His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR), states in a message on the 145th anniversary of the Romanian War of Independence that we have a duty to preserve and cultivate the sacred gift of national independence, "a symbol of the dignity of the Romanian people".

"This year marks the 145th anniversary of the proclamation of Romania's Independence (May 10, 1877). In the unfolding of the events related to this great act of our history, alongside Prince Carol I, the politicians of the time and the country's army, the Romanian Orthodox Church has played a significant role through the servant priests of the holy altars, the monastery dwellers and the faithful lay people," transmits the Patriarch.

His Beatitude Daniel highlights the contribution of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the War of Independence.

"At the call of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, hundreds of monks and nuns volunteered in the Romanian army, as nurses or stretcher-bearers. The hierarchs of our Church financially supported the Romanian Red Cross, which was at the beginning of its road. Committees of priests were formed in all dioceses to raise aid (money, clothing, food) to support the army, the widows, and war orphans," says the Patriarch.

The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church pointed out that BOR "played an important role in supporting Romanian soldiers, in whom the military priests instilled courage and valiance, boosting their confidence in victory and in the justness of the cause for which they fought."

"The Romanian troops were accompanied on the battlefields, in Grivita, Plevna, Rahova, Smardan and Vidin, by Orthodox priests employed in the religious service of the army, and some of them gave their lives heroically on the battlefields. The special merits of the Romanian clergy in the War of Independence have been recognized and appreciated. Those who survived the war were awarded medals - 'Military Virtue', 'Faithful Service' - or received the Order of the Star of Romania in various ranks. After the end of the war, in order to support the war orphans, the Romanian Orthodox Church organized orphanages and schools for children in monasteries, as well as sick-bays for the invalids," underlines the Patriarch.

Patriarch Daniel recalls that after the end of the War of Independence, poet Mihai Eminescu and writer Ioan Slavici were among the first Romanian intellectuals to launch and support the idea of building a national cathedral, "as a sign of gratitude to God for obtaining Romania's Independence, namely a religious edifice with the value of national symbol".

"Today, all the citizens of Romania have the duty to preserve and cultivate the sacred gift of national independence as an act of justice and a symbol of the dignity of the Romanian people, obtained through many sacrifices of human lives and many spiritual and material efforts for the good of Romania and the joy of Romanians everywhere. Many Happy Returns, Romania!," further reads the message of the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church on the 145th anniversary of the War of Independence. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Popescu, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Razvan-Adrian Pandea)