President of Romania Meets Adventist World Church Leader; Highlights Religious Freedom Issues
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Bucharest, Romania .... [ANN]
Dr. Emil Constantinescu, president of Romania, received Dr. Jan Paulsen, leader of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church on September 10 to discuss church-state relations and, in particular, religious freedom.
Dr. Jan Paulsen (L) meets Dr. Emil Constantinescu, president of Romania (R)
L to R: Dr. J. Paulsen, Pr. A. Bocaneanu, Dr. E. Constantinescu, Dr. Traian-Radu Negrei, Pr. V. Dima
The meeting, held in Bucharest's Presidential Palace, also included Pastors Adrian Bocaneanu and Viorel Dima, president and communication director of the Adventist Church in Romania respectively, as well as Dr. Traian-Radu Negrei, advisor to the Romanian president for Religious Affairs.
Responding to Dr. Paulsen's comments of appreciation for his support of religious freedom, President Constantinescu outlined his commitment to religious pluralism in Romania, a country whose population is 85% Orthodox.
"I agree with you and your church's view that it is not only important to think right, but also to act right," said Constantinescu. "Sometimes that is more difficult and requires more courage, for you have to withstand many opposing mentalities and stereotypes. In 1992 I organized the first meeting of all faiths in Transylvania, and people saw dialogue was possible. That is why after my election I invited all faiths to an ecumenical meeting in the Cathedral. Broadcast on national TV, people could see that such meetings and cooperation were possible. I believe fundamentalism is a generator of conflict, and so I have resisted attempts to impose restrictions on religious freedom. It is a matter of conscience, not of law, so no one can claim higher rights."
In his observations, Paulsen noted the recent issue faced by Adventists over examinations scheduled on Saturday and expressed his thanks that this had been resolved. The high school exam was repeated on a different day after Adventists protested. The Romanian courts had ruled that this was necessary, as well as requiring that Adventists should still be accepted into colleges despite the delay.
"The way in which you have resolved this has been widely reported and I want to thank you for it," said Paulsen. "The action of your courts demonstrated to the world in a fine way the process of fair justice in a democratic country. I know you have laws under study to secure these rights for your citizens-this is highly commendable. Religious freedom continues to mean much to us as a Church-the right of every man, woman and child to freely observe religious beliefs and practices should be respected in a free society. We thank you for your initiative and offer our help and support in any way we can."
Constantinescu mentioned that he knew the Seventh-day Adventist Church well and had also attended services in Romanian-speaking Adventist churches in the United States.
"In an interview on Romanian television, I observed that these Adventists worshiping on Saturday best identified the Romanian spirit: preserving family, culture and language in ways which others do not. This personal experience impressed me greatly. I also noted that they had not asked the state to build and maintain their church. They also provided scholarships for children in Romania. So I gladly accept your offer of help," Constantinescu concluded.
The Adventist Church in Romania numbers well over 100,000 including children and families of church members. [Jonathan Gallagher]
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