Homage blessing for all Romanians living abroad[*]

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church proclaimed 2021 as the Homage Year of the pastoral care of Romanians abroad and the Commemorative Year of those fallen asleep in the Lord; the liturgical and cultural value of cemeteries. The two themes, homage and commemorative, highlight two of the essential coordinates in the pastoral-missionary activity of our Church.

In the current context of the global migration phenomenon, the Romanian Orthodox Church develops and intensifies its mission and pastoral responsibility towards Orthodox Romanians living abroad, whom it considers its faithful sons and daughters and an integral part of the Romanian Orthodox communion everywhere. In this sense, through the co-responsibility of all the hierarchs of the Holy Synod and, especially, of the Romanian Orthodox hierarchs who shepherd the clergy and the faithful living abroad, the Romanian Orthodox Church carries out a rich liturgical, pastoral, missionary, cultural and social work in the parishes, monasteries, cultural and social-charitable institutions of the Romanian Orthodox communities located in the vicinity of Romania and in the Romanian diaspora.

Given the large number of Romanians living abroad (currently estimated at almost ten million, respectively, six million Romanians living in historical or traditional communities in neighboring countries of Romania and four million Romanians living in church communities in diaspora), the Romanian Patriarchate supports the efforts of Orthodox Romanians temporarily or permanently settled abroad, to preserve their religious, ethnic, linguistic and cultural identity.

The pastoral care and special appreciation shown by the Romanian Patriarchate towards the Romanian Orthodox communities abroad have materialized, in recent years, by setting up numerous parishes and new dioceses, to meet the multiple spiritual needs of Romanian Orthodox believers in Bessarabia (Republic of Moldova), Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Central and Northern Europe, Western and Southern Europe, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the establishment of representations (Jerusalem and Brussels) and Romanian Orthodox communities (Mount Athos, Syria and Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey, South Africa, Japan, Croatia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates / Dubai).

The participation of Orthodox members from Romanian communities abroad in the liturgical life, as well as in cultural events and social-philanthropic actions organized by the parishes in the vicinity of Romania and the Romanian diaspora is a special benefit and joy for both them and the ministers of the Holy Altars.

At the same time, it is necessary a harmonious coexistence of Romanian migrants with the citizens of the adoptive countries, for social integration, but without cultural assimilation of Romanians.

With much paternal love, we urge Romanians living far from their country to stay in constant contact with their loved ones left at home. We also urge Orthodox believers from Romania aor living abroad to value the family - consisting of man, woman and children - because the God-blessed family is the most precious intimate space in which conjugal and parental, filial and fraternal love are manifested. We urge all of you to educate the young generation in the spirit of love for God, the Church and the nation, and to cultivate in children and young people the essential Christian virtues: faith, hope and love of God and fellow person.

We also urge Romanian migrants in different parts of the world to properly commemorate, according to our Christian-Orthodox tradition, those who have passed on to eternal life. The remembrance in prayer of those fallen asleep in the Lord is an act of living Orthodox faith and a testimony of love for one's fellow man.

Particularly, we thank the ministers of the Romanian Orthodox Holy Altars abroad for their activity and fidelity. At the same time, we urge them to intensify their pastoral and missionary work, for the preservation and cultivation of the Orthodox Christian faith, of the Romanian spiritual and cultural values.

We pray the Most Merciful God to bless all Romanians, in the country and abroad, and to give them health and help, peace and joy, for many and happy years!

With much appreciation and paternal blessing,

† DANIEL

Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church

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[*] The message of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, addressed on Sunday of the Romanian migrants (August 22, 2021).

Photo: Ziarul Lumina / Luigi Ivanciu