Romanian Orthodox Church Announces Commemorative Year, New Dioceses, and Social Initiatives
https://basilica.ro/
Basilica News– OCP News Service – 29/02/2024
Bucharest-Romania:
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, convened on Thursday, February 29, 2024, and made several key decisions.
Commemorative Year and New Dioceses:
- 2025 declared a “commemorative year” within the Romanian Patriarchate, marking both the centenary of the Romanian Patriarchate and the Romanian Orthodox priests and confessors of the 20th century.
- Establishment of two new dioceses:
- Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Great Britain, headquartered in London, to serve the over 1 million Romanian Orthodox believers in Western Europe.
- Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of Ireland and Iceland, based in Dublin.
Church and Politics:
- The Synod reaffirmed the non-involvement of the Church in party politics, citing its role as a “factor of social peace” according to Romanian law.
Other Decisions:
- Approval of religious publications and liturgical additions.
- Organization of a collection to help build homes for Armenian refugees in Nagorno-Karabagh.
- Emphasis on financial transparency within the Church, with calls for proper management and qualified personnel.
- Support for reunification efforts by Romanian Orthodox communities in Ukraine with the Romanian Patriarchy.
- Reaffirmation of the canonical status of Romanian Orthodox clergy and believers returning to the Metropolis of Bessarabia from Moldova.
- Appreciation for the Church’s social-philanthropic activities positively impacting Romanian society.
These decisions reflect the Romanian Orthodox Church’s focus on commemorating its history, serving its growing diaspora, maintaining its neutrality in political matters, and continuing its social and religious work.
Source: Basilica News
