“The prayer is the best antidote to the state of division and only holiness can be the antidote to secularisation”. This assertion was made by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romanhia, on Saturday, 25 January 2014, in the Patriarchal Cathedral, after the Vesper service, in the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
“Secularisation is the most hostile phenomenon to the Church, but it has no face, but it is manifested just like the radiations, with no colour, taste or smell, but with effects for the spiritual life. The germ of secularisation is in man’s disobedience towards God and his alienation from God. Thus, Adam, our forefather, is the first man who starts secularising himself because he lives at a certain moment as if God were absent, as if God did not exist. It is very often that we imitate Adam in his sin when we forget about God and live in the world He created as if He did not exist. Secularisation has always had the germ of division in it and this is why prayer is the best antidote to the state of division and only holiness can be the antidote to secularisation. Certainly, the large number of the Christians is not always the sign of deep experience. Very often small but strong communities in prayer and confession of faith conveyed the faith and love for the Church from generation to generation as a Resurrection flame. So, in this work of ours of common confession in a secularised world the power comes from God, and this power is received through prayer”, the Patriarch of Romania said.
The meditation of the last night of the Week of Prayer was delivered by the pastor of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in the Hungarian language.
The Vesper service was celebrated by His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, assisted by a group of priests and deacons, in the presence of the representatives of several Christian Churches and confessions, with the participation of the seminarian students and of the faithful.
This year the theme of the Week of prayer for Christian Unity was “Is Christ Divided?” inspired by the scriptural text of 1 Corinthians 1:1-17.
