The 10th National Conference of Support Centres for Pregnant Women, held in October 2024, underscored the importance of providing consistent care and assistance to expectant mothers and young families. In his message to the event, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church emphasized these centres’ vital role in defending and promoting life, especially in a rapidly changing society that often challenges traditional family structures.
Patriarch Daniel noted that the Romanian Orthodox Church is deeply committed to this philanthropic work, which requires collaboration with public authorities and other institutions.
He stressed the importance of professionalizing support services for pregnant women and new mothers, ensuring that vulnerable individuals receive the care they need.
He said the conference is an opportunity to reflect on past successes and explore new programs aimed at integrating services for women during and after pregnancy. The Patriarch praised the dedication of all those involved, blessing them and encouraging further efforts to promote the dignity and sanctity of human life.
Please read the full text of Patriarch Daniel’s message below.
Support for Pregnant Women and Young Mothers is a Work of Defending and Promoting Life
Organizing the 10th National Conference of Support Centres for Pregnant Women in October 2024 reflects consistency, communication, and solidarity in a domain of great importance for today’s society.
The rapid changes in modern societies worldwide—economic globalization, technological advances, and population mobility—have significantly affected traditional families, creating vulnerabilities in the continuity between generations.
In this context, caring for the sacred gift of life and supporting those facing challenges during a time when they should feel God’s blessing, the Source of Life and the Protector of children, brings rays of love and hope through action. Supporting pregnant women and young mothers is a work of defending and promoting life.
According to our faith, the birth of any human being is a gift from God, which must be received and cared for with gratitude in the light of our Lord Jesus Christ, “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).
Professionalizing support activities for pregnant women, young mothers in difficulty, and their families contributes to building sustainable institutions and developing regional and national networks. These networks can form partnerships with specialized public authorities, influence public opinion to increase sensitivity toward vulnerable individuals and foster unity in action to help the growing branches of the community that need assistance.
Several church units nationwide in the network of centres supporting pregnant women and families show the Romanian Orthodox Church’s attention to this philanthropic work, which requires inter-institutional cooperation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The conference organized this fall provides an excellent opportunity to share the concrete results of the work carried out so far, exchange experiences, and explore new programs to promote and implement integrated services for supporting women during pregnancy and after childbirth.
We congratulate you for your work and extend our blessing as you begin the activities of this national event. We pray to God, the Source and Protector of life, to grant you health and strength to achieve new successes in the noble work of defending and promoting human life.
With appreciation and blessings,
† Daniel
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Foto credit: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
