Romanian Orthodox metropolitan urges faithful to sign petition against redefining marriage
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| English: Cathedral of Christ the Saviour over Moscow River. Moscow (Russia). Français : La Cathédrale du Christ-Sauveur de Moscou, en Russie. Polski: Cerkiew Chrystusa Zbawiciela nad rzeką Moskwą. Moskwa (Rosja). (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The spiritual leader of Romania has called for Christians to change the
country's constitution to explicitly support marriage properly understood.
Patriarch Daniel issued an encyclical urging, "Orthodox
believers must support the Church's effort to protect the natural, traditional,
and universal family."
The Orthodox leader added that Christians must "resist some
new family models that consider the natural man-woman union only one model
among others."
Every year at this time, Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany,
the baptism of Christ, and bless holy water for use throughout the year. Parish
priests go from house to house, blessing the homes of the faithful. This year,
clergy used the occasion to ask folks to back amendments to the Romanian
constitution.
The push seeks to gather half-a-million signatures in a bid for
public support to confirm marriage in the Romanian constitution as exclusively
heterosexual and monogamous. Over 85 percent of Romanian citizens belong to the
Orthodox Church.
Romania does not recognize homosexual unions. The Romanian
constitution reads "between spouses" when referring to marriage. In
days past, that was clear enough for common understanding. Not so today, say
Church leaders.
In 2013, Romanian anti-Christian activist Remus Cernea proposed
legislation legalizing same-sex "marriage," which was met with fierce
opposition from Orthodox Church leaders. Archbishop Teodosie Petrescu said that
Cernea was led into temptation by the Devil and that he requires the services
of a psychologist and of a priest.
The Orthodox Church enjoys the trust and support of the Romanian
people generally. Cernea's proposal was soundly rejected.
In Croatia, a similar constitutional referendum supporting
natural marriage passed with 65 percent of voters in favor.
In the United States, several Orthodox leaders have been
outspoken proponents of marriage. Metropolitan
Joseph says that
Orthodox activism in support of marriage is needed "in order to dispel
confusion which has been stirred up by our secular culture." His Eminence
said that the Orthodox Church "can never embrace" same-sex unions,
and he urged Orthodox faithful to make their voices known in the public square
until "the Orthodox Church is a leading voice for marriage in this
nation."
Joseph noted times in history when Christians have corrected
society or changed culture for the better. "Throughout the history of our
faith, our holy Fathers have led the Orthodox laity to gather in unison to
preserve the faith against heresy from within, and against major threats upon
societies from without."
"The Patriarch has got it right," Fr. Johannes
Jacobse, Founder of the American Orthodox Institute, told LifeSiteNews.
"It takes one man and one woman create a new child and constitute a
family."
Fr. Jacobse, who serves on the boards of Hexaemeron and
the First Things Foundation,
explained, "The state has a role in affirming natural marriage, but it
does not have the authority to declare that homosexual couplings do in fact
constitute a marriage since natural marriage predates the rise of modern nation
states and governments."
"This governmental overreach represents a collapse of
culture, and the patriarch is right to resist it," Fr. Jacobse concluded.
Thirteen European
countries have
legalized same-sex "marriage," and another twenty countries legally
recognize homosexual civil "unions."
