Politicians, quarreling in the church for « exacerbated desire for power »
Politicians, arguing in the church. PS Ciprian, the Archbishop of Buzau and Vrancei addressed in the message spoken at the Holy Easter and « a somewhat sensitive, but extremely current theme, if we consider the specifics and extent of the events that have succeeded in the last 6 months, nationally and worldwide ».
« I was never put in a situation of pursuing, wanting to, the media confrontation of so many human minds managed by the exacerbated desire to obtain the leadership power, at all levels and in all areas of the world.
Of course, according to the regulations of the forms of government specific to human societies, some of our fellows must assume such responsibilities, but the problem that arises is: what determines them to enter such a competition, to acquire power? The sincere desire and the decision to serve people, highlighting the talents with whom God endowed, or, on the contrary, the advantages of leadership functions, more or less legitimate? This is why, in the light of those presented above about the power of divine love versus the love of power of people, it is necessary to ask ourselves, in our inner forum: are we able to love our fellows as Christ loved us? Are we willing to rise above the desire to obtain any form of worldly power and sacrifice for the good of our neighbor? ”Said PS Ciprian.
« Unfortunately, the world in which we live is increasingly disturbed by armed conflicts; from the desire for control and greed after material resources, some nations rise up against other nations; human communities in Christian Europe become more fragmented because of ideologies that ignore and reject our evangelical values, which have been developing the evangelical values, which have been the evangelical values. Continent, with dramatic effects on the unity of consciousness and faith;
It is more than three years since we witnessed the powerless at the unfolding wars, with immense material damage and losses of human lives, after I felt the bad effects of the pandemic of 2020-2021, which seems to have alienated us from each other; The peace between the peoples involved in the military wars, although rhetorically clamped by the leaders of the world, remains a hard to fulfill, and over this powerlessness, the worldwide, the so-called commercial war, which is more likely to increase the concern, the worldwide, the worldwide, the so-being. However, to dispel these states of concern, society needs faithful people and willing to sacrifice, with feelings of appreciation, respect, compassion and love for their fellowmen, cultivating dialogue and communion between people, according to the word of the recent saint, the confessor priest Dumitru Stăniloae, and I say to God: sadness, ruin, destruction and massacres ”(1).
In this spiritual key, the confessors of the faith in our country, who suffered for Christ in the communist prisons, also guide us and which we are called to evoke and mention this centenary year of the Romanian Patriarchate, 2025. Although they have been subjected to hard to imagine, they remained in their love, forgiving the persecutors from the heart. Like the martyrs of the first Christian centuries, who have confessed their faith with dignity and courage, they have shown that love for Christ is stronger than the fear of death. Therefore, the Christians, who, through the Holy Baptism, became part of his death and resurrection, are called to follow this supreme model of love, « not to be spent, but to the one who died and raised for them » (II Corinthians 5:15).
If we strive to think and live our lives in the spirit of the gospel of Christ, of the Holy Fathers and the confessors of our ancestral faith, with certainty, the world would become much better, because we could replace hatred with love, revenge with forgiveness and greed with our families, as well as in our families. « » If in our society they were in control of love-says Saint John the Golden Mouth-, there would be no differences, they would no longer be mastered and masters, poor and rich, small and big. Also, the devil and demons would be completely unknown and without power. There is wealth and poverty, but only the goodies of both: from wealth poverty takes those necessary for its maintenance, and from poverty the richness is lacking.
With these thoughts about the power of Christ’s love towards us, shown by His Cross and Resurrection, in contrast to the love of power that tempts us all, more or less, I finish the pastoral word, expressing my hope that his message will be received with goodwill, and the decision of the Archbishop.
