His Grace Bishop Macarie of Northern Europe celebrated a memorial service on Saturday in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, for about 100 Romanian heroes of the First World War buried in the Žale Cemetery.
The service was held at the Romanian Heroes Mausoleum located within the cemetery, and Bishop Macarie conveyed the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
“When I was a child, memorial services for our nation’s heroes were held in my native village of Spermezeu, in Năsăud County. Later, I learned that many people from the neighbouring villages had also sacrificed their lives on the battlefields of these lands during the First World War,” said the bishop.
“God has now allowed me to come and commemorate them right at their graves. We cannot forget them, for they have not forgotten us and continue to help us live with dignity and freedom. The heroes of our nation chose dignity over cowardice, courage over fear, and freedom over bondage,” he added.
The event was attended by a delegation from the Romanian Patriarchate, coordinated by Rev. Adviser Costin Spiridon, as well as a delegation of Romanian parliamentarians, including two former Ministers of National Defence, Vasile Dîncu and Mihai Fifor.
Also present were representatives of the Romanian Embassy in Slovenia, led by Ambassador Alexandru Grădinar. The solemn and moving ceremony expressed the Romanian people’s gratitude to their heroes who fought for unity and freedom far from their homeland.
