The Patriarch of Romania at the National Assembly Christ conveyed to children
September 2015
The works of the National Assembly Christ conveyed to children continued on Wednesday, 23 September 2015, at the Holy Cross – Caraiman Monastery in Bușteni, Prahova County. The participants at this event had the joy of having among them the Head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, who delivered a sermon.
Secularization represents spiritual impoverishment
In His word, the Romanian Patriarch emphasized the need for a catechetic program for youth:
“Our collaboration becomes more necessary as the society becomes secularized, i.e. it tries to build up as a private life, a community life without any reference to God or religious values. Secularization represents a special spiritual impoverishment, a mutilation of the spiritual universe of the human being. It represents a problem, not a solution. The secularized human has a very narrow horizon, enclosed in a telluric or immanent environment, without any transcendental perspective; everything ends together with death, meaning that yearning after justice, eternal life and sacred truth is diminished, and everything becomes an ephemeral arrangement. That is why, we repost against this propensity of reducing the human being to simple biology and to reduce human life to its immanent and telluric aspect, having no spiritual dimension. Therefore, it is our duty to keep an integral vision on the sense of life, as it was revealed by God, and interpreted, protected and promoted by the Church”, His Beatitude said, according to Trinitas Radio.
A professor’s work is holy, echoing not only over history, but also to eternity
Furthermore, the Head of the Romanian Orthodox Church underlined the merit of the inspectors for religious education and of the professors involved in shaping young characters.
“We consider that the words of the Saviour addressed to those who teach one another as always relevant. Those who fulfil their teachings, and teach the others are shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Those who labour in education, in cultivating the sense of life, and of communion are great in the society, referring to the social importance, and are called blessed in the Kingdom of Heaven. This indicates that the activity of an educator, or of a professor is a holy work, echoing not only over history, but also to eternity. The families of some great people offered to the Church three, four, or even five saints; such is the case of the family of Saint Basil the Great. That is where education has an eternal dimension in value”, the Romanian Patriarch added.
Christ conveyed to children signifies that the love of Christ is shared to children
The catechetic program Christ conveyed children aims at uniting with Christ and at growing in Christ, His Beatitude affirmed.
“Christ conveyed to children represents not only the Holy Communion form the Chalice; Christ conveyed to children also represents the evangelical Christ. Holy Communion was established at the end of the preaching activity of the Saviour and at the end of His pastoral activity, when He took care of the sick and healed them, took care of the hungry and filled them. Therefore, Holy Communion is the conclusion of Christ’s presence in the most concentrated and sensitive form, while Christ is also present in the Holy Gospel, in all the prayers during the Divine Liturgy; that is why we say Christ among us, before receiving Holy Communion. Christ conveyed to children signifies that the love of Christ is shared to children”, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said.
During the assembly, a working calendar was established, containing multiple educational youth activities, as well as training seminars, project manager Fr. Constantin Năclad mentioned.
The National Assembly Christ conveyed to children is organized by the Romanian Patriarchate in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research and World Vision Romania Organization.
