Officials with the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) believe that the nation joins European Union “especially with the value of its faith rather than economic values,” contributing through its Christian culture and tradition to enriching Europe spiritually.
According to a release by the Romanian Patriarchy, Patriarch Teoctist (photo) holds that all the religious faiths in Romania have upheld and uphold Romania’s accession to the European structures and believe that “only together” the religious denominations in Romania could contribute to supporting Romanians’ efforts “towards social justice and respect for the dignity of each human being.”
In this respect, there are mentioned the meetings of representatives of the religious faiths in Romania in 1995 and 2000 and the passage of the joint Statement supporting Romania’s actions for accession to the European Union, which acknowledged, among others, the role played by religious denominations in Romania “as a key element of the Romanian society today,” which “bring a major contribution to the spiritual and social life of Romania, in touch with both its difficulties and progress.”
“Europe needs not only economic and political factors, but also Christian tradition, including the Orthodox Christian tradition. Romania brings its history to Europe, full of sufferings and sacrifices and its martyrs for faith. The Romanian Orthodox Church offers Europe the vibrant feeling of Orthodox communal faith. No European or world institution could be a substitute for Churches, whose work is the ongoing improving of human beings and their religious aspirations,” concludes the press release.
|