Romanian Ambassador Addresses Importance of Religious Freedom, Diversity

11/18/02

Silver Spring, MD, USA… [PARL news] In his visit to the Seventh-day Adventist World Headquarters, Ambassador Sorin Dumitru Ducaru affirmed the Adventist Church in Romania in working together with his government in the development of religious freedom and human rights. “The beauty of a democratic society is allowing all to work together in developing a free society, and the Adventist Church has helped to preserve this opportunity for the future,” he said. “While Romania has had restrictive laws in the past, the new legislation legally accepts a broader range of religions, and the government supports these religions in various ways.”

Visiting the headquarters for the first time on November 12, 2002, the ambassador also praised the Adventist church’s new daily TV show in Romania as a positive endeavor that can not only provide basic information on health and education, but can be used as a medium to promote cultural awareness and diversity.

Ambassador Ducaru talked about his upbringing in the Orthodox faith where respect for diversity was emphasized, commenting that this is the same spirit one can observe among those of his generation.

“The Romanian Constitution guarantees liberty of thought and conscience, and we are thankful for the support of the government for the various meetings and symposiums on religious freedom that our Church has organized,” said Dr. John Graz, director for the Department of Public Affairs and Religious Freedom. “We will continue to work with the Romanian government to ensure religious freedom. The Adventist Church in early September launched a second stage of a five-year plan to raise the Church’s public profile, through a commitment to being ‘visible, active, and useful’ in local communities,” Graz concluded.

Leader of the Adventist Church in Romania, President Adrian Bocaneanu mentioned current challenges that still exist in some villages outside Bucharest. “We have no access to communal burial ground, and Adventists have launched a campaign to ensure the right of Adventists to be buried in local cemeteries,” he said.

Bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine, Romania’s population of over 22 million is made up of approximately 70 Romanian Orthodox, 6 percent Roman Catholic, 6 percent Protestant and 18 percent unaffiliated. The Adventist membership numbers over 73,000. [Viola Hughes]