Romania’s national heroes were commemorated on Thursday at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Carol Park in Bucharest. The military ceremony included the reading of the names of several Romanian servicemen who fell in the line of duty throughout history.
The event began with the national anthem, followed by a memorial service officiated by a group of priests led by Fr Ciprian Ioniță, Patriarchal Adviser at the Social-Philanthropic Sector of the Patriarchal Administration.
President Nicușor Dan was represented at the ceremony by Marius-Gabriel Lazurca, Presidential Adviser for National Security, who delivered the president’s message.
“A nation builds its future insofar as it understands how to honour its past. Thus, the sacrifice of those who fought against dictatorship during the December 1989 Revolution remains inscribed in the history of our national becoming,” President Nicușor Dan stressed.
More important than one’s own life
In his address to the military personnel and dignitaries attending the ceremony, Defence Minister Radu Miruță highlighted the sacrifice of Romania’s heroes.
“Thanks to the sacrifice of these heroes, Romania today is a free, democratic and European state, deeply anchored in Western values. The generation that fought at Mărășești, Mărăști and Oituz went to war convinced that there was something more important than their own lives, and that something was the future of this nation,” Defence Minister Radu Miruță said.
Chief of the Defence Staff General Gheorghiță Vlad also emphasised the importance of commemorating the fallen.
“Each year, on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, we gather here for those who placed above their own lives the freedom, dignity and future of Romania. Heroes’ Day is not merely a solemn moment in our national calendar; it is a day on which we pause to remember that today’s Romania was built through the sacrifice of people who had the courage to do everything in their power for their country,” General Gheorghiță Vlad said.
Heroes’ Day
The commemoration of Romania’s heroes on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord was established by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1920. The decision was later reaffirmed in synodal acts in 1999 and 2001, when the day was designated a National Church Holiday.
At noon on Thursday, church bells rang across all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate in memory of the heroes who sacrificed themselves for the country.
A memorial service for the heroes of the Romanian nation was also officiated at the Patriarchal Cathedral following the Divine Liturgy.
Photo: Ministry of National Defence / Laurențiu Turoi
