Greek text below. A Romanian translation, with slight variation from the Greek, available here.
“No other foundation can anyone lay,” says the great Apostle of the nations, “than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Thus being established forever on the one and only firm and unwavering foundation, the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ preserves uninterrupted the unity of faith in the bond of love. Therefore, while this unity remains undefeated and unshaken for all ages, it is permitted through ecclesiastical scrutiny for matters pertaining to the administration of the Churches to be changed according to the arrangement of issues for the order of dignity.
Therefore, the Most Holy Great Church of Christ, having altogether readily and in a spirit of peace and love carried out the changes deemed necessary in the spiritual administration of the holy local churches, determines as for the better building up of the pleroma of the faithful.
And so, since the Most Reverend and Venerable Metropolitan of Ungrovlachia Kyr Calinic, on behalf of the sacred assembly of the holy Hierarchs in Romania and with the acquiescence of His Majesty the King of Romania and His Royal Government, requested from our Church via a letter sent and recommended by His Excellency the Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs and of Public Education of Romania, Mr Dimitrie Sturza, the blessing and recognition of the Church of the Kingdom of Romania as autocephalous, Our Mediocrity has accepted this request and demand as worthy and in accord with ecclesiastical institutions.
Consequently, having conferred with the Holy Synod of Most Reverent Metropolitans around us, our beloved brothers in the Holy Spirit and concelebrants, it is declared that the Orthodox Church in Romania be, be called and be recognized by all as independent and autocephalous, administered by its own Holy Synod, having as President the current Most Reverend and Venerable Metropolitan of Ungrovlachia and Exarch of All Romania, recognizing no other ecclesiastical authority [ἀρχήν] in its internal administration apart from the head of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Orthodox Church, the God-Man and Redeemer, who alone is the foundation, cornerstone, first [πρῶτος], highest and eternal chief priest and arch-pastor.
Therefore, as she is established upon upon the cornerstone of our faith and the unadulterated teaching, which our Fathers handed down unblemished and unaltered, by this sacred Patriarchal and Synodal Tomos we inscribe the steadfast Orthodox Church of the kingdom of Romania as autocephalous and self-governing in all things and we declare her Holy Synod to be a beloved sister in Christ, enjoying all the privileges and all the sovereign rights [πάντων τῶν κυριαρχικῶν δικαιωμάτων] of an autocephalous Church, so that she may administer and arrange all good ecclesiastical conduct and order and all other matters of ecclesiastical economy on her own, unimpeded and in all liberty, in accordance with the continuous and unbroken tradition of the entire Orthodox Church and in this way henceforth throughout the Oecumene of Orthodox Churches be recognized and given the name of the Holy Synod of the Church of Romania.
However, so that the bond of spiritual unity and union of the holy Churches of God may remain in all things undiminished, for we have been instructed to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, the Holy Synod of the Church of Romania is enjoined to commemorate in the sacred diptychs, according to that which was handed down of old by the holy and God-bearing fathers, the Ecumenical and other most holy Patriarchs and all the holy Orthodox Churches of God and to come to agreement immediately with the Ecumenical and other most holy Patriarchs and all the holy Orthodox Churches of God in all important canonical and dogmatic questions that require more general and common examination, according to the sacred custom of the Fathers held from the beginning.
Likewise, she holds the right to demand and receive from our Great Church of Christ all that which the other autocephalous Churches have the right to demand and receive from her. The President of the Holy Synod of the Church of Romania is enjoined upon his installation to send the requisite Synodical Letters to the Ecumenical and other most holy Patriarchs and to all the autocephalous Orthodox Churches, just has he has the right to receive from them.
Therefore, our holy and Great Church of Christ blesses from the depth of her soul the autocephalous and beloved in Christ Church of Romania and calls forth upon the pious people of the God-protected Kingdom of Romania abundant divine gifts and graces from the inexhaustible storehouses of the Heavenly Father, praying for them and for their children unto generations of generations, for every good thing and for their salvation. “May the God of peace, who raised from the dead the great pastor of the sheep in the blood of the eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, complete this holy Church in every good thing, unto the fulfilling of His will, guarding her unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In the year of salvation 1885, April 13.
The Patriarch of Constantinople approves.
«Θεμέλιον ἄλλον οὐδείς δύναται θεῖναι», φησίν ὁ μέγας τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἀπόστολος «παρά τόν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός». Ἐπί τούτῳ οὖν τῷ ἑνί καὶ μόνῳ στερρῷ καὶ ἀδιασείστῳ θεμελίῳ ἀειποτε ἐπικοδομούμενη ἡ μία, ἁγία, καθολική καὶ ἀποστλική τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησία, τηρη ἀδιάσπαστον τήν ἐνότητα τῆς πίστεως ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς ἀγάπης. Οὕτω τοίνυν τῆς ἑνότητος ταύτης ἀπαραμειώτου καὶ ἀπαρασαλεύτου εἰς τόν ἅπαντα παραμενούσης αἰώντα ἔξεστι δοκιμασίᾳ ἐκκλησιαστικῇ τά περί τήν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν διοίκησιν πράγματα κατά τε τά τῶν θεμάτων διαρρύθμισιν εἰς τήν τάξιν τοῦ ἀξιώματος μεταβάλλεσθαι. Ἐφ΄ ᾧ καὶ ἡ Ἁγιωτάτη Μεγάλη τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησία προθύμως πάνυ καὶ ἐν πνεύματι εἰρηνης καὶ ἀγάπης τάς ἀναγκαίας κρινομένας ἐν τῇ πνευματικῇ διοικήσει τῶν κατά τόπων ἁγίων ἐκκλησιῶν μεταβολάς εὐπελογοῦσα καθορίζει ὡς κρείττονα τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν πιστῶν οἰκοδομήν. Ἐπειδή τοίνυν ὁ Πανιερώτατος καὶ Σεβασμιώτατος Μητροπολίτης Οὐγγροβλαχίας κύρ Καλλίνικος, ἐξ ὀνόματος τῆς ἱερᾶς τῶν ἐν Ρουμανίᾳ ἁγίων Ἀρχιερέων ὁμηγύρεως καὶ συνεναίσεως τῆς τε Αὐτοῦ Μεγαλειότητος τοῦ Βασιλέως τῆς Ρουμανίας καὶ τῆς Βασιλικῆς Αὐτοῦ Κυβερνήσεως, ἐξῃτήσατο δι’ ἐπιστολῆς, διαβιβαζομένης καὶ συνοδευομένης ὑπό τοῦ ἐξοχωτάτου ὑπουργοῦ τῶν Ἐκκλησιαστικῶν καὶ τῆς δημοσίας ἐκπαιδεύσεως τῆς Ρουμανίας κυρίου Δημητρίου Στούρτζα παρά τῆς καθ΄ ἡμᾶς Ἐκκλησίας τήν εὐλογίαν καὶ τήν ἀναγνώρισιν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Βασιλείου τῆς Ρουμανίας ὡς αὐτοκεφάλου, ἡ Μετριότης ἡμῶν τήν αἴτησιν καὶ ἀξίωσιν ταύτην ὡς δικαίαν καὶ τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς θεσμίοις συνάδουσαν προσήκατο· καὶ δή μετά τῆς περί ἡμᾶς Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου τῶν Ἱερωτάτοων Μητροπολιτῶν, τῶν ἐν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι ἀγαπητῶν ἡμῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ συλλειτουργῶν συνδιασκεψαμένη, ἀποφαίνεται, ἵνα ἡ ἐν Ρουμανίᾳ Ὀρθόδοξος Ἐκκλησίᾳ ὑπάρχῃ καὶ λέγεται καὶ παρά πάντων γνωρίζηται ἀνεξάρτητος καὶ αὐτοκέφαλος, ὑπό ἰδίας διοικουμένη Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου, Πρόεδρον ἐχούσης τόν κατά καιρούς Πανιερώτατον καὶ Σεβασμιώτατον Μητροπολίτην Οὐγγροβλαχίας καὶ Ἔξαρχον πάσης Ρουμανίας, μηδεμίαν ἄλλην ἀναγνωρίζουσα ἐκκλησιαστικήν ἀρχήν ἐν τῇ αὐτῆς ἐσωτερικῆς διοικήσει εἰμή αὐτήν τήν τῆς μίας, ἁγίας, καθολικής καὶ ἀποστολικῆς ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας κεφαλήν, τόν θεάνθρωπον λυτρωτήν, ὅς μόνος ὑπαρχῃ θεμέλιος καὶ ἀκρογωνιαῖος καὶ πρῶτος καὶ ἄκρος καὶ αἰώνιος ἀρχιερευς καὶ ἀρχιποιμήν. Οὕτω τοίνυν ἐπί τῷ ἀκρογωνιαίῳ λίθῳ τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν ἐρειδομένην καὶ τῆς ἀκραιφνοῦς διδασκαλίας, ἥν ἀλώβητον καὶ ἀκαινοτόμητον οἱ Πατέρες ἡμῶν παρέδοσαν, στερρῶς ἀντεχομένην τήν τοῦ βασιλεῖου τῆς Ρουμανίας Ὀρθόδοξον Ἐκκλησίαν, διά τοῦδε τοῦ ἱεροῦ Πατριαρχικοῦ καὶ Συνοδικοῦ Τόμου, αὐτοκεφάλον καὶ κατά πάντα αὐτοδιοίκητον ἀναγράφοντες, ἀνακηρρύττομεν τήν Ἱεράν αὐτῆς Σύνοδον ἀγαπητήτν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφήν, ἀπολαύουσαν πασῶν τῶν τῇ αὐτοκεφάλῳ Ἐκκλησίᾳ παρομαρτουσων προνομίων καὶ πάντων τῶν κυριαρχικῶν δικαιωμάτων, ὥστε πᾶσαν τήν ἐκκλησιαστικήν εὐκοσμίαν καὶ τάξιν καὶ πάσας τάς ἄλλας ἐκκλησιαστικάς οἰκονομίας δι΄ αὐτῆς ἀκωλύπτως καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἐλευθερίᾳ διοικεῖσθαι καὶ ρυθμίζεσθαι, συνῳδά τῇ διηνεκεῖ καὶ ἀδιαλείπτῳ παραδόσει τῆς καθόλου Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ ὡς τοιάυτην παρά τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνά τήν Οἰκουμένην Ὀρθοδόξων Ἐκκλησιῶν γνωρίζεσθαι καὶ ὀνομάζεσθαι τῷ ὀνόματι τῆς Ἱερας Συνόδου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Ρουμανίας. Ἀλλ’ ἵνα ὁ τῆς πνευματικῆς ἑνότητος καὶ συναφείας τῶν ἁγίων τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησιῶν ἀπαραμείωτος ἐν ἅπασι παραμένῃ σύνδεσμος, καὶ γάρ ἐδιδάχθημεν τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς εἰρήνης, ἡ ἁγία Σύνοδος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Ρουμανίας, ὀφείλει μνημονεύειν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροις διπτύχοις, κατά τά παλαιόθεν ὑπό τῶν ἁγίων καὶ θεοφόρων πατέρων παραδεδομένα τοῦ τε Οίκουμενικοῦ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἁγιωτάτων Πατριαρχῶν καὶ πασῶν Ὀρθοδόξων ἁγίων τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ συννοεῖσθαι ἀμέσως μετὰ τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἁγιοτάτων Πατριαρχῶν καὶ πασῶν τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων ἁγίων τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ πᾶσι τῆς κρινοτέρας καὶ γενικοτέρας διασκέψεως χρήζουσι σπουδαίοις κανονικοῖς καὶ δογματικοῖς ζητήμασι, κατὰ τὴν ὑπ’ ἀρχῆς κρατήσασαν ἱερὰν τῶν Πατέρων συνήθειαν. Ὡσαύτως δέ δικαιοῦται αἰτεῖν καὶ λαμβάνειν παρὰ τῆς καθ΄ ἡμᾶς Μεγάλης τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίας πανθ΄ ὅσα καὶ αἱ λοιπαί αὐτοκέφαλοι Ἐκκλησίαι δικαιοῦνται αἰτεῖν καὶ λαμβάνειν παρ΄ αὐτῆς δέ Πρόεδρος τῆς Ἱερας Συνόδου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Ρουμανίας ὀφείλει ἐγκαθιστάμενος ἀποστέλλειν τά ἀναγκαῖα Συνοδικά Γράμματα πρός τε τὸν Οἰκουμενικόν καὶ τοὺς λοιπούς ἁγιοτάτους Πατριάρχας καὶ πρός πάσας τάς αύτοκεφάλους ὀρθοδόξους Ἐκκλησίας ποῦθ’ ὅπερ καὶ αὐτός δικαιοῦται παρά τοῦτων ἀποδέχεσθαι. Ἐπί πᾶσιν οὖν τούτοις ἡ καθ΄ ἡμᾶς ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησία εὐλογῆ ἀπό βάθους ψυχῆς τήν αὐτοκέφαλον καὶ ἐν καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγαπητήν Ἐκκλησίαν τῆς Ρουμανίας καὶ δαψιλεῖς ἐπικαλεῖται ἐπὶ τόν εὐσεβῆ λαόν, τόν ἀνά τόν θεοφρούρητον βασιλέα τῆς Ρουμανίας ἐκ τῶν ἀκενώτων θησαυρῶν τοῦ Ἐπουρανίου Πατρός τάς θείας αὐτοῦ δωρεάς καὶ χάριτας ὑπεσχομένη αὐτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῶν εἰς γενεάν γενεῶν πᾶν ἀγαθόν καὶ κατ΄ ἄμφω σωτήριον «ὁ δὲ θεός τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ ἀναγαγών ἐκ νεκρῶν τόν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τόν μέγαν ἐν αἵματι διαθήκης αἰωνίου τόν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, καταρτίσαι τήν ἁγίαν ταύτην Ἐκκλησίαν ἐκ παντί ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ εἰς τό ποιῆσαι τό θέλημα αὐτοῦ, τηρεῖν εἰς τούς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Ἐν ἔτει σωτηρίω αωηε΄ κατά μῆνα ἀπρίλιοξν Ἐπιμήσεως ΙΓ’.
Ὁ Πατριάρχης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἀποφαίνεται.
Orthodox Synaxis 