{"id":551046,"date":"2025-12-04T15:43:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T13:43:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=551046"},"modified":"2025-12-04T15:43:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T13:43:30","slug":"romanian-bishop-warns-technology-threatens-young-peoples-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/romanian-bishop-warns-technology-threatens-young-peoples-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Romanian Bishop warns technology threatens young people\u2019s freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cPurity of heart is difficult to preserve in this world \u2014 but not impossible,\u201d said Bishop Damaschin of Dorna, Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of Suceava and R\u0103d\u0103u\u021bi, in an interview with Lumina Newspaper<\/a> about the challenges facing young people in contemporary society.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He stressed that, despite the overwhelming flood of digital stimuli and temptations that fragment the inner life, young people still have real resources to remain anchored in faith if they receive proper support.<\/p>\n

The bishop spoke candidly about the risks of the modern world: the loss of authentic freedom, manipulation through technology and the \u201csubtle thefts\u201d of time and attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are \u2014 even if it sounds harsh \u2014 victims. What is being targeted? Our time, our energy, our freedom, our life, which we no longer live as we would wish,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Church brings clarity\u201d<\/h2>\n

Faced with these pressures, the Church has a key role, he said: illuminating, restoring a young person\u2019s identity and helping them find the right direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Church brings clarity, brings light where confusion is deliberately created. It offers a way forward \u2014 not miraculous solutions \u2014 and does not force,\u201d Bishop Damaschin explained.<\/p>\n

Speaking about young people\u2019s vocation, he encouraged patience, discernment and honesty with oneself:<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not settle for ready-made things \u2014 yearn for greater ideals.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also clarified the relationship between freedom and obedience \u2014 often seen as opposites. In reality, he said, Christian freedom is the ability not to become a slave to one\u2019s impulses.<\/p>\n

\u201cObedience to God liberates, promises freedom of the spirit, guides you along the way and offers you the perspective of eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Service and sacrifice<\/h2>\n

Bishop Damaschin emphasised the role of pilgrimage, volunteer service, and prayer in building a strong, balanced character.<\/p>\n

\u201cVolunteering is a sign of sacrificial love for the other. And when we unite pilgrimage and volunteering with prayer, the Lord is even more present within and among us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Church and the world need people deeply rooted in what they believe. Let us value young people, set them as examples and pray that the Lord keeps them in His loving care,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n

Photo: Doxologia \/ Fr. Silviu Cluci<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cPurity of heart is difficult to preserve in this world \u2014 but not impossible,\u201d said Bishop Damaschin of Dorna, Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of Suceava and R\u0103d\u0103u\u021bi, in an interview with Lumina Newspaper about the challenges facing young people in contemporary society. He stressed that, despite the overwhelming flood of digital stimuli and temptations…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":550331,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18771,22924],"tags":[25468,36466,36467,12005,36465],"class_list":["post-551046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spirituality-en","category-youth","tag-assistant-bishop-damaschin-of-dorna","tag-digital-risks","tag-purity-of-heart","tag-romanian-orthodox-youth","tag-technology-threatens-freedom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=551046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551046\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/550331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=551046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=551046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=551046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}