E.H.
„I shake your hand, Your Holiness! I am a believer from a parish in Suceava County. I urgently need help for my brother who is badly tormented by the demon of drunkenness for several years. We need advice and guidance because our lives are in danger. (...) Thank you very much! Bless and forgive!” (E.H.)
Lord, help! Prayer in any circumstance is sovereign, but a person who is overcome by drunkenness needs a lot of willpower, support from those close to him or her and a good confessor. And if too much drinking has ruined his health, he also needs a good doctor or perhaps even admission to a specialized centre for the treatment of such addictions. There are two such centers in Bacău, the Oxigen Health Center and the „Izvorul Tămăduduirii” Center. It's not just the effects that need to be treated, but the root cause must be identified passion.
Unfortunately, in most cases, this passion is irreversible and has shattered many destinies.
Blessed and peaceful holidays, peace and trust in God!
N-A.C.
„Your Beatitude, blessed Father! My name is N. and I am 15 years old and I am a student at the Theological Seminary (...) and I would like to ask you for some spiritual advice: with the help of the Good Lord, I would like to become a priest. What spiritual advice could you give me, Your Eminence? I await Your Eminence's answer. Bless and forgive.” (N-A.C.)
God help! Young people, as a piece of advice, I bring to your attention the 10 recommendations addressed to those of your age in the chapter „Word to the young” in the book „Family and philanthropy - two divine-human institutions” published this year by Crimca Publishing House. It was posted October 5 on the Archdiocese's website and Facebook page.
1. Fellowship with the Most Merciful God and with His saints, for only in such fellowship will you be able to acquire the joy of self-confidence and to ennoble the days of your life.
2. Do not covet the carob of alienation from God like the prodigal son (Luke 15, 13 and 16), But rather, increase your love toward God, toward your parents, toward your neighbors, but especially toward those who are in trouble, suffering and deprived, helping them to free themselves from everything that makes their lives sorrowful. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).
3. Submit yourselves in your integrity - body and soul - to an asceticism according to the measure and will of God, so that God may remember you, as He remembered Israel (Ezek 16:60), His covenant made with you in the Mystery of Holy Baptism, from the days of your childhood, and, at the same time, ask Him to heal you of your infirmities of soul and body, „for all that is in the world, that is, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (I John 2:16).
4. Do not build your future on swampy ground, lest your edifice crumble when the world is dear to you, and do not ask, being young, like the prodigal son, for your share of the wealth (Luke 15:12), lest you waste it and grieve your parents and teachers who watch over your future, and be ashamed because you have borne the „reproach of your youth” (Jeremiah 31:19).
5. Build a youth in the image and likeness of God; wrap your life in the pure linen shroud of humility, like the young man in Mark's Gospel, who „followed Christ” (Mark 14:51), but also like the other apostles and disciples, the martyrs, confessors and saints who left all (Matthew 19:27-29), in one form or another, and followed Christ.
6. Increase your youth through the holy work of the Church, and do not squander your wealth by being deceived by the mirage of virtual worlds, as the children of Israel and Judah once were, who did evil in the sight of God from their youth and angered him with the works of their hands (Jeremiah 32:30). Be an example to your neighbors with your word, ‒ „Let your speech be always pleasant, seasoned with salt (so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6; Matthew 5:13) ‒, in behavior, in love, in spirit, in faith and in purity, so that no one may despise your youth (I Timothy 4:12).
7. It is your duty, in a society of ill-bred morals, to choose friends of character and serious, gentle and noble, pious and wise, according to the proverb: „Tell me with whom you associate, that I may tell you who you are.”. „Don't be deceived, ‒ St. Paul quotes Menander (4th century BC) ‒, Bad company ruins good habits” (I Corinthians 15:33). And Solomon draws attention to the dubious friendships that sometimes drag you down, not up: „He who keeps company with the wise becomes wise, but he who keeps company with fools becomes evil”, that is, he becomes foolish (Pil 13:20).
8. Multiply the talents entrusted to you by God with a sense of responsibility and character, with honesty and devotion; sow worthy convictions around you and always show seriousness, perseverance and, above all, a high sense of responsibility in all that you are allowed to do.
9. Turn Saul from you to Paul, for he is on the verge of disgrace to appear righteous without being righteous, and preach Christ and the values of his gospel to the Gentiles. Make your life a doxology to God! Lift up your mind and heart and pour out your soul in prayer and thanksgiving to God!
10. Be steadfast in the fulfillment of the promises.Put on the mantle of perfect living in Christ and in His Church, in order to make a world according to the measure and will of the Most Merciful God.
So, having a youth and a life in God's measure and God's will, you will be able to be a very good priest. Good luck!
P.S. „Your Eminence, when I have a spiritual question or spiritual advice, can I write to you at this e-mail address?”
Young man, from me, all my good will!
A.G.
„Your Eminence, I would like to thank you for answering my question and at the same time to tell you that the articles to which you refer have nothing to do with the appointments: at the Church of the Holy Resurrection the sons of the former protopope Irimia were appointed; at the Church of St. John the Baptist a priest was appointed whose mother-in-law peeled the potatoes of Archbishop Pimen. At the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin was appointed, because he was crying at the A.S.R., the son-in-law of Fr. Nistoroaia (Fr. Mera). At the „St. Dumitru” Church, a son-in-law of Fr. Inspector Horga (Fr. Florea) was appointed; more recently, he also has a son-in-law that you have hired in the A.S.R. (Fr. Duțuc). (These are the „emergencies”). Of course, the examples could go on.
All these appointments seem to me to be unfair to country priests, who in rubber boots build churches, parish houses, etc. I think they deserve more respect.” (A.G)
Dear Madam, as I told you, what we found in the diocese regarding the appointment of priests remains what we found. Appointments made by another hierarch cannot be revoked, except in cases of indiscipline or canonical offences.
V.L.
„I shake your hand, Your Eminence Archbishop Calinic! In keeping somewhat with the logic of the question that A.G. asked you, I also bother you with a question to which I also ask you to kindly answer: How do you intend to deal with commuting priests? I am asking from the position of a parishioner whose priest commutes from town to village. We have no parish house in the village and the priest and his family live in the city. He is also a religion teacher and has classes at school during the week. We are very fond of our father and would be sad to know that he would have to leave the village. Shake hands! With respect!” (V.L.)
Dear Madam, although the Statute for the Organization and Functioning of the Romanian Orthodox Church stipulates in Article 48:
„(1) During thețtheir în parish, preoții șand deacons are duty bound to live în parish, îparish houses, where they există, or în case închiriate, și au dreptul de folosință freeă of a certain areațe of land, property of the parish, approved by the Eparchial Center, and
(2) In order to ensure a goodțe stable priest (priestților) în parish, where it is notă caseă parishă, it will be builtă, and ifă no conditionsții for construction, the Parish Council will take măfor purchaseționization of an existing house or to pay the rent of an existingței priest, până când will be built casă parishă newă”, I will be understanding and I will allow him to commute.
Happy Holidays!
