International Congress at the Patriarchal Palace

3/11/2011

The Patriarchal Palace hosted in Patriarch Teoctist Aula Magna the International Theological Congress on the theme The Christian Family, a Blessing for Church and Society. The Congress organised in the context of the Homage Year 2011, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church dedicated to the Sacraments of the Baptism and of the Holy Matrimony, began on 1 November 2011.

To start with the congress, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a short speech in which he spoke about the Christian family based on the Sacraments of the Holy Baptism and of the Holy Matrimony.

The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church also emphasised the relation between the Christian family and Church.

“Family is the blessing and light of the love of the Most Holy Trinity, because it is here that man lives the mystery and joy of filiation, brotherhood and paternity. It is in the Christian faithful family that the child learns about the deifying spiritual family, namely the Church, whose members are called sons and daughters, parents and spiritual mothers in Christ, Son of the Heavenly Father”, said His Beatitude.

While referring to the Christian baptism, the Patriarch of Romania showed that this Sacrament means for the humans their graceful sinking into the life and love of the Most Holy Trinity.

There followed the messages on behalf of the Minister for Labour, Family and Social protection, read by Mr. Nicolae Ivăşchescu, and on behalf of the State Secretary for Religious Affairs delivered by Mr. Nicolae Adrian Lemeni. Then, Mr. Dan Berindei, Vice-president of the Romanian Academy and Mr. Ioan Pânzaru, Rector of the University of Bucharest, delivered their speeches.

The Congress was organised by the Romanian Patriarchate through the Theological Educational Department.

The second day session of the Congress analysed the theme of family from an anthropological, historical, Bible and juridical-canonical point of view.

On 3 November 2011, the International Theological Congress “The Christian Family, a Blessing for Church and Society” ended. The discussions focused for three days time on the topical issues of the family, as well as on the role of the Church in their resolution.

Rev. Prof. Dr. Ştefan Buchiu, Dean of the Faculty of Theology of Bucharest explained for Trinitas Television station the fact that “the family crisis in our country and all over Europe must be seriously dealt with, as it brought about the fast diminishing of the spiritual life in many families. On the other hand, the family institution is affected by the larger and larger number of family abandon, births outside marriage, divorces and abortions. The Church is involved through its focus on the family within the parish life, wishing to restore the aspect of the Home Church the early Christian family had, and to get back the ecclesiastic identity of every member of the family”.

The Congress gathered outstanding Christian theologians both from the country and abroad, academicians, central authorities and people of culture. The event was organised by Theological Educational Department of the Romanian Patriarchate in co-operation with some other central institutions.

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