Bucharest, Romania—His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered an inspiring message to the 2024 graduates of the “Patriarch Justinian” Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the University of Bucharest during the oath-taking ceremony on Monday.
Emphasizing the significant role that young theologians play in today’s society, Patriarch Daniel called upon the graduates to be “bearers of hope and joy” in a world often overshadowed by confusion and despair.
In his address, the Patriarch of Romania highlighted the comprehensive education the graduates received, which integrates deep theological knowledge with spiritual formation through active participation in the Divine Liturgy.
He acknowledged the students’ efforts in their academic and spiritual journey, noting that their hard work has been rewarded not only through the successful completion of their exams but also through collective prayers of gratitude to God alongside their professors.
This blend of intellectual and spiritual training equips them to meet the real needs of the faithful, whether in teaching Religion, providing social-philanthropic assistance, or managing sacred heritage.
“The Church expects young graduates to be bearers of hope where confusion and despair dominate the soul, and bearers of joy where troubles and hardships overwhelm daily existence,” His Beatitude stated.
He underscored the importance of continuous prayer and seeking guidance from experienced mentors in translating noble ideals into concrete actions, reflecting Christ’s merciful and healing love.
Patriarch Daniel also pointed out that the mission of young theologians extends beyond academic excellence to sharing their spiritual enlightenment with peers and the wider society.
He encouraged them to maintain the ecclesial ethos and missionary consciousness that their theological education had instilled in them.
As witnesses of God-the-Word incarnate in history, they are called to foster a theology that not only informs but transforms, rooted in the Scriptures, the lives of the Saints, and the practical needs of parish and monastic communities.
The ceremony concluded with a reminder of the essential role Orthodox Theology Faculties play in developing a “theology for life” and strengthening the connection between theological education and the life of the Church.
Patriarch Daniel’s message reinforced the notion that each graduate’s journey is not just an academic achievement but a lifelong mission to serve and uplift their communities through the teachings and love of Christ.
His Beatitude extended his heartfelt congratulations to the graduates and their professors, wishing them many blessed years in their noble service to the ancestral Church. The event marked not only the culmination of the students’ rigorous academic endeavours but also the beginning of their impactful missionary work in the Church and society.
Please find Patriarch Daniel’s address below:
Bearers of Light, Hope, and Missionary Zeal
With great joy, we appreciate the solemnity of the oath-taking of the 2024 graduates of the “Patriarch Justinian” Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the University of Bucharest. The young theology graduates who today took their oath of faith before the Triune God were prepared by their theology professors during their university studies to begin the mission entrusted by the Church in serving, guiding, and helping its faithful.
Their efforts to absorb deep theological knowledge, grow spiritually through participation in the Divine Liturgy, and prepare for their mission and pastoral ministry were crowned by passing their graduation exams and offering prayers of thanksgiving to God, along with their professors, for all the help they received from Him.
Integrating theological knowledge into spiritual formation is a testament to the graduates’ ability to accurately perceive the real needs of the faithful, the demands of teaching Religion, or the Church’s social-philanthropic assistance work, as well as the importance of restoring, conserving, and managing the Romanian sacred heritage.
The Church expects young graduates to be bearers of hope where confusion and despair dominate the soul and bearers of joy where troubles and hardships overwhelm daily existence. However, to fulfil this noble and generous desire, young theologians must continually seek God’s help and the advice of those with more experience in translating noble ideals into concrete actions, which take the form of Christ’s merciful and healing love shared with people through the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The young theologian, a lover of prayer and holiness, is a fighting Christian (see Ephesians 6:10-17) who spiritually defends the true faith and the holiness of life as the gates of eternal life, cultivates love for God through prayer and love for neighbours through good deeds.
The mission of the young theologian encompasses not only the accumulation of intellectual knowledge from books and light from Orthodox liturgical life but also the sharing of this spiritual light with other young people in the university community and even with those in society in general. Academic demands should not diminish the ecclesial ethos and the missionary consciousness of theological work, placed in the service of the Church.
Above all, each theologian must be a witness of God-the-Word incarnate in history and spiritually shared in the life of the Church. Orthodox Theology Faculties are called to develop a theology for life, born from the light of the Holy Scriptures, the lives of the Saints, and the needs of parish and monastic communities.
By consistently valuing the living relationship between Orthodox Theology Faculties and the life of the Church, between theological school and parish, to intensify the Church’s mission, the consciousness of the vocation of theology as the science of salvation or eternal life, that is, the science of man’s union with God, the Creator, and Saviour of the world, is consolidated.
Speaking of the light or meaning of life, Father Dumitru Stăniloae says: “In every person, there is a light. But it is only actualized in communion, in love. We are light for each other. Each is filled with the light of the other. This light is a profound sense, a joy, a rest in mutual giving, the feeling of having everything: having the love of others, we have everything… It is the feeling of being surrounded by the light that comes to me from God… Light of love, light of truth, light of meaning, joy that comes to me from God, joy that comes to me from others. Others become light for me; beings receive meaning. In all things, the light of God is poured out, communicated to me as inexhaustible light, as endless love.”
In conclusion, today’s event celebrates the completion of studies for students and master’s graduates, and the beginning of missionary work in the Church and society. This work must affirm the dignity and responsibility of a theology school in forming its graduates.
We congratulate the 2024 promotion of the “Patriarch Justinian” Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the University of Bucharest and their professors for the results achieved.
We pray to our Lord Jesus Christ, our Teacher and Saviour, to grant you all the joy of worthily serving the ancestral Church for many blessed years!
† DANIEL
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
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