President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on Wednesday on the occasion of the 'Cardinal Iuliu Hossu Year' commemorative session, in which he said that this year is crucial for Romania and recalled the words spoken by the cardinal - 'Our faith is our life!' - adding that these words can become 'a powerful call for civic consciousness, unity and courage, solidarity with others and with the future of our country.'

''Our faith is our life!' These words of Cardinal Iuliu Hossu, spoken during a time of great trials for the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church, have a special significance in this commemorative year dedicated to him, and also in a crucial year for Romania. They are the words that summarise the choice made by Iuliu Hossu, Greek-Catholic bishop of Cluj-Gherla, to resist the communist persecutors who asked him to renounce his faith, abandon his mission, and the church he shepherded. They are also words that can become a strong call for us to have civic consciousness, unity, courage, solidarity with our fellow citizens and with the future of our country,' said the head of state in the message presented by State Advisor Catalina Galer during the event held at the Romanian Academy.

According to President Klaus Iohannis, the event provides the opportunity to honour the great example of moral strength and martyr-like faith demonstrated by Cardinal Iuliu Hossu.

'Iuliu Hossu embraced the ideals of the Romanians and, through a providential act, read, on December 1, 1918, the Declaration of Alba Iulia. The political unity of the Romanians from all historical provinces of the country was founded and nurtured by their unity of faith, from a deep sense of fraternity, to which Cardinal Iuliu Hossu gave voice, saying: 'Just as you see us today embracing each other as brothers, may all Romanian brothers remain embraced forever!',' added the head of state.

Cardinal Iuliu Hossu made a fundamental contribution to the consolidation of national unity, both as a church leader and as a senator in the Romanian Parliament, 'cultivating a spirit of institutional cohesion and authentic solidarity for the fulfillment of the common good,' said President Iohannis.

'The special attention given to education, preserving ecclesiastical heritage, and supporting disadvantaged categories illustrates the quality of the high prelate's vocation. His spiritual nobility was matched by the courage with which he acted to help others, regardless of ethnicity or confession. On April 2, 1944, Iuliu Hossu made a call urging everyone to help the Jews subjected to violence. The legal prohibition of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church and the arrest of the bishop in 1948, along with other Greek-Catholic bishops such as Valeriu Traian Frentiu, Alexandru Rusu, Ioan Balan, Ioan Suciu, Vasile Aftenie, and Tit Liviu Chinezu, marked a climax in the suffering inflicted on him by the communist authorities. Aware of the persecution endured by the Church and the faithful, Iuliu Hossu remained steadfast in defending his faith and believed until the end in the redeeming power of sacrifice, in the duty to resist in the face of evil,' the head of state further mentioned.

He also noted that this year, as Christians celebrate 1700 years since the first Ecumenical Council of Nicaea and as the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church honour their martyr saints, we become participants in the miracle of solidarity through faith.

'The one who contributed to writing a foundational page in Romania's history had the clarity to say, in the darkest hour of totalitarian persecution, that 'history has not ended here.' And indeed, we, the Romanians, rebuilt our country after the war, we ended decades of totalitarian dictatorship, and through the sacrifice of December 1989, we regained our freedom and dignity, regenerated our spiritual traditions, and reaffirmed our European values. In the same year, the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church regained its rightful place among officially recognised cults, completing the interfaith dialogue. This year, as Christians celebrate 1700 years since the first Ecumenical Council of Nicaea and as the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church proclaim and honor their martyr saints, we become participants in the miracle of solidarity through faith. Today, we are privileged witnesses of history that survives thanks to memory,' said President Iohannis. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Florin Marin; EN - editor: Adina Panaitescu)