His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, participated today, 29 November 2013, at the Romanian Academy, at a festive meeting dedicated to the celebration of 95 years of the Great Union of 1 December 1918.
On this occasion, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a speech entitled Freedom and unity – components of national dignity in which he spoke, among other things, about the meaning and importance of freedom.
The Patriarch of Romania showed that gratitude is also an act of devotion and culture of the dignity of the Romanian people: “Since the gift of freedom and national unity, as a symbol of dignity of the Romanian people, was obtained with great sacrifices of life and many spiritual and material efforts, the Romanian Orthodox Church remembers at every Divine Liturgy ‘all Romanian heroes, soldiers and fighters of all times and all places, who died on the battlefields, in labour camps and prisons for defending the homeland and ancestral Orthodox faith for the unity of the Romanian people, for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian people’ “. She also wants to contribute, together with the Romanian State institutions, in preserving the integrity of Romania and the dignity of the Romanian people, thus, appreciating the sacrifice of those who fought throughout history to achieve these high ideals and also to promote peace and understanding between peoples”.
In the festive event held today at the Academy several communications were presented. Historian Dan Berindei, Vice President of the Romanian Academy, spoke about “The Romanian nation and its unity”, as we learn from TRINITAS TV.
“Romania is moving towards a near centenarian. It has proven its viability, but no doubt it is for the new generation to continue the work of those before it”, said Academician Dan Berindei.
Prof. Univ. Dr. Nicholae Edroiu, correspondent member of the Romanian Academy, gave a lecture entitled “The Significance of the Great National Assembly in Alba Iulia on the 1st of December 1918 in the history of the Romanian people”.
“There is no greater time after the formation of the Romanian people than the creation of the national state. This is the great significance. These two moments are the highest in the history of the nation”, said Prof. Univ. Dr. Nicholas Edroiu.
“Al. I. Cuza” University was represented by Prof. Univ. Dr. Ion Agrigoroaiei. His presentation was entitled “Moldova in its old borders – from the Carpathians to the Dnieper River, from the Black Sea to Ceremuș – united with Romania”.
During the meeting, aspects of the union of Dobrogea with Romania were also discussed. Prof. Univ. Dr. Valentin Ciorbea, from “Ovidius” University in Constanța, spoke about the year 1878 in the context of building the national state.
Prof. Univ. Dr. Aurel Ardelean, founding rector and president of ” Vasile Goldis” Western University in Arad, presented a lecture entitled “The Role of the national liberation movement of the Romanians in Transylvania in the preparation of the Great Union of Alba Iulia”.
Prof. Univ. Dr. Dumitru Acu, president of ASTRA Association in Sibiu spoke about the role of this association in the events before and after 1918.
All participants in the festive meeting received from the Patriarch of Romania the Orthodox calendar for 2014, a booklet with the Life and Akathistos of Saint Apostle Andrew, and also the volume “Secularization of church properties (1863). Motivations and consequences” – work that includes lectures presented at the meeting with the same name, held in November 2013 by the Romanian Patriarchate and the Romanian Academy.
