendant of Basarab the Founder by his father, Prince Ţepeluş. About his selection as ruler, immediately after the battle of Văcăreşti writes Chronicle Cantacuzino: “And he in no way wants to go and be lord and loudly said to all the people Put another you’ll want together and with our advice, and pardon me, I will not be, and he was shouting and saying Naroda to him: lo, God will not be another, nor us, but only you to be new and gentleman … So Neagoe to năroadelor voice went and took a seat Coruna and Romanian entire country. And immediately he made judgment and justice among men. “
Priceless legacy of Craioveşti boyars
Perhaps not knighted him boyars Craioveşti Neagoe blood and royalty, but his training since infancy, is due to the environment in which they grew up. Appointed to some chronicles of the time “Banoveţi” were presented as “a nation that was especially and temătoriu of God.” His mother, Neaga was the one who opened my eyes to the beauty of ancient Orthodox faith. How Craioveştii Bistrita Monastery party founders were Valcea, one of the largest in the Romanian Country, we can identify the first “home” Neagoe child will be taught to read, pray and grow in strength. Among dwellers monastery at the foothills skull will be one of Craioveşti brothers, uncle of Neagoe, Barbu-vel Ban, a monk named monk Pachomius, with Neagoslava, his wife, and she named Salomia nun. The monastery library, always renewed manuscripts of monks scholars, assured access to both the biblical and patristic writings, as well as knowledge of foreign languages, because teachers-călugări.În 1504 in Bistrita refuge Brancovici Metropolitan Maxim, known scholar of the time former Serbian despot named George, along with his niece, Milita, daughter despot of Serbia, Jovan Brancovici. In the same year, the young Neagoe will wed on Milita Despina.
Holy Hierarch Nifon eternal friendship: the apprentices together, living among saints
Also at the Bistrita Monastery was to meet Patriarch Niphon II of Constantinople, called in Romanian, in the year 1502 by Prince Radu cel Mare (1495-1508) to reorganize and strengthen religious life. This meeting is described in the paper written in 1517-1519 by primate congregation from Mount Athos, Serbian Protea Gabriel: “Life and living his holiness, Our Father Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople, who shone among many passions and temptations in Constantinople and Land Wallachian “. As metropolitan of Wallachia, managed to restore order in the Church of the Romanian Country, founding bishops November 2, Râmnic and Buzau. A wicked accompanying the Royal Court of Radu the Great, between his sister and married a Moldavian nobleman, made the Metropolitan Niphon to withdraw from the chair and into exile. About the life of a wanderer have to write the same Gavriil PROT: “I come to help a cocoon of landowners, on whose name was Neagoe, who was over hunters. So God made the sweet and the bitter with envy friendship, they were bringing food to feed the saint, and real and in secret, with the urging of God. And blessed Niphon had established with his teachings to grow and ascend in all good work and good luck to get up and be pleasing to God and people “. These words describe a special relationship linking the young nobleman Neagoe wise hierarch, an environment of skill and education. Apprenticeship blessed Niphon Neagoe addition, although short lifetime bishop, would continue in eternity. In 1505, seeing that Radu cel Mare not end the situation at the yard, Niphon had to leave the country, irreconcilable with the ruler. In 1508, Niphon priest dies in Dionysiou monastery. Only a few months in the same year, Radu the Great was killed by gout, without forsaking the bishop curse. Radu Voda was buried in the church Dealu Monastery, founded his near Targoviste.
Reconciliation wonderful prince Radu the Great, Hierarch St. Niphon
The first recorded act of Protea Gabriel Neagoe after strengthening his reign was drawing home to the relics of Patriarch Niphon to commit a posthumous reconciliation with former Prince Radu cel Mare. A chosen few trusted boyars and strengthened the royal books signed by him and sent him to the Monastery of Dionysiou to ask bringing relics of Niphon, for cleansing and erasing fault Radu Voda. Danciu has received the scribe pry Greek abbot bishop blessed the grave, placing it in a wooden casket. Starring procession headed by a parent Neophyte brought relics in the Romanian Country. Welcoming us a chronicle of Gabriel Protea presents: “As soon as they entered the Romanian Land with relics made news Mr Neagoe Voda, who gathered all the clergy of the Church and all boyars, waiting on the soul of his father. Faith soul and heart, covered the coffin with relics of Prince St. in his arms and kissed them with tears and with great joy, with all Christian people. They led then the coffin and put him over his grave Radu Voda, praying all night, with Neagoe Voda, His Holiness for the forgiveness of sin Radu Voda, who unjustly rejected pre Holy itself and chased the country. And – miracle! – Towards the end of Matins, wanting God to show real forgiveness of sin Radu Voda and others who had need and disgust saint, he saw one Neagoe Voda discovery like this from God were broken braces the iron and the covering tomb Radu Voda and rather have loose marbles and emerged from inside his body Radu terrible and dark, full of pus and stench. Opened coffin of St. Niphon and sprang from the holy spring water, which washed the whole body Radu Voda, showing him enlightened. Then all locks and single stones were closed and showed Neagoe and made great satisfaction “. Showing him the Neagoe this wonderful reconciliation and many other miracles Saint Niphon the Romanian Country, ordered a reliquary of silver gilt, pearl, precious stones and enamel, and on the cover was painted himself in knee at the feet of the saint, praying. Reliquary with the relics that sent her back to Dionysiou monastery in the same procession. In a sign of appreciation, Athonite monks had sent “bribe” holy head and a hand, “to be a blessing and help Mr. Iara he receive those gifts with joy, as the prophet Moses and the Tablets of the Law Old wear them all with him everywhere he went, and in the church yard, and about wearing them in chariot, as Israel Ark “. A link between the holy and living disciple and his spiritual father, sealed in eternity. Gabriel Protea finished the work about the life of St. Niphon witness the canonization of its first in our Church ancestral “Glorification of the Holy Hierarch Nifon, Patriarch of Constantinople, was committed on August 11, 1517 at Curtea de Arges, day in which the ordained and remembrance saddle. This was the first glorification of a saint in the Romanian Country “.
Neagoe Basarab – founder and benefactor of the whole Orthodoxy
Just listing the places where treasure reign of Neagoe Voda contributed to helping shrines God, we can sketch a portrait of one of the great founders of Christianity. About donations of his Holy Mountain, who can testify better than himself Gabriel, the chief monks of the Holy Mountain: “What can multiply words, spuind all monasteries pre place that all the monasteries of the Holy Mount Athos has enriched money, villages, and cattle still gave them, and many walls were high throughout and was founder Sfetagora “. He continued, recalling the “great church catholic of Constantinople”, “Holy Mount Sinai,” “the holy city of Jerusalem, Zion” Meteorele the cliff Thessaly, Tescaviţa, CuSn, Cuteasca, Ashkelon (Syria), then “everything are Evrota in Trachiia in Hellas in Ahijah the Eliri in Cambaniia in Elispod in Misia in Machidon in Tetuliia in SERM, in Lugdonie in Petlagonia in Dalmatia and all sides from sunrise west, and from south to north, all holy churches they ate, and mercifully everywhere give even more strongly on those who stray away into the desert and caves, and the convents without any expensiveness them fed, the mother was not only Christians but also pagans, and was all merciful father, resembling the heavenly Lord, who shines his sun and rain on the righteous and the wicked, as shown Gospel “that was awarded .Iar strengthen the altars of God around the world, the more his help move towards ancestral church of the country. Royal treasury contributed to raising or restoring monastic complexes of Tismana, Bistrita, Cotmeana Vişina, tails, Dobruşa, Nucet, Ostrov or Snagov. Dealu Monastery, founded by Radu Voda, perfected in the days of his reign. For all this will have the same love and zeal to serve God. Masterpieces, however, are two places higher in the foundation in Romanian Country: Monastery Church Curtea de Arges and Metropolitan Cathedral in Targoviste.
“The teachings of Neagoe Basarab to his son Theodosius”
Worthy to remember Metropolitan Anthony Plămădeală of Transylvania has dedicated a series of studies designed to numbers between those who were honored as “masters of Romanian Thought and Feeling”: “By Arges and ‘teachings to his son, Theodosius, “Neagoe Basarab-prince gained a place forever live in history, culture, civilization and consciousness of the Romanians. Lord of Romanian culture in particular, performed in the “Teachings”, as in the Cathedral, a synthesis original Romanian between humanism and religious thinking of the time, synthesis surprised and resulted in written form and built key features and fundamental soul Romanian”. Professor Dan Zamfirescu called, aptly, “the son of soul” of Neagoe Voda Basarab “one of the foremost scholars of today, managed to dismantle all hypotheses questioned the originality of the work of Romanian Prince, proving the arguments that the “teachings” are “one of the most authentic and valuable literary works of Romanian culture”.
Nine years “age”: 1512-1521
On the border of an ever-expanding Ottoman Empire defended and strengthened Romanian Country, becoming a real support for the whole of Christianity in the area. What Stefan cel Mare kept the sword, the Holy Prince Neagoe kept the royal seal affixed to documents diplomacy. With an army always ready to resist an offensive Ottoman preferred to redeem peace without bloodshed by paying a tribute meant. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel remarked this new sort of “fighting spirit”, the study “Politics enlightened by faith. Neagoe a prince Teacher Christian “:” Without being fighter weapons, as Saint Stephen the Great, Neagoe – throughout this extensive and continuous activity and concern to the Christian world of the East and the Balkans – appears as a fighter spirit, supporting European culture, the brilliant legacy of Byzantium “.After only nine years of fruitful reign has passed away,” leaving behind plenty of light, whose light rays penetrate up to us today. ” He was buried in princely final resting place of Curtea de Arges, built to, and tombstone recalls: “A deceased servant of God Io Neagoe Prince and Lord of all Country Romanian and parts of the Danube, in the month of September 15 days, year 7029 (1521), 26 of sun time, month of 15, the foundation 18. He ruled 9½ years. And ask God who allows him to come after us, to keep this little shelter and abode of my bones, to be dishonesty “.
“Lord royal manners”
Nicolae Iorga Neagoe calls the “prince royal manners”, “the first gentleman entered the Romanian Byzantine culture. Of his beloved son, whom he had named Theodosius, hoping they will rule as Theodosius the Great, he wanted to perform a miracle of perfection “. Portrait votive painting by master Dobromir of Targoviste, the author of the original painting in Curtea de Arges represents the true image of prince Neagoe with his family. It is shown standing, dressed in ceremonial attire, wearing gold crown on his head with mounts fleurons rich and precious stones. The hair is adorned with a veil of golden curls flowing in rivers to the chest, dressing her shoulders. On the mantle is observed crowned double-headed eagle, the heraldic symbol of the Byzantine emperor. This image was taken by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church as icon of St. Prince Neagoe Basarab.În mentioned study, PF Daniel – then Metropolitan of Moldavia – provided a model on Neagoe Basarab, who “will always live through what left posterity and creates incentives for the generations of today and tomorrow to serve the people. “
source: ziarullumina.ro