Patriarch Daniel urges Romanians living abroad to stay in contact with those at home
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, sent a message on Wednesday on the occasion of the Romanian Migrants Sunday (August 20), in which he urges Romanians living far from home to stay in constant contact with their loved ones back home, told Agerpres.
"On this special Sunday, dedicated to Romanians far from home, we wish to thank the ministers of the Holy Altars and all the Romanian Orthodox faithful abroad for their steadfast love for their homeland and Mother Church and for their faithful service. With much paternal love, we urge all Romanians living far from home to stay in constant contact with their loved ones back home, great-grandparents, grandparents, fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, so that the great geographical distances do not cause spiritual estrangement or spiritual alienation of some from others and to preserve the unity of the family," says the Patriarch.
Patriarch Daniel brings to mind that the pastoral care and special attention shown by the Romanian Patriarchate towards Romanians of different ages, living in Romanian Orthodox communities outside Romania, have been materialised by multiplying and intensifying pastoral-missionary, building, social-philanthropic and educational-cultural activities, in the 1,483 parishes and branches and 71 Romanian Orthodox monastic establishments abroad.
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has proclaimed 2023 as the Year of the Pastoral Care of the Elderly and the Commemorative Year of Church Hymnographers and Singers.
According to the message, the Romanian Orthodox Church is already making important efforts to help the elderly, more than just pastoring them, through various social centers and philanthropic actions or programmes, with the Romanian Patriarchate offering concrete support to the elderly.