On the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Metropolis of Germany, Central and Northern Europe, His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim gave an interview to Deisis magazine, in which he spoke about the difficulties of pastoral work in the diaspora.

Asked about the sacrifices made by priests in the diaspora, His Eminence said, “The mission in the diaspora is truly an apostolic mission.”

“Like the apostles, all of us servants of the Metropolis embarked on the mission ‘without staff, bag, bread, or money’ (Luke 9:3). Initially, the Metropolis did not have its own church or diocesan headquarters, and the parishes did not have their own churches or parish houses either. And no salaries! But this proved to be a great blessing.”

“For when you have nothing, you have everything! God moves the hearts of the faithful to come to your aid, whether for paying the church rent, equipping it with the necessary liturgical items, or even building or buying a church. Also, our Catholic and Evangelical brothers came to our aid.”

His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim also mentioned the historical circumstances in which the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Germany was founded immediately after the fall of the communist regime.

His Eminence recounts that at that time, the news that he was assigned to shepherd the Romanian communities in Germany, Central, and Northern Europe was received with some doubt.

“I received this appointment with some sadness because I had to part from my beloved Sibiu, where I studied theology and was ordained as a priest and bishop. But I thought God’s will sent me to Paris to know the West with its spiritual realities and help the Romanians settle here.”

The fruit of prayer

“No good thing is accomplished without effort, without sacrifice. All the more so God’s work, when you engage selflessly in serving Him and the people,” His Eminence emphasized.

At the same time, the Metropolitan highlighted the profound essence of authentic ministry and devotion to the Church of Christ.

“Through prayer, we were able to endure the criticisms and judgments from some who did not understand the sincerity with which a handful of priests and I engaged in such a holy work, to gather the ‘lost sheep’ into the fold of the Church where they received Baptism.”

“But not only to endure but also to forgive and love. For only through forgiveness and love do we win people for God. I could say, with all humility, that our Metropolis was built on the sacrifice of prayer, forgiveness, and love, all gifts from God for us, the unworthy!”

“I thought of giving up”

The hierarch also recalled the trials he endured over the three decades, which were often spiritual in nature.

According to the Metropolitan, difficulties arose “especially in the early years of the metropolis, when some Romanians, political refugees, believing that I was a Securitate agent sent to destroy the Romanian exile, fought in every way to discourage the faithful from approaching our parishes.”

“In a moment of great trial, I even considered abandoning the mission and retreating to a monastery. But my spiritual father said, ‘If Christ came down from the Cross, would He have saved the world?’ After the ‘external’ temptations, the ‘internal’ temptations began, from within the Metropolis, through the criticisms or disobedience of some.”

In the interview, His Eminence also discusses other subjects related to the Metropolis’s journey and evolution over the past 30 years, as well as his childhood and entry into monasticism.

Photo: Lumina Newspaper