Romanian Orthodox Church to canonize 17th-18th century iconographer Monk Paphnutius; adds St. Porphyrios to its calendar

Moscow, May 23, 2017

Photo: Romfea

A meeting of the Synod of the Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobrudja, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel (in his capacity as the first hierarch of Muntenia and Dobrudja), was recently held at the patriarchal residence in Bucharest, at which a number of documents were adopted for the future glorification of Monk Paphnutius (Parnu) the iconographer, reports Sedmitsa with reference to Romfea.

The iconophgaer Parnu Mutu (1657-1735) was a representative of the so-called Brâncovenesc style which prevailed in Romanian iconography in the end of the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth centuries. He was the sixth son of an Orthodox priest, Jan Parvesku. He began working as an artist-iconographer from the age of twelve. After the death of his wife he was tonsured as a monk, taking the name Paphnutius.

Photo: Romfea

The members of the Metropolitan Synod adopted the proposal to canonize the venerable Paphnutius the Iconographer in view of the fact that the Romanian Orthodox Church is especially honoring holy icons, iconographers, and artists of the Church this year.

During the meeting the bishops also approved an icon of the notable twentieth-century Athonite elder St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia (1906-1991) before formally including him in the calendar of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

St. Porphyrios was canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on December 1, 2013. He was added to the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church on December 25, 2014.