Ioan-Aurel Pop, President of the Romanian Academy, says the Romanian Orthodox Church is the second-largest in the world and has long deserved a cathedral worthy of its size and importance.
In an interview with Agerpres, the Romanian Academy president emphasised that Romanians have a duty to preserve their dignity in a world driven by constant competition.
“The second-largest autocephalous Orthodox Church in the world (the Orthodox Church of Ukraine being, in part, subject to the Russian Orthodox Church and thus divided and unrecognised canonically) has long deserved a cathedral befitting its stature. This is not a matter of pride but of representation and dignity. Romanians have the duty — as in other areas of life — to uphold their standing. The whole world is a competition,” said the President of the Romanian Academy.
A Cathedral to Endure Through the Ages
The historian affirmed that the Romanian people deserve a grand monument dedicated to their faith.
“The Church is both poor and rich, for the Lord receives the prayers of His servants anywhere. Yet a people who respect themselves, in this sophisticated world, can have no greater house of prayer — no true calling card of their faith — than a majestic monument. It has always been so, and so it should remain.”
“Sister Orthodox Churches built their monumental cathedrals long ago, took pride in them, welcomed honoured guests within their walls, and even gloried in their beauty and grandeur,” the Cluj-based professor added.
The National Cathedral, consecrated on Sunday, stands as a symbol of the Romanian nation — one that will carry the message of faith and national identity through the centuries.
“The National Cathedral is such a monument, destined to endure through the ages as a precious seal, bearing into human eternity the message of faith and Romanian identity.”
Photo: Mircea Florescu / Basilica.ro
