The Orthodox Church publicly condemns anti-Semitism and xenophobia. Patriarch Daniel: “Any form of hatred is contrary to the message of the Gospel”
Patriarch Daniel, Photo: Inquam Photos / Virgil Simonescu
Patriarch Daniel stated that any form of hatred, discrimination or intolerance goes against the message of the Gospel, so the Romanian Orthodox Church disapproves of anti-Semitic and xenophobic speeches in the public space, informs the BOR news agency, Basilica.ro.
“The Romanian Orthodox Church disapproves of anti-Semitic and xenophobic actions, attitudes and speeches in the public space and reaffirms its constant commitment to the cultivation of peace and social harmony, inter-religious dialogue and peaceful coexistence, based on the values of neighborly love, solidarity and mutual respect. In this sense, the Romanian Orthodox Church considers that any form of hatred, discrimination or intolerance is contrary to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and incompatible with the moral values that are the basis of the Christian faith,” said Patriarch Daniel.
The statements can be found in the message sent on the occasion of the working meeting between representatives of recognized religious cults and specialists from the Romanian Government, on the topic of combating anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance.
“I received with joy the news of the organization of the working meeting (…) with the aim of facilitating a constructive dialogue, focused on the identification of good practices, existing challenges and concrete ways by which the religious communities in our country can concretely contribute to the prevention and combating of anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance”, believes the patriarch.
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The spiritual leader of the Romanian Orthodox considers the government's initiative as a necessary one since the cults have a major role in maintaining social peace and can contribute to combating manifestations of intolerance.
“This meeting highlights the importance of responsible cooperation between state institutions and religious cults in Romania in protecting and promoting respect for the dignity of every human person, regardless of their religious or ethnic affiliation,” the patriarchal message also says.
