Romanians in Dubai could have their own church, Patriarch Daniel said at the end of the Christmas Divine Liturgy. The church plan has been submitted to the authorities in the United Arab Emirates and involves a holy place adapted to the cultural context of this country: it will not be very tall but small and welcoming.
About 10,000 Romanians are living and working in Dubai. Now the Romanian Orthodox Parish in Dubai is hosted by a church of the Patriarchate of Antioch, for which Patriarch Daniel conveyed thanks.
It is noteworthy that on Christmas the Patriarch of Romania concelebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral with His Grace Bishop Qais of Erzurum, representing the Patriarchate of Antioch.
“We hope to have the opportunity in the future to receive land for a church and a cultural centre, according to tradition. The sheikh and prime minister of this state is a cultured man educated in the West. And he has offered land to several communities, leased only for certain periods, to build a place of worship and a cultural centre where people could meet after work,” Patriarch Daniel said Dec. 25, 2021.
“We have the perspective of a community. But, for the time being, our Romanian community is praying in Dubai in a church belonging to the Patriarchate of Antioch, a church of Arab believers from different countries who serve there in Arabic as Orthodox,” His Beatitude explained.
“We help each other with these holy places, so this brotherhood is very much needed – both spiritual and practical,” Patriarch Daniel noted.
“We thank His Beatitude Patriarch John of Antioch for his willingness to take this Romanian parish under his protection – under his local canonical protection. We hope we can get some land and then build a church.”
“We have already done the project for the church building. We had to submit it with the land application. And we made the project of a Romanian Orthodox church, but adapted to the context there,” His Beatitude added.
“It does not have high towers. [They will be] Lower but beautiful. It is a restful, welcoming church. And, of course, there is a cultural centre nearby. Several architects from Bucharest, who have been to Dubai before, did the project for us, so we hope it will be accepted,” Patriarch Daniel said.
For the time being, the services are held in the church of the Patriarchate of Antioch in Jebel Ali. The parish priest is Father Alexandru Trușcan, ordained on June 1, 2021, at Radu Vodă Monastery in Bucharest.
The Patriarchate of Antioch announced that “the Romanian Patriarchate has proposed this unique joint initiative to meet the spiritual needs of many Romanian Orthodox Christians living in Dubai, under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Antioch.”
Photo: Facebook / VisitDubai.ro
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