Message of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church addressed to the participants in the 4th National Congress entitled “Christ Shared with the Children”, organised by the Romanian Patriarchate in collaboration with the World Vision Romania Organisation – Patriarchal Palace, 19 – 21 September 2011


Your Graces,
Reverend Counsellors,
Reverend Inspectors,
Distinguished guests,

The National Congress entitled Christ Shared with the Children organised for the 4th time by the Romanian Patriarchate proves the permanent concern of the our Church for the educational missionary work with the new generation, fully aware that all children and young people grown up in faith are the present and the future of the Church. Through the missionary programme entitled Christ shared with the Children the Romanian Orthodox Church revives the parochial catechises for the spiritual growth of the children in the love of Christ, collaborating with World Vision Romania Organisation.

Thus, the Church educates the children and young people in the spirit of the Christian values, calling to a life lived in the light of faith, love and hope of salvation, as union of the man with God – the Source of eternal life. Her parochial catechises calls the children to come close to Christ and share His devotional love, in order to grow in the holy love for God, Church, family and for their fellow beings.

The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church decided that the year 2011 should be declared as the Homage Year of the Holy Baptism and of the Holy Wedding in the Romanian Patriarchate. In this context, besides the more and more numerous activities organised by the parishes in the country within the programme “Christ Shared with the Children” – contests, pilgrimages, camps etc. – over 100,000 students from all over the country participated in the National Contest of Christian Creation entitled “The Child in the Family”, with the most gifted students awarded prizes on the occasion of the dedication day of the Patriarchal Cathedral. So, over 4,800 students participated this year in camps of creation within the project entitled “Choose School!” unfolded in partnership with World Vision Romania Organisation.

These projects of our Church cultivate the spirit of friendship and of communion in the life of the children and of the young people, in order to prevent school abandonment present especially in the poor families as well as in those of the parents gone to work abroad. The Church wants to make up for the lack of parental love and of the familial atmosphere through the activity of the parochial catechises and of the summer camps organised. She discovers gifted children and encourages them to cultivate their talents for the benefit of society. She promotes the active co-operation with School as well as with the other educational factors – family, local community, mass media and non-governmental organisations.

We congratulate all the counsellors, inspectors in charge with the organisation of the parochial catechises, the priests and their collaborators, for the responsibility and devotion they prove in the implementation of this project. We thank the regional co-ordinator of the programme, the national director of World Vision Romania Organisation and all those involved in this missionary work. It has a bigger value now, in time of economical crisis and material poverty, because it represents a spiritual enrichment of the children and of the youth of our Church.

We pray the Holy Trinity to bless all those involved in this noble work of catechisation and spiritual formation, so that the children and young people should live in the liturgical joy expressed by the psalm writer: “Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8).

† Daniel
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church