“The Church and society need you, not for what you will become years from now, but for what you bring today,” State Secretary for Religious Affairs Ciprian Olinici told participants at the opening of the 2026 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth in Bucharest on Tuesday.
The Romanian official reflected on the significance of the young people’s presence at the National Cathedral, which he described as “a place that gathers the memory and faith of a people” and which, for several days, “allows itself to be inhabited by its youth”.
“Some places are built for one generation, while others are built for generations. The National Cathedral is such a building.”
“Perhaps this is also one of the meanings or purposes of a cathedral: not merely to have room for those who come, but to make room for them. Not merely to preserve what has been, but to remain open to something that is beginning,” the State Secretary for Religious Affairs added.
Ciprian Olinici also explained that the National Cathedral is itself “young”, and that its history begins with the journeys of people who are themselves at the beginning of their lives.
“What we inherit remains alive not because we repeat it, but because each generation discovers and rediscovers it.”
‘You have the privilege of truly meeting one another’
The Romanian official highlighted the value of meeting face to face at a time when communication is increasingly intensive but does not always bring people closer together.
“We communicate a great deal, but it is by no means certain that we have grown closer to the same extent. We communicate a great deal, but it is by no means certain that we are close to one another. Distances have become shorter. Closeness has not necessarily become easier.”
Ciprian Olinici also encouraged the young people to embrace their experience in Bucharest.
“Around you are 2,400 young people, most of whom you do not know at present. Part of the beauty of these days will lie in the way these encounters continue beyond the programme.”
From career to calling
The State Secretary for Religious Affairs explained the distinction between a career and a vocation, saying that the former concerns what a person wants to become, while the latter leads a person to ask about their purpose.
“We do not yet know what you are capable of. You probably do not fully know either. And this is one of those rare cases in which not knowing is good news. Youth has this privilege. Life has not yet had its final say.”
Referring to the role of faith in making choices, Ciprian Olinici emphasised that faith does not make decisions on a person’s behalf, but keeps the essential questions alive.
“When everything tells us what we can have, faith asks us what is worth desiring. When we are fascinated by how far we can go, faith asks us where we are going.”
“To keep calling someone ‘the future’ can become a very polite way of denying them a place in the present. But you are already here. The Church and society need you, not for what you will become years from now, but for what you bring today.”
“May you discover the history and faith of these places and gain friendships that last longer than the gathering that made them possible,” the Romanian official said in conclusion.
The International Meeting of Orthodox Youth will continue over the coming days with a programme of prayer, workshops and cultural activities for its 2,400 participants from Romania and abroad.
Photo: BASILICA / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
