The funeral of the Holy Hierarch Calinic of Râmnic. Considerations regarding the practice of burying bishops in the middle of the 19th century
The funeral of the Holy Hierarch Calinic of Râmnic. Considerations regarding the practice of burying bishops in the middle of the 19th century

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the funeral of Saint Hierarch Calinic of Râmnic as a testimony to the funerary practices of Orthodox hierarchs in the 19th century. This event, which took place in April 1868, faithfully brings together a set of liturgical, canonical, and institutional elements that reflect the consecrated order of the archiepiscopal funeral service and the way in which public worship theologically expresses the communion between the church militant and the church triumphant, within a historical context marked by profound political and ecclesiastical transformations. Narrative sources, official documents, and a series of specialized studies are drawn upon. The study presents the preparation of the retired bishop at the monastery, the funeral service celebrated by Metropolitan Nifon Rusăilă at the island foundation of Cernica, and the position of the civil authorities regarding the death of Saint Calinic. Within the same framework, attention is drawn to the overlap between monastic identity and episcopal dignity, concretized through vestments prepared in advance, the drafting of the will, the observance of the typikon, and the laying of the body in the church. The funeral of Saint Calinic of Cernica becomes a historical landmark due to its representative character. It presents a clear articulation of the three fundamental dimensions of the ecclesiology of the time: the continuity of the monastic tradition in the life of bishops, the public assumption of a coherent liturgical identity, and the institutional affirmation of the Church through synodal participation. The conclusions of the study highlight the normative value of this mid-19th century moment, which allows for the contextualization of the funerary type. Furthermore, this event offers a point of comparison for the funerals of Romanian hierarchs of the period and contributes to illustrating a liturgical history within the Romanian Orthodox space.

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