Metropolitan Laurenţiu of Transylvania has urged believers of all confessions to attend the referendum for the definition of marriage, Agerpres reported.
The referendum, scheduled for October 7, aims to change the definition of marriage in the Constitution from the current marriage between spouses to the marriage between a man and a woman.
The metropolitan argued that turnout is very important and, if six million people do not show up, the referendum will not be validated.
“If we don’t double the three million who signed [e.n. for the initiative to redefine marriage], if we are not six million to vote, then it is pointless, it has no value; the referendum is not approved, it is not valid […] This is why, we ask you, this is an exam, the most difficult exam we take now, in freedom,” said Metropolitan Laurențiu at the sermon he delivered on September 14 at Sădinca Monastery in Sibiu county.
His Eminence also referred to those whom “the Church will never marry” and argued these will later ask for the right to marry and they “will take our children because they cannot have children.”
“I have asked our priests to go together with you and we will do the same. We will deliver the service on Sunday at the cathedral and then accompany the entire cathedral [congregation],” he said.
In 2016, the Coalition for Family (CpF) group of NGOs gathered three million signatures to change the definition of marriage.
On Monday, September 17, the Constitutional Court gave its approval on the law to revise the Constitution in order to change the definition of family.
In order for the referendum to be validated, 30% of all citizens with a voting right need to cast their ballot.
The Permanent Electoral Authority announced last week that 18.9 million voters were listed in the Electoral Registry. Over 5.6 million voters need to turn up for the referendum to be validated.
Photo credit: Basilica.ro
