Saturday, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel chaired the solemn session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church to mark the Patriarchate\u2019s solemn and commemorative themes of the year. The Romanian Patriarchate declared the 2017 a Solemn Year of the Holy Icons, of Iconographers and church painters, and a Commemorative Year of Patriarch Justinian and the defenders of Orthodoxy during communism.<\/p>\n
Attendees at the event included members of the Romanian Church Holy Synod, Russian Patriarch Kirill, Albanian Archbishop Anastasios, Czech and Slovak Church Metropolitan Rastislav, and several other hierarchs from Orthodox Churches in former communist countries.<\/p>\n
After a polychronion was chanted, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered an opening speech.<\/p>\n
The Orthodox Primates and delegates of sister Churches delivered speeches regarding the difficulties of professing the faith under communist regime and the importance of religious freedom today.<\/p>\n
The first Orthodox Primate to present his address was Russian Patriarch Kirill.<\/p>\n
Our Churches experience today a proper time. They enjoy internal freedom and an unencountered opportunity to profess our ancient faith. This freedom was acquired with a bitter price, paid by previous generations at the cost of the sacrifice of many thousands of Orthodox confessors and neo-martyrs, who suffered during communism<\/em>, His Beatitude Patriarch Kirill said.<\/p>\n The Russian Patriarch noted that it is our duty to value the gift of peace that we had received form our ancestors.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s times when we are fulfilling our ministry and opportunities represent a precious talent received from the divine Chief Shepherd. We will give account to God and history about how we used this talent, because we are together-labourers with God.<\/p>\n Patriarch Kirill cautioned that we must keep with holiness in memory and study carefully the historical experience of the Holy Church in the difficult years of trials. Let us take care and teach the true-believing flock to confront the new contemporary and future challenges.<\/em><\/p>\n The common work of the Church cannot be complete except when communion of its members is provided, Patriarch Kirill added.<\/p>\n This creative work in the vineyard of Christ\u2019s Holy Church is not possible without brotherly communion between all of us and without strengthening the relations between our sister Churches and the peoples they pastor.<\/p>\n His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios spoke about the suffering of the Albanian Orthodox Church, which was completely abolished during the communist regime.<\/p>\n His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav presented the difficulties experienced by the Czech and Slovak Church.<\/p>\n