Patriarch Daniel becomes viral sensation for "paint-roller blessing"

The online version of the famous British news outlet published a story on Tuesday about an unusual gesture performed by Patriarch Daniel, leader of the Orthodox Church in Romania.

“The leader of Romania’s Orthodox church has been mocked for using a paint-roller dipped in holy oil to bless new TV and radio studios”, BBC writes.

“Patriarch Daniel unleashed his unusual blessing technique as he inaugurated the studios of church-owned Trinitas Radio and Television. Photographs published by the Orthodox Church website show the patriarch carrying out a traditional blessing service, before moving through offices and studios with the roller on the end of a long pole”

BBC makes note of the fact that most of Romania’s media, professional or not, has taken the opportunity to poke fun at the Church official and Orthodox custom in general. The Romanian Church responded to the press coverage.

“It’s not the first time Patriarch Daniel had used the “sanctification rod”, one of a number of tools of his trade, as it helps anoint rooms with higher walls and ceilings which would otherwise be difficult to reach”, Basilica.ro (the Church’s press agency) specifies in an article aptly entitled “Sensationalism through liturgical ignorance“.

BBC is not the only international outlet to write about the Patriarch. Popular gossip blog Gawker writes:

“The patriarch of the Romanian orthodox church has found a new way of getting the holiness out: by dipping a paint-roller in holy water and rubbing it over everything. He was seen recently blessing TV studios in Romania with his ingenious bless-with-ease invention”

The Romanian Church has a history of clashing with the media, both locally and internationally. Antena 3 is usually the focus of the Orthodox Church’s ire, but there was even a row with BBC which the religious organisation has accused of “manipulating opinions” after BBC World Service produced a documentary slightly critical over the way the Church is amassing wealth and influence in a poor country like Romania.