Friday, 13 December 2013, 10.00 hours, the Archdiocese of Bucharest and the School Inspectorate of Bucharest, School Inspectorate of Ilfov County, and School Inspectorate of Prahova County organised the Meeting of the religion professors of the Archdiocese of Bucharest on the theme Cooperation among the religion professors in common educational programmes. The meeting was held in Patriarch Teoctist Aula Magna of the Patriarchate Palace. The issues the religion professors are faced with in the pedagogical activity were discussed during the meeting.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, Mrs. Vasilica Stefania Duminica, State Secretary for pre-academic education, Prof. Constantin Traistaru, General School Inspector of Bucharest, Rev. Lecturer Dr. David Pestroiu, Counsellor of the Educational Department and youth activity of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, and Univ. Prof. Dr. Rev. Constantin Patuleanu, Patriarchal Counsellor of the Theological Educational Department of the Romanian Patriarchate attended the event.
The religion professors of Bucharest and of Ilfov and Prahova counties attended the meeting. To start with the meeting, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered the speech entitled Bond between school and parish and spoke about the mission of the religion professor in the formation of the young generation. We render below a fragment: “The educational values provided by the church through the religious education in the public schools must be supported and promoted by all the church units, first of all by parishes and the offices of parochial catechesis, especially during this period of secularisation of the Romanian society, because these values represent an essential landmark for the young people and an existential bond for all the knowledge acquired through the study of all the other disciplines. The strengthening of the partnership relation between Church and School represents a common desideratum which must be developed in both senses. As for the servant clergymen of the Holy Altars, they are always urged to support the educational activity of the children and of the young people in their parishes, as well as to provide the necessary funds for covering the price of the didactic material for the children coming from poor families. Today, the parishes implement complex educational and catechetic projects according to the missionary strategy of the Romanian Patriarchate and of the Archdiocese of Bucharest: Christ shared to the children, Choose school!, Way of salvation, Catechesis for life etc. The intensification of the concern for the educational-missionary activity of the young generation is brought about by the conviction that all children and young people grown up in faith are the present and future of the Church. Moreover, the revival of the parochial catechesis and intensification of the mission of the Religion professor are necessary for giving the children the beautiful image of the Romanian school and for rendering the professors the prestige and social dignity of the pedagogical profession; and to the parents the confidence that there is no greater investment for the future of their children than the healthy education rooted in the eternal values of faith, cultivated and conveyed in the family, school and Church.”
During the meeting the book of studies entitled Serban Cantacuzino, Antim Ivireanul and Neofit the Cretan – Promoters of the Romanian language in the cult was launched, published at “Cuvantul vietii” publishing house of the Metropolitanate of Muntenia and Dobrudgea, under the supervision of rev counsellor Nicolae Cada from the Cultural and Media Communications Department of the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
“The authors of the 9 studies, university professors and researchers in fields like History of the Romanian language and philology, History of the Romanians and History of the Romanian Orthodox Church tried to show that the printing of the first complete edition of the Holy Scriptures and the fruitful printing activity of Saint Hierarch and Martyr Antim of Ivir and of Metropolitan Neofit the Cretan sanctified the final complete introduction of the Romanian language in the rite. The Bible of Serban Cantacuzino, Romanian molitfelnic and liturgy book printed both of them in two editions by Saint Metropolitan Antim of Ivir and the Catavasier, Penticostar and Octoich printed with the approval of Metropolitan Neofit of Wallachia crown the entire printing activity of the period of the nationalisation of the cult corresponding to the last decades of the 17th century and first decades of the next century”, Rev counsellor Nicolae Cada explained in the presentation of the book.
On this occasion, the nine authors of the studies included in the book mentioned were awarded the diploma of honour and medal of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Protector of Romania on behalf of the Patriarch of Romania: Prof. Dr. Gabriel Strempel, member of honour of the Romanian Academy; Prof Dr Gheorghe Chivu; Prof. Dr. Zamfira Mihail; Prof. Dr. Eugen Munteanu; Prof. Dr. Tudor Teoteoi; Rev Lecturer Dr. Mihai Sasaujan; Rev. Lecturer Dr. Petre Sperlea; Dr. Doru Badara; Dr. Mihai Tipau.
The book marks the anniversary of 325 years since the printing of the Bible of Serban Cantacuzino (Bucharest, 1688), of 300 years since the publication of the Romanian Liturgy book and of the Moliftelnic by Antim of Ivir (Targoviste, 1713) and of 275 years since the election of Neofit the Cretan for the metropolitan throne of Wallachia, who was a promoter of the introduction of the Romanian language in the cult.
