His Eminence Archbishop Irineu of Alba Iulia said on Monday that “the child is an epiphany of the divine gift, not a biological accident,” during the International Symposium on Science, Theology and Art (ISSTA), dedicated to reflection on family and Christian identity in a changing world.
The event, held under the theme “Parenting, gender and Christian identity in a changing world,” aligns with 2026 as designated by the Romanian Orthodox Church as the Solemn Year of the Pastoral Care of the Christian Family.
The 25th edition of the symposium opened at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Alba Iulia with a Te Deum service in the chapel of the Holy Three Hierarchs, followed by the inaugural session and plenary presentations.
Among those attending were His Grace Benedict of Sălaj, Prof. Ana Lucia Smith Iltis of Wake Forest University, Tamas-Szora Attila, President of the Senate of 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Archdeacon Răzvan Brudiu, Dean of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Alba Iulia, and guests from 11 countries.
Family as the Space of Communion
Archbishop Irineu emphasised the fundamental role of the family in the Christian life, stating that Orthodox theology, as taught by Saint Dumitru Stăniloae, holds that the human person is fulfilled not in isolation but in communion.
“The family is precisely the space of this original communion, in which love multiplies and is offered,” he said.
He warned, however, of contemporary tendencies to redefine the family in purely functional or contractual terms:
“Unfortunately, today we are witnessing attempts to reconfigure the family exclusively in functional or contractual terms. Motherhood is sometimes reduced to an option, and fatherhood to a negotiable responsibility.”
Plenary sessions addressed current issues related to Christian identity, family life, bioethics, and contemporary challenges concerning gender and society.
The International Symposium on Science, Theology and Art (ISSTA) is organised by the 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, through its Faculty of Orthodox Theology, in partnership with the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia, the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs, and the Alba County Council.
Photo: Radio Reîntregirea / Deacon Ștefan Bretoiu
