On the 104th anniversary of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Saint Spyridon Metropolitan Cathedral in Bucharest.
During the Divine Liturgy, the bishop remembered the founders of the Union of March 27, 1918, stressing that “they understood what it means to carry the Cross with dignity.”
“To carry the cross for a nation means to go through history over all the trials and challenges of life.”
“Today, we remembered the founders of the Union because, on March 27, 1918, the Country Council in Chisinau voted the Union with the mother country. And this act is a form of bearing the Cross because, in that context, they undertook to unite Bessarabia, which had been occupied by the Russians in 1812, in a democratic, voluntary manner, with the mother country.”
“The members of the Country Council said that the union was forever and ever, but history was unjust because 22 years later, Bessarabia was ceded once again by the Great Powers to Russia.”
“Today, we remember the founders of the Union because they understood after more than a hundred years of occupation what it means to carry the Cross with dignity. They understood that you have to speak your language, keep your faith, and behave with dignity in front of everyone.”
“We thank God for the joy of being together with you, and we ask Him to help us carry our Cross with dignity, to help us overcome all trials in these difficult times we are going through,” Bishop Veniamin said, referring to the war in Ukraine.
“You see how much bloodshed there is among brothers, how much pain and sorrow are on the faces of many who have taken refuge. It is also difficult for them to carry their Cross today, but I saw them who took it upon themselves to preserve their freedom and dignity, even at the cost of their lives.”
“May God help us have peace in this world, give good thoughts to the country’s leaders and the world leaders.”
“We are waiting for you in Bessarabia!” said His Grace Bishop Veniamin, who served at St Spyridon Cathedral for many years before becoming a bishop.
“We are waiting for you to see Bessarabia and our Diocese, be with us at events in the diocese’s life, and see how we carry our Cross there.”
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Veniamin attended a concert of Orthodox hymns dedicated to the Holy Cross, performed by the “Gloria Crucis” Choir of St Spyridon Cathedral.
On Sunday afternoon, the Bishop of Southern Bessarabia went to Bellu cemetery in Bucharest. He officiated at a memorial service for Elena Alistar, the only woman in the Bessarabian Country Council at the time of the Union of March 27, 1918.
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Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Raluca Ene
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