On 12 February 2014, the annual working session of the Church National Assembly – the central deliberative body of the Romanian Orthodox Church for the administrative, social, cultural, economical and patrimonial issues – was held at the Patriarchate Palace, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.
The members of the Church National Assembly (the hierarchs of the Holy Synod and three representatives, one clergy and two laics for each eparchy) examined and approved the General annual report of the Church National Council on the activity of the Romanian Orthodox Church in 2013 in regard to the pastoral-liturgical and social – philanthropic work, monastic life, theological education and teaching of religion in the public schools, editorial – printing activity and mass media, church cultural patrimony, construction of new places of worship, relations with other religious cults, care for the Romanian Orthodox communities abroad, inter-church and inter-religious relations etc.
1.Out of the rich church activity unfolded in 2013, the participants emphasised the manifestations within the framework of the Solemn year of Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen and Commemorative year of Dumitru Staniloae organised at the Romanian Patriarchate as well as in all the eparchies in the country and abroad, especially the International Theological Congresses organised at the Patriarchate Palace on the themes Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen, promoters of the religious freedom and supporters of the Church, and Reception of the work of Father Staniloae today.
Very appreciated was the successful national project entitled “Choose school!” implemented by the Romanian Patriarchate at national level in order to prevent school abandon, a project financed by the European Union through the Sector Operational Programme for Human Resources Development. Also emphasised was the activity of the publishing houses of the Romanian Patriarchate who published 178 books in 2013, as well as magazines, calendars, brochures and guide books.
2.The members of the Church National Assembly appreciated the social-philanthropic activity developed in the eparchies of the Romanian Patriarchate in 2013 in spite of the prolonged economical crisis in our country. Thus, 174 social institutions and services operate at present in the eparchies of the Romanian Orthodox Church, out of which: 141 social canteens and bakeries, 50 medical and pharmacies, 75 daily centres for children, 68 educational centres, 15 daily centres for old people, 47 old people’s homes, 11 community centres, 35 family type centres, 38 social kindergarten and after-school, 13 protected places, 130 informational centres of counselling and resources, 2 educational institutions for adults, 18 emergency centres (for homeless persons, victims of the domestic violence and of the trafficking in persons), 13 camps and other 128 social institutions of different type.
271 social projects and programmes are being implemented at the level of the eparchies of the Romanian Patriarchate, out of which 178 financed from their own funds, 18 with public financing, 19 with external financing and 56 with mixed financing.
In 2013, 22.945 children benefited of social assistance in the social settlements of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and especially poor families unable to maintain themselves or with parents gone to work abroad, 4920 disabled persons (deficiencies of speaking, sight or hearing, drug addicts or other types of addiction, HIV/AIDS infected persons, etc.), 15.086 aged persons from the church social protection settlements, in transit social centres or night shelters, lonely old people, homebound persons, persons abandoned by families and with serious bad health, 13.110 victims of the trafficking in persons, victims of the family violence, released prisoners, victims of the natural scourges, unemployed and 5650 persons of other social disadvantaged categories.
Last year, the eparchies of the Romanian Patriarchate granted over 152.000 direct financial aids through the social philanthropic departments amounting to almost 18.000.000 lei and about 420.000 material aids consisting in aliments, clothing, school supplies, hygienic sanitary products, medicines, appliances amounting to over 15.000.000 lei.
The families and persons affected by the floods in September 2013 were helped with over 500.000 lei and material assets amounting to almost 500.000 lei.
In 2013, the Romanian Orthodox Church spent 80.828.191 lei to sustain the social-philanthropic activity.
3.During the annual meeting of the Church National Assembly the efforts of the Romanian Patriarchate for continuing the construction of the Cathedral for the Nation’s Salvation were emphasised. Thus, last year in spring the infrastructure of the future Patriarchal Cathedral was finished saving 20% of the costs first estimated. Till the end of 2013, the rigid reinforcement of the level between + 0,00 m and + 9,00 m was set up as well as 50% of the flexible iron reinforcement of the over-structure of the Cathedral of the Nation Salvation.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel thanked the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful for the financial contribution offered within the framework of the fund raising organised in all the Romanian Orthodox eparchies in the country and abroad for building the new Cathedral, as well as the authorities of the state central and local administration for the financial aid allotted to the Romanian Patriarchate in view of building the Cathedral for the Nation’s Salvation during this period of economical and financial crisis.
PRESS OFFICE OF THE ROMANIAN PATRIARCHATE
