The annual working meeting of the National Church Assembly
of the Romanian Orthodox Church
The meeting was preceded by a Tedeum service officiated by His Grace Bishop Paisie, Patriarchal Vicar Bishop, in the "Europa Christiana" Hall of the Romanian Patriarchate.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel invited Fr. Lucian Petroaia, as secretary of the National Church Assembly, for the nominal appeal.
After the appeal, the members of the National Church Assembly were invited to participate in the commissions. The National Church Assembly comprises five commissions, respectively administrative-legal and validation; social and media communications; cultural and educational; economic, budgetary and real estate heritage and for Orthodox Romanians abroad and for external Church relations.
The commissions examined the reports drawn up in different fields of activity of the Church, after which they presented them in the plenary.
The NCA members approved the report prepared by the National Church Council regarding the activity of the Church last year and formulated proposals for the development of the Church activities. Also, the budget executions for the current year were approved.
During the discussions, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel emphasized the importance of parish houses for the priests to be permanently present in the communities they are taking care of. The Patriarch of Romania has expressed the urge to prioritize the projects of building or purchase of houses for parishes and as an additional reason to diminish the phenomenon of commuting often encountered in the case of priests.
Also, the Patriarch thanked the eparchies who support the activity of the Basilica Press Center and appealed to a consolidated support from all the dioceses of the Romanian Patriarchate.
The National Church Assembly is the central deliberative body of the Romanian Orthodox Church for administrative, social, cultural, economic and patrimonial problems.
NCA consists of three representatives of each diocese, a cleric and two laypeople, who are delegated by the eparchial assemblies over a period of 4 years. Members can be validated for no more than two mandates.
