The National Congress entitled “Christ Shared with the Children”, organized for the third time by the Romanian Patriarchate shows the concern of our Church to share the Word of God with the children, to open their hearts to the genuine values of life.

While witnessing the merciful love of God towards us through the parochial catechesis, the children are called to share His merciful love in order to grow in the holy love for the Church and her fellow beings.

In the context of the Homage Year of the Orthodox Creed and of the Romanian Autocephaly, during the Lent, the catechesis classes within the Programme “Christ Shared with the Children” improved the teaching of faith expressed in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. Besides the more and more activities organized by the parishes in the country within this educational programme – contests, pilgrimages, camps, etc. – over 100,000 children from all over the country participated in the National Contest of Christian Oratory entitled “My Creed”, the most talented of them reciting the Orthodox Creed and being awarded prizes on the occasion of the dedication day of the Patriarchal Cathedral.

The Project “Choose School!” is also unfolded under the aegis of the programme “Christ Shared with the Children” enjoying European financing. The Project is aimed at intervening in the children’s education through groups of catechesis providing them with a plenary Orthodox vision on life.

May God bless all those involved in the catechesis and spiritual formation of the children of our Church so that they may witness in their lives that “Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God, the Father” (Philippians 2:11).

† Daniel

Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church