The Romanian Patriarchate Constructs Symbol Buildings
- answer to those hostile to the building of the Cathedral for the Salvation of the Nation –

Over the last few days, a series of press materials and editorials have been published concerning the project of the Cathedral for the Salvation of the Nation. Aside from objective reports and comments found in numerous articles, there have also been published a series of erroneous information pieces or tendentious opinions.
For the correct information of the public opinion, including the specialists and journalists interested in this project of the Romanian Patriarchate, with symbolic value for the Romanian people, we are making the following specifications:

1. As far as the right of the Romanian Patriarchate over the land located in the 4-60 September 13 Way, Bucharest, destined exclusively for the construction of the Architectural Ensemble “The Cathedral for the Salvation of the Nation” is concerned, the legal attribution by the Romanian State is, first of all, an act of justice, not a privilege, as, tendentiously, those who oppose the Cathedral are alleging. The land attributed to the Romanian Patriarchate is a moral reparation for the three churches which were demolished in the area of the Arsenal Hill, namely Spirea Veche, Izvor and Alba-Postavari, and the two worship places which were translated to other locations, masked behind apartment buildings, namely Mihai-Voda and Schitul Maicilor, in order to build, during the Communist regime, the current Parliament Building. As such, the Romanian Patriarchate considers the attribution of the land for the construction of a patriarchal cathedral of public use as a reparatory and responsible act by the lawmaker.

2. As far as the financing of the future Cathedral in concerned, the Romanian Orthodox faithful, ever more poor, are the main supporters of its construction, together with the Romanian State (which desires to contribute to the construction because nearly 90% of the contributors to the country’s budget are Orthodox). We are also reminding that, according to the Law 489 / 2006 concerning religious freedom and the general status of religions, all religious faiths recognized in Romania are private but of public utility (article 8, paragraph 1). As such, it is normal and appropriate for the State to support the religious faiths which are recognized in Romania, including in their construction of worship places, in accordance to the number of believers and the real needs (article 10, paragraphs 1 and 6), which happened in fact in our country over the last 20 years (according to the annexes to the Law of the state budget). Also, according to the law dedicated to the construction of the Cathedral, the necessary funds will be ensured by the Romanian Patriarchate, the Romanian Government, in the limit of the sums allotted annually for this area, as well as by the local authorities (according to article 1, paragraph 2 of the Emergency Order of the Government no. 19/1005, modified and completed by Law no. 376/2007).

3. Concerning the costs of the construction of the future patriarchal cathedral, currently estimated at 160-170 million euro for the unfinished phase (the equivalent of the construction of 8.5 kilometers of highway in Romania in 2010), those who express their concern for this financial effort, are ignorant of the fact that it will be spread out over a period of three years (2010-2013), followed by the finishing phase and the installing of furniture in the future patriarchal Cathedral, in order to celebrate its consecration in 2015.

4. On the subject of the dimensions and capacity of the new Cathedral, the design theme specifies that the dimensions will be as follows: 120 meters long, 70 meters wide, 120 meters high, and the religious services celebrated inside the cathedral will be attended by as much as 5,000 people, being, in area, ten times smaller than the nearby building of the Parliament. We are reminding that, on the day of the consecration of the place on which the cathedral will be built, on November 29, 2007, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel has underlined that the future patriarchal Cathedral will not imitate the immense buildings of the Communist regime, but it will be their corrective, displaying decent and harmonious volumetric proportions, avoiding any gigantic or crushing style. That is why we think it is irresponsible to use such expressions as “megalomaniac project,” “pharaonic project” or the erroneous comparison to “a 30-story building.” For the correct information, we are pointing out that, at the cornice, the future cathedral will be 60 meters tall, which corresponds to the height of a 15-story building, the rest representing the tower and the cross mounted on it.

5. Responding to the concerns by some that the respective money could be used for “orphanages, nursing homes for the elderly, canteens for the poor” etc., we are informing that, by constructing the future patriarchal Cathedral, the Romanian Orthodox Church will not diminish the ample social work which it currently unfolds. To this end, we are reminding that, last year, in the Romanian Patriarchate – where 394 social-philanthropic institutions are functioning – 335 social programs have been run, helping approximately 630,000 people, with an expenditure of 45 million lei.

6. In this context, we are informing the contesters of the Cathedral that, in Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe, with a population of approximately 3 million, of which the Orthodox are a minority of about 20%, the Albanese Orthodox Church has started in 2007 to build a large cathedral with the feast of the Resurrection, in the center of capital Tirana, without any opposition from the Muslim majority (70% of the population) or from occult groups. This construction, in early 2010, is already in erected in unfinished phase and roofed, with additional buildings to be added soon (a new headquarters of the Holy Synod, a conference center and a museum).

This example encourages the Romanian Patriarchate to continue with even more responsibility the necessary actions and efforts for the construction of the future patriarchal Cathedral, regardless of the complexes and occult interests of those who, with hostility, are attempting by any means to prevent its construction in Bucharest, the only capital of a country member of the European Union without a Cathedral which is representative for the faith and dignity of its people.

At the same time, the Romanian Patriarchate expresses its gratitude towards all those who helped the Church until now, as well as towards those who will support the future patriarchal Cathedral, praying to God to bless all those who love the beauty of the faithful soul and that of the churches who are born out of faith and giving.

THE PRESS OFFICE OF THE ROMANIAN PATRIARCHATE