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The present study aims at presenting the figure of Mitered Prelate, Reverend Zdzisław Król, PhD, who devoted his life to the Church of Warsaw. An enlightened and educated man, an excellent priest, outstanding preacher and experienced curia clerk, Reverend Zdzisław Król strived to commemorate places and events of historical significance to the Polish nation, especially those related to the Katyn massacre. As chancellor of the metropolitan curia, he defended priests persecuted by the Security Service. Reverend Zdzisław Król died in the Smolensk catastrophe on April 10, 2010 and was buried in the Pantheon of Great Poles in the Temple of Divine Providence, the erection of which he greatly contributed to.
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In the context of year 2021, proclaimed by the Romanian Patriarchate as Solemn Year dedicated to the pastoral care for Romanians abroad and Commemorative Year of the reposed in the Lord, as well as the liturgical and cultural significance of cemeteries, with the blessing of His Grace Sofronie, Bishop of Oradea, the Faculty of Orthodox Theology ,,Bishop Dr. Vasile Coman” – the University of Oradea, organized on 8-9 June 2021, the International Symposium „Pastoral care and mission in the Romanian diaspora – challenges and perspectives. The Orthodox Church’s care for the reposed, expressed in its consecrated hierurgies” .The international symposium’s proceedings were conducted online, via ZOOM video conferencing platform, and were preceded by a Te Deum service, celebrated in the church within the University campus, dedicated to „The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel” of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology ,,Bishop Dr. Vasile Coman”. The symposium was attended by members of Faculties of Orthodox Theology in Romania: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Arad, Alba-Iulia, as well as other guests with experience in the field of pastoral-missionary work, from Othodox parishes abroad: Italy, Great Britain, Ireland, Switzerland and the USA.The speakers addressed aspects in the life of the Orthodox communities in the diaspora, revealing the fact that pastoral work conducted in diaspora is a highly complex, complicated and sensitive phenomenon, facing the challenges posed by the cultural, social, ethnic and multireligious environment. Also, the contributors presented works centered on the ,,Orthodox Church’s care for the reposed in the Lord”.
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On June 23, 2021, at the Patriarchal Residence, His Beatitude Daniel, the Patriarch of Romania, announced the establishment of a new parish for Romanians in the diaspora. The parish will be in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and will be pastored by Father Pavel Goreanu, a former parish priest in Turin. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel welcomed Father Pavel Goreanu at the Patriarchal Residence and presented the priest with a priestly vestment and liturgical objects for the new parish and all the liturgical books published by the Romanian Patriarchate. The Patriarch of Romania expressed his gratitude to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ljubljana, which provided the Romanian community with a space for liturgical services, namely the Church of “Saint Peter” in the Slovenian capital. The Romanian Patriarch advised the priest of the new parish to develop good relations with the other Christian communities in Slovenia “because the big problem today in Europe is secularization”. “We were glad that these Romanian believers, quite numerous at present in Slovenia, realized that in four or five cemeteries in Slovenia, there are many Romanian heroes who died during the First World War. Therefore, they decided that the main patronal feast of this parish should be the Ascension of the Lord,” the Patriarch underlined. The second patronal feast of the Romanian Orthodox Parish of Ljubljana is Saint Agnes of Rome (January 21). The Romanian Embassy in Ljubljana supported the initiative to establish the parish.
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In the capital of Italy – Rome, on 3 July 2021, took place the oath taking ceremony of the 26 first-generation alumni of „Patriarch Justinian” Faculty of Orthodox Theology – the University of Bucharest, having completed their Bachelor’s degree studies in Pastoral Theology. The event was attended by professors and alumni, joined by His Grace Bishop Siluan of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy, His Grace Timotei of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Spain and Portugal, His Grace Atanasie of Bogdania, vicar bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy, and Mr Gheorghe Miloșan, minister counsellor at the Romanian Embassy to Italy. In the year 2017, at the request of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe, with the blessing of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church and of the country’s Patriarch, His Beatitude Părinte Daniel, with the support of the Ministry for Romanians Abroad, in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education and the University of Bucharest, this program of undergraduate studies of Pastoral Theology was established as an extension of the same program of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest. It was offered to the Romanian residents in Western Europe, with courses to be run in Rome. Thus, the first generation began its academic „journey” in the year dedicated to the commemoration of Patriarch Justinian (2017), whose name this Faculty bears, and completed its undergraduate studies in the year 2021, which the Romanian Church has dedicated to the pastoral care for Romanians abroad. The members of our Faculty have contributed enormous efforts and sacrifices (doing almost pro bono work), in order to continue and sustain this program, fully aware of carrying out Christian mission in a world increasingly estranged from God, which hopefully will turn to Him again. This achievement could not have been possible without the substantial contribution of His Beatitude Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, His Grace Siluan, Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy, His Grace Atanasie of Bogdania, Rev. George Militaru, Vicar of the Diocese of Italy, Rev. Horia Grădinaru, delegate of His Grace Siluan for the secretariat matters of this programme, and Rev. lecturer. dr. Aurel Mihai, coordinator and supervisor of this first generation of alumni. Also, a very important internationalization contribution was brought by the University of Bucharest, who receives our gratitude (rector Mircea Dumitru, rector Marian Preda, vicerector Sorin Costreie, director of International Relations Alina Cristovici, and vicerector Bogdan Ștefănescu).
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Between 27-28 August 2021 took place via the Zoom platform the Pastoral-Missionary Conference for the clergy of The Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas. On Friday, August 27, at 6.00 pm (EST), His Eminence Nicolae, the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas, began the event by the intonation of the Heavenly King prayer, after which he greeted all those present with a word of welcome, expressing his joy to be together once again, and recalling the brotherly atmosphere of the two previous similar encounters, in Chicago and Mississauga. Afterwards, His Eminence made a general presentation of the work agenda. In turn, His Grace Ioan Casian, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada, greeted all the participants, saying that in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual encounter remains the best option. His Grace expressed the hope that all conclusions which we would reach after this conference will be put into practice in order to accomplish a most fruitful and utmost efficient pastoral care. His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae then presented the meditation “The Priest’s Mission in a Complicated and Confused World”. After His Eminence Nicolae, Rev. Father Chad Hatfield, President of Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in the NY State, was invited to present his meditation on the topic “What Future for the Orthodox Church on the American Continent?”. The next day, Saturday, August 28, at 12.00 pm (EST), the Pastoral-Missionary Conference was resumed, and following the usual prayer, participants listened to the video recording of the message of His Beatitude Father Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. After His Beatitude Patriarch’s Daniel message, His Grace Ioan Casian presented the meditation of “Mission and Christian purpose in contemporaneity – to love and to be love” and Rev. Fr. Ioan Teșu, Professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Dumitru Stăniloae” from Jassy, held the talk: “The Contemporary Family – between Ideal and Crisis”.After the thanks addressed by our hierarchs, there followed a segment of questions and answers. As it had been the case in the previous evening’s meeting, the participants were divided into four groups, in which discussions were held, and the conclusions of which were then presented in plenary. The Pastoral-Missionary Conference ended with a prayer addressed to the Mother of God and with the hope of being reunited in-person as soon as possible, resuming our brotherly communion that is so necessary.
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The moment is our gift. Life is made up of a lot of time packs, full of eternity moments. Every moment should be received, lived, filled with sense and meaning, and lit by prayer. The Hesychast Orthodox Prayer fills to the fullest extent, warms, ignites and flames the golden Cup gem of every moment in our earthly and Christian life. Each moment has its infinite value, that is why a man, a Christian, a clergyman or a monk is bound to connect, bind and hang every moment of his life by faith, hope and love, humility, repentance and weeping, of God’s eternity, for eventually God’s eternity will call to judgment and judge the moments of our life, separating them as the shepherd breaks up the lambs from the goats.
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The purpose of the Orthodox Church is to preach peace and good understanding between nations and peoples. She was a peacemaker as her Founder, Jesus Christ, asked for and asked of her believers today. In the light of the teachings given by the Savior Jesus Christ and following the line of our ancestral tradition, the Romanian Orthodox Church has contributed to solving social problems. She was with the people in her efforts to maintain the unity of faith, nation, language, culture and freedom for a better life. In the most difficult moments of the history of our nation, the priests were not absent from those who sacrificed themselves for the holy cause of the ideal of freedom, being at the forefront of the people through their mission to shepherd and serve even with the sacrifice of life.
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In the inter-war period, our Holy Church gained a theologian of a high intellectual and spiritual attitude who contributed to the development of Theological education in the west of the country, namely Father Professor Doctor Ilarion V. Felea. The martyr father Ilarion Felea worked as a professor at the Faculties of Theology in Cluj, Sibiu and Arad where he was also chancellor until its abolition by the communist regime in 1948. As a result of his activity as a priest and teacher, but especially as a publicist, there has been left a rich work with a special value from a theological-spiritual point of view. We mention the fact that Father Felea was an editor at the magazines “Biserica şi Școala” (Church and School) and “Calea Mântuirii” (The Path to Salvation), but he also wrote in other specialized publications in the country and left us numerous works in volume, one of them being awarded by the Romanian Academy. It is very important for us to highlight the theologians’ work who in spite of living in a not very stable period from a social point of view, they still sought to deepen the theological sermon and thus forming a special spiritual treasure. In this study I will try to highlight the way our Theologian sees the Work of Salvation of Christ and how we can transpose the sermon from the Gospel into our lives, especially the unity between word and deed, between teaching and experience. In conclusion, we must see the value of a theologian’s work who served with all his being and with the utmost seriousness within the Church, in times of social instability. It should be known that Father Ilarion V. Felea promoted a Theology that we learn through studying and deepen through experience. I chose this theme because Father Ilarion V. Felea has a work called „Mantuire“(Salvation) published in 1947 and in his works and articles constantly approaches this topic, which for us has a special spiritual value.
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The question which concern in a lot of people’s minds “Why would someone join monasticism ?” is absolutely normal; for anyone would be surprised when seemingly educated healthy individuals give up their family, friends, success, and everyday comforts to live in solitude, hardship, anonymity, and generally a life full of shortages. This is the question our article is trying to answer using analytical and comparative methods. So that, I intend to highlight the beauty and weight of such a decision, and to thoroughly explore and explain what we know as monachal values and how contemporary friars abide by them, as well as the world’s perception of the conventual life. People try to justify this shift in livelihood through a series of apparently rational answers, which do not necessarily reflect reality. Therefore, some think a person decides to join monastic life after a shocking event which led to self-doubt, or due to hopelessness. They might even consider he who desires such a path a deserter from life’s responsibilities and duties that were too much to bear. However, those who come to such conclusions, overlook the fact that friars do not lead a quiet and care-free life in the convent; quite the opposite - by leaving their former life behind, they are in the frontline of the spiritual warfare.
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Review of: „Arhierie și Filantropie. Înaltpreasfințitul Părinte Ioan Selejan la 7 decenii de viață. Omul păcii și al mângâierii”, coordonatori preotul dr. Ionel Popescu, preotul Mircea Petru Szilagyi, conf. univ. dr. Claudiu T. Arieșan, preotul dr. Daniel Aron Alic, Editurile Partoș / Centrul de studii Banatice Vârșeț, 2021, 392 pp.
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Drawing on archival materials and selected publications, the author presents a profile of Fr. Stanislaw Nagy and reports little known facts related to his academic and pastoral activities. In particular, the author describes Cardinal Nagy’s commitment to the Catholic Church, to promoting the teachings of John Paul II, and to the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. The article focuses on the last stage of Stanislaw Nagy’s life, i.e., the years after he was created cardinal.
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This article focuses on conjugal abstinence in the teaching of the great Polish theologian, Benedict Hesse, who lived and worked in Cracow during the fifteenth century. In his work Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew, Hesse focuses his discussion on chastity and conjugal abstinence in the context of several other subjects, including: the superiority of virginity over marriage; the superiority of virginal chastity over conjugal abstinence; the issue of assessing the pleasure of conjugal sexual intercourse; matters pertaining to modesty of the spouses and their exterior appearance; as well as castration for the Kingdom of Heaven. The issues that Hesse raises in relation to chastity and conjugal abstinence might bring a smile to a contemporary reader’s face, since they seem mostly anecdotal and basic. This article is not a complete and systematic lecture on conjugal abstinence.
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This article presents the Congregation for the Clergy’s reflection on the state of the parish and conditions for pastoral care. The congregation’s most recent instruction entitled The Pastoral Conversion of the Parish Community in the Service of the Evangelizing Mission of the Church presents the authors’ vision for renewal of the parish community and pastoral care within the parish setting. This article is the first of its kind to present the bases for, the conditions of, and the direction that such renewal should take. The need for renewal stems primarily from ongoing cultural changes that are taking place in the modern world. The renewal should transform the parish into a sanctuary where the Word of God is proclaimed in a way that the faithful understand. The parish should become a place of deep devotion to the Eucharist and a shelter for every person in need. In order to renew the parish, it is necessary to change parish structures. It is also fitting to introduce changes concerning the agents of pastoral care and to engage the laity in pastoral care of the parish. Through textual and comparative analysis as well as textual criticism, the author presents the model of parish pastoral care according to the Instruction The Pastoral Conversion of the Parish Community in the Service of the Evangelizing Mission of the Church.
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This article considers the difficulties associated with grief, mourning, and healing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current pandemic has affected the way individuals overcome grief, since the bereaved must grieve without the usual social, cultural, and religious supports. Due to the ban on visiting the sick in hospitals as well as gathering and mourning in funeral homes, many people are experiencing pathological grief. This article indicates the importance of pastorally accompanying people who are going through the complicated process of mourning,1 and it emphasizes that, through spiritual help and psychological accompaniment, this period can lead to healing that results in posttraumatic adaptation (resilience) and inner development.
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The author of this article studied the second readings from the Office of Readings – mostly from the Fathers of the Church – of the Ordinary Time in terms of their pneumatological content, systematized them, and created an interesting outline of pneumatology that can escape the attention of clergy-men who read these texts every day. He distinguished between dogmatic and ascetic statements. The first concerns classic pneumatological themes, such as: the deity of the Holy Spirit, action in Christ and with Christ, action in the Church and in an individual person, through the sacraments, especially through the sacrament of baptism. In ascetic statements, the author showed the action of the Holy Spirit as the Creator of the gift of faith and love, the Giver of seven gifts, the Architect of man’s spiritual attitudes, and the Inspirer of prayer. It is probably not a complete textbook of pneumatology, but its classic elements are visible.
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In the light of the communio ecclesiology, the Church appears as a “community of interpersonal relationships” that should be shaped according to the example of Jesus Christ, who communicates God’s redemption in them, that is, liberation from evil, sin and eternal death. The Church, as a servant of redemption, has the task of communicating to people the truth about God’s anticipatory love not only in words, but also in pastoral relationships, thus assuming a redemptive character. According to the teaching of Pope Francis, pastoral workers should meet people wounded by sin with love, tenderness and compassion. He calls upon believers in Christ to fulfill the ministry of accompanying others on the way to the fullness of Christian life in the love and truth of the Gospel. By leading their neighbors to an ever closer union with God, pastors should initiate them into the life of the Church and put into practice the teaching of Christ ever more fully. In this way, people find a climate for themselves that serves their spiritual development and supports the use of their freedom for the multiplication of good in the world.
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With the regaining of independence in 1918 and with the establishment of the Second Polish Republic, there was a process of gradual unification of the Polish armed forces, which entailed the need to efficiently organize military pastoral work in the new social and political realities. For this reason – two days before the official gaining of independence – the then head of the Ministry of Military Affairs, Col. J. Wroczyński, in consultation with archbishop A. Kakowski, established the institution of the Polish Army Field Consistory, approved on December 7, 1918, which was to temporarily take care of for the spiritual needs of the fighting army and to solicit the competent Church authorities for the appointment of priests to the positions of military chaplains. At the same time, the Polish authorities made efforts to appoint a Field Bishop of the Polish Army, who was ultimately the former suffragan of Warsaw, Bishop S. Gall. The appointment of the Field Bishop was an extremely important and necessary decision in the context of ensuring the efficient functioning of the military ministry in the army of the reborn state. The next decisions were made by the Field Bishop, who faced many difficulties resulting from both the political situation and the shortages of personnel in the corps of chaplains. The aim of the presented article is to present the context and circumstances related to the appointment of bishop S. Gall and priest J. Gawlina to the honorable function of the bishop of the Polish Army. The process of selecting candidates and the appointment of this position confirm the thesis that the way military pastoral work functions in the state is a kind of “litmus test” in defining the relationship between the State and the Church.
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The work presents the life, apostolic and hagiographic activity of Father Franciszek Świątek, a Redemptorist, in the period 1889–1936. The study presents the individual stages of Świątek’s biography: childhood, youth, formation time in the seminary, first years of priesthood, work in the formation of future Redemptorists, missionary and retreat work, as well as the apostolate of the pen. The monograph was based primarily on the archives of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, collected in the Archives of the Warsaw Redemptorist Province in Tuchów
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Ritual preaching plays an important role in the Church’s pastoral service. The homily should be preached at every Eucharist on Sundays and obligatory holidays, as well as at baptism, penance, marriage and funeral rites, as recalled in the documents of the Church. In the renewed rites in the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals, the table of the word of God was plentiful. Each ritual contains several dozen readings. The preacher has a wide variety of biblical texts to choose from and broad prospects for harmonizing them. The article discusses the features of a modern ritual homily, its types and composition.
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