Ortodoxia în mişcare: Studiu asupra comunităţilor româneşti din Italia
Orthodoxy on the move: a study of Romanian communities in Italy

Summary/Abstract: Romanian migration to Italy is a complex phenomenon, bringing to the fore economic opportunities as well as social, cultural and identity challenges. The Romanian community, the largest of the foreign communities in Italy, is mostly Orthodox, and the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) plays an essential role in maintaining its spiritual and cultural identity. Through its structures, the BOR provides spiritual, social and cultural support, contributing to the integration of migrants into Italian society. At the same time, migration raises significant challenges, such as the fragmentation of communities, generational conflicts and economic pressures. Migrants often face exploitation, discrimination and social isolation, and the phenomenon of the “Italy syndrome” highlights the profound psychological suffering of women working in the care sector. Children left behind also suffer from emotional abandonment and difficulties in their social and educational development. The Orthodox Church is called to develop integrated pastoral strategies that respond to the spiritual and material needs of the migrants. Through ecumenical dialogue and cultural adaptation, the Romanian Orthodox Church reaffirms its role of support and cohesion in the diaspora, offering a framework for reconciliation and integration. In this context, migration can be interpreted as both a pilgrimage of hope and an exile of uprootedness, requiring a theological and pastoral approach adapted to the complex realities of the 21st century.

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