On the occasion of the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, sends an irenic letter to His Holiness Bartholomaios I, the Ecumenical Patriarch, and the other heads of Orthodox Autocephalous Churches.
Full text:
Bucharest, Nativity of the Lord, 2023
„Today the Virgin gives birth to Him Who is above all being,
And the earth offers a cave to Him Whom no man can approach”
(Kontakion of the Nativity of the Lord)
Your Holiness/Beatitude,
The mystery of the Nativity of our Lord is the mystery of God’s merciful and humble love for humankind. As the Son of God descended to us on earth, so He has opened the way for us, humans, to ascend to Him, to heavenly life. Therefore, the Incarnation of the Son of God, Who became Man out of unfailing love for human beings, is the foundation and centre of Christian faith.
For the Holy Apostles, the contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnate Son of God becoming human is the source of all theology, of all spiritual life and of the Church’s mission in the world, as Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist says „God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
We are called, therefore, to show compassionate love and solidarity to all people, but especially to those who suffer from war. At the same time, let us bring the joy of celebrating the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ to the homes of orphans, to the elderly people centres, to the bedside of the sick, but also where there is much sadness, loneliness and depression, to the poor, bereaved and grieving families. Wherever we can do good, let us do it, in our hearts and in our actions, with the joy of the angels, the shepherds and the Magi who came to Bethlehem!
On the occasion of the Holy Feasts of the Nativity of the Lord, the New Year 2024 and the Baptism of the Lord, we wish you good health and peace, joy and God’s help, together with the traditional greeting „Many Years to Come!”.
With high esteem and brotherly embrace in Christ, the Lord,
† Daniel,
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Photo courtesy of Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
