World's Smallest Cathedral: Saint Basil the Great Cathedral sets world record
BUCHAREST, Romania--Saint Basil the Great Cathedral, located at 50 Polonă street in Bucharest, Romania, the first Romanian Greek-Catholic church built in Bucharest, can accommodate up to 150 believers and it is considered the World's smallest Cathedral, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.
The patron saint of the church is Archbishop Vasile cel Mare, and the feast day is January 1. The building was erected and consecrated in 1909.
The previous GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the World's Smallest Cathedral, which was listed in the 1984 Guinness World Records book and attracted visitors from around the globe, closes its doors on Nov. 1, 2010. The cathedral, located in in Highlandville, United States, was listed in the 1984 Guinness record book for its record-small stature of 14 feet by 17 feet, the SBJ reports.
The Church of Saint Basil served over four times the Greek Catholic bishops.
Its first bishop was Demetriu Radu, killed in a bomb attack staged by Communists in the Romanian Senate (on December 8, 1920), Vasile Aftenie, Tit Liviu Chinezu and Ioan Bălan, all of them suppressed in communist prisons.
Monsignor Vladimir Ghika served here in 1943. Among the literary figures belonging to this parish was George Coșbuc.
The church was frequented inter wars by Greek Catholic politicians who served in the Romanian capital as Iuliu Maniu, his secretary Corneliu Coposu,
Alexandru Vaida-Voevod
and others.
On May 4, 2008, during a ceremony attended by over 2,000 people, the new Greek Catholic Vicar-Bishop of Bucharest, Mihai Frățilă, was installed in this church, the place being elevated to the rank of a cathedral.
The inauguration ceremony of the first bishop of the Diocese of Saint Basil the Great of Bucharest took place on August 30, 2014.
Cardinals Lucian Mureșan and Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, attended the liturgy.
After the return in 2006, the church was repainted, and the original fresco, made by the Beuron School, was removed.
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