The Patriarch of Romania and the Participants in the Inter-religious Symposium at the President of Romania
1/6/2012
His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Iosif, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe, His Grace Ciprian Campineanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, Mr. Aurel Vainer, President of the Jewish Communities Federation of Romania and the 12 rabbis participants in the Inter-religious Symposium were received at Cotroceni Palace by His Excellence Mr. Traian Basescu, President of Romania – as Lumina Newspaper informs us.
“The fact that Romania is in the focus of your attention and you visit it, and some of you rather often, is a joy for us. We are also glad that the Romanian Orthodox Church is open to the contact with other religions and I personally am one of the politicians who never miss the opportunity to say that the Churches and communication among them get a more and more important role in settling peace in the world. We have often noticed that there are places where the politicians do not longer succeed in getting along and this is why I think that a resource that humankind have, in their totality, is ecumenism and communication among Churches. As for our relationship, of the Romanians, with you, it is an old tradition, an old understanding and much respect”, also said the President of Romania.
During the encounter, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church explained the main points discussed during the symposium hosted by the Romanian Patriarchate: “This meeting showed us that the Jews have an old, very rich experience of Diaspora, keeping their identity in the course of time and within all peoples. We, the Romanians have a newer Diaspora – during the last ten years four million Romanians immigrated – we have to learn from the peoples with longer experience how to keep one’s own identity in Diaspora. What we noticed and admired at the Jewish Diaspora is the fact that Diaspora helps the Mother Country a lot. If our Romanians from Diaspora would help Romania half the Jewish Diaspora does we had greater progress. The main conclusion is that the ethnic and religious identity is best maintained especially through the communities in Diaspora”.
His Beatitude has also mentioned that during the symposium the importance of the pilgrimages to the Holy Places was also talked of, pointing out the fact that last year, in 2011, the Romanians were twice more at the Holy Land than the previous year. He also announced that the next Judaic – Christian symposium would have the theme “Jerusalem in psalms”.
