Patriarchal blessing at the closing of the European Orthodox Youth Meeting

September 2015

Also Read – European Youth Procession in Cluj-Napoca

In the presence of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, and of the other hierarchs from home and abroad, the closing festivity of the European Orthodox Youth Meeting took place on 07 September 2015. This event was held in the Sports Hall of Cluj-Napoca. Today’s manifestations began with a prayer, followed by the presentation and the parade of every delegation.

At the end, His Eminence Andrei, Metropolitan of Cluj, Maramureş and Sălaj, addressed thanks to the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and also to the institutions involved in the organization of the event. Furthermore, Metropolitan Andrei exhorted the youth to be kind to the ones in need: “You have to help the weak, and remember the words of our Saviour Jesus Christ, for He said «It is more blessed to give than to receive». Remember the weak, and those who find themselves in special situations. His Grace Qais remembered here the delegations coming from Jordan, Palestine and Syria and the immense difficulties they go through. Take home along with you the best and the holiest memories of Cluj”!

In His turn, the Patriarch of Romania thanked His Eminence Andrei for the courage and the effort of organizing this distinguished event.

Also, His Beatitude exhorted the young people to keep the beauty of communion: “The beauty of dynamic Orthodoxy can be seen in the pious, wise, dutiful and friendly youth. I entreat you to keep this beauty of the communion of youth, and to inspire yourselves from it in order to organize some meetings in the churches at home, even if not all of them are comprised of 6000 persons. This spirit is important, the spirit of the communion of the youth from all over the world. We were impressed of the blessing that God granted through you, young people”, the Patriarch of the Romanian Church emphasized.

The festivity closed with the handover ceremony to the delegation from Bucharest, where in 2016 a National Orthodox Youth Meeting will be organized.

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