Observing the accelerated increase in recent years of people affected by both classic diseases and multiple addictions, the Romanian Orthodox Church dedicated the year now concluding to the pastoral care and assistance of the sick.
The declaration of the “Solemn Year of Pastoral Care and Assistance of the Sick” and the “Commemorative Year of all the holy unmercenary healers” mobilized numerous individuals and institutions to make efforts to alleviate or prevent spiritual and physical suffering.
For years, many of the actions represented a continuation or multiplication of existing medical philanthropy efforts within the Romanian Patriarchate.
From the concrete…
Among the most concrete and visible actions completed this year is the opening of Romania’s first social hospital in Iași. The “Veronica” Charity Clinic is a project started by Father Dan Damaschin in 2021 following one of the most tragic cases he encountered.
In the context of the solemn year 2024, the Diocese of Maramureș and Sătmar initiated the arrangement of a palliative care hospital near the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Baia Mare.
A similar project is underway in Cluj, in the village of Sânnicoară. The Archdiocese of Cluj will construct the “Saint Christopher” Facility, the second centre dedicated to palliative care, this time for children.
Regarding infrastructure, the construction or arrangement of numerous hospital chapels or churches should be noted, such as the place of worship under construction at the Bucharest Oncology Institute, an initiative significantly supported by Archdeacon Mihail Bucă following the health problems from which his daughter was saved.
…to the Essential
Less visible but essential in the long term are projects like Hristocentric – which aims both at integrating Orthodox Christian principles into psychotherapeutic practice and at forming a psychological understanding of spiritual processes by priests.
In the same category are the dozens of symposia and conferences organized by the Church this year on health-related topics. For example, the annual International Theological Symposium organized by the Theological-Educational Sector of the Patriarchal Administration and the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest had the theme “Pastoral Care and Assistance of the Sick – Mission and Service to Fellow Humans.”
Clerical conferences often brought together doctors and priests to discuss suffering and healing. People who have experienced such issues have been valued for understanding the meaning of suffering. Among them, Father Nicolae Dima spoke to fellow priests from the Bucharest Diocese about how to react to suffering, drawing from the tragic experience with his daughter, who miraculously recovered after brain surgery, having been in an induced coma for about two months.
The new editorial releases related to the solemn year’s theme are noteworthy, including the “Guide and Euchologion for the Charity Priest” and the brochure “Akathists and Prayers to the Holy Healers.”
These are just a few of the most visible landmarks. This year, the entire activity of our Church’s priests, both in the country and abroad, has focused on the pastoral care and support of the suffering. Numerous donations to hospitals, including equipment, furniture, and medical supplies.
Here, the actions of volunteers from the National Cathedral’s Chapel in the “Health for Villages” campaign should be highlighted: hundreds of free medical consultations, prevention sessions, blood donations, etc.
The Basilica Media Centre concluded this year with a collaboration protocol with the National Health Insurance House to support those in need of oncological treatment.
Also noteworthy is the new master’s program in Christian Spirituality and Healthy Living established at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest.
Above All, Prayer
The mere fact that health was discussed throughout this year contributed to the comfort of those in suffering, to shaping new perspectives for those working to alleviate the pain of their fellow humans, and to greater societal awareness. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and other hierarchs of the Holy Synod often gave speeches with advice for the sick and calls for solidarity from those who can provide relief.
“Emotional support, compassion, understanding, and effective communication between the patient, their family, and medical staff are the main conditions for enhancing the healing of the suffering. What the family and state institutions offer less and less today must be provided by the servants of the Church because the healing of the soul facilitates the healing of the body,” stated Patriarch Daniel in the speech dedicated to the proclamation of the 2024 Solemn Year.
Above all, however, are the prayers. The celebration of the Holy Unction was intensified this year in churches and hospitals across all dioceses. The Sacraments of Holy Eucharist, the core of the Church’s sacramental and spiritual life, and Holy Confession were also offered for physical and spiritual healing.
Photo: Basilica.ro Files / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
This article was initially posted in Romanian by Sorin Ionite