Thousands of Orthodox young people took to the streets of Sibiu Friday evening, Sept. 7, as part of an International Orthodox Youth Meeting to show popular support for Romania’s need for unity of faith and nation.
They carried with them the flags of the dioceses and countries they represented.
Sibiu city streets were filled with the sound of religious hymns and other patriotic songs as more than 3,000 young people, hierarchs, clergy and lay people marched from the Transylvania Hall to the Greater Square.
The marching band of Sibiu’s Land Forces Academy and the Metropolitan Cathedral’s Timotei Popovici Choir accompanied the marchers.
In front of the Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral, the marchers were welcomed by His Eminence Metropolitan Laurentiu who offered a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing.
‘You have the greatest entitlement not to obey evil. Be careful, therefore, on the way you walk. Understand what your parents tell you and keep your connection with them because you will become parents too,’ Metropolitan Laurentiu said.
‘On your path, you have a strong foundation in the love of God, the love of the Church you in which were born, raised and in which you hope to remain with Christ until the end of your life. Christ is in our midst!,’ the Metropolitan of Transylvania added.
Over 3000 young Orthodox Christians from Romania and other countries gathered in Sibiu on Sept. 6-9 under the motto, ‘Unity. Faith. Nation’.
The event continues the series of meetings organised in Baia Mare in 2013 and 2014, in Cluj-Napoca in 2015, in Bucharest in 2016 and in Iasi in 2017.
ITO’s purpose is creating the context for young people to experience life-changing moments, a context where they can sense the feeling of communion, of belonging, together with young people from other regions, or from abroad.
A place where they can share life orthodox- values and where they can become preachers of the Christian message, spreading it in their communities.
Photos: ITO 2018
