The Patriarch of Romania: “We must think now, 25 years after the revolution of December 1989, what we have done with our freedom”

On 17 December 2014, 12.00 hours, the bells were rung in all the cathedrals, churches and monasteries as sign of gratitude and solemn prayers were said for the first revolutionary heroes who sacrificed themselves 25 years ago at Timisoara for the freedom, faith and dignity of the Romanian people oppressed by the communist regime.

When we pray for our freedom we think of those who sacrificed themselves for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian people

Today, at the end of the Te Deum celebrated in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest on the occasion of the name day of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, His Beatitude spoke about the importance of the sacrifice of the revolutionaries of Timisoara, in 1989.

“Today we remember from a national point of view the young people who sacrificed themselves on 17 December 1989, at Timisoara, where from the revolution for the liberation of the Romanian people from under the communist atheist dictatorship began. This is why we decided that today, at 12.00 hours, the bells should ring in the entire Romanian Patriarchate. During the Divine Liturgy, a special solemn service was celebrated for the heroes of the revolution from Timisoara of 17 December 1989. We pray Good God to put the souls of those who sacrificed themselves for faith, for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian people with the righteous ones. When we pray for our freedom we think of those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian people. They are remembered at every Divine Liturgy, heroes, Romanian soldiers and fighters of all times and places, so that those who died for the dignity and freedom of the Romanian people are included in this liturgical formula remembering the heroes who are not only soldiers, but also fighters, namely civilians who fought for the completion of the nation, for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian people”, His Beatitude said.

When freedom leads us to division, neglect, feud, we do not have the holy freedom, but a decayed freedom

His Beatitude has also spoken about the way we use freedom and underlined the fact that if we use freedom for strengthening faith it means that our freedom glorified God.

“We must think now, 25 years after the revolution of December 1989, what we have done with our freedom. We wondered at the time how to get freedom, but now we must wonder how much our freedom brought us close to God and to one another. If we use our freedom for strengthening faith – such as the religion class in the public schools, building churches, increasing the charitable social activity – then it means that our freedom glorified God. When freedom leads us to division, neglect, feud, we do not have the holy freedom, but a decayed freedom. This is why Saint Peter the Apostle says “do not use your freedom as justification of feud, as reason to do evil”. Thus, with these thoughts in mind, of the heroes of the revolution of Timisoara of 17 December 1989, and thinking too that we shall celebrate a solemn service for all the heroes of the revolution of December 1989, let us pray God to put their souls with the righteous ones and strengthen us to keep on cultivating freedom and responsibility, the national unity and dignity for the glory of God and the welfare of the Romanian people”, the Patriarch of Romanian also said.

From 17-23 December 2014, the hierarchs, priests and deacons will celebrate solemn services at all the cemeteries, monuments and road side shrines dedicated to the heroes of December who sacrificed their lives 25 years ago.
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