Patriarch Daniel: Great Union in Alba Iulia - celebration of freedom, unity and dignity of Romanian people

Alba Iulia, Dec 1 /Agerpres/ - The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, stated on Saturday in Alba Iulia, that the Great Union of 1918 is the 'celebration of freedom, unity and dignity of the Romanian people' and that all of Romania's citizens have the duty to keep and cultivate 'not only the gift of freedom, but that of national unity'.

In his sermon at the end of the Te Deum officiated, together with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilus III, in front of the Reunification Cathedral in Alba Iulia, Patriarch Daniel spoke of the sacrifice and suffering endured by Romanians for centuries for the union in a single national state and emphasized the fact that the accomplishment of national unity on December 1, 1918, was made possible also by the contribution of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

"The accomplishment of national unity on December 1, 1918 was made possible also by the contribution of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who supported the Great Union of all Romanians, the Church being together with the people in all its efforts to cultivate national consciousness and affirm the wish for national unity, in all the Romanian provinces, but especially in Transylvania, Basarabia and Bucovina," stated the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

He spoke at length about the Church's contribution, "which was active in the union's works", through the efforts put forth and the involvement in fulfilling the national ideal by priests, church scholars, deacons, theology professors and students but also by monks and nuns who cared for wounded Romanian soldiers, raised money and food, "all of them together encouraging morally and aiding materially the Romanian fighters for freedom and national unity."

The Patriarch recalled the fact that during the War for National Unity between 1916-1919, over 250 Romanian Orthodox priests accompanied Romanian Army troops in the field of battle, some of them dying on the front, others being taken prisoners and deported, while more than 200 monks and nuns served as nurses in various field hospitals, while hundreds of priests were investigated, robbed or expelled from their parishes, while others died in territories occupied by German troops.

He also made reference to the fact that among the official delegates present on December 1, 1918, many were servants of the two Romanian churches in Transylvania, the Orthodox and Greek-Catholic churches and evoked the contribution to the great act of the Union of Romanian orthodox bishop of Caransebes, later Patriarch, Miron Cristea, and the Greek-Catholic bishop of Gherla, Iuliu Hossu, the two being elected to the delegation that presented the Act of Union to King Ferdinand in Bucharest.

"Now, on the anniversary of 100 years since the Great Union of December 1, 1918, we wish to express our homage of gratefulness to those who contributed to the accomplishment of the greatest ideal in our history," said Patriarch Daniel. AGERPRES (RO - author: Gina Stefan, editor: Mirela Barbulescu; EN - editor: Razvan-Adrian Pandea)