Italy Bishop Siluan speaks about exodus from Romania

In an interview with an Orthodox magazine, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Italy, Siluan, referred to the exodus of Romanians abroad and to the reasons why Romanians choose to leave their country.

‘To a large extent, this choice to leave the country is linked to the fact that one does not see perspectives on the spot, but one does not see any perspective on the spot because perhaps they are searching it more on a human level and not on a divine level.’

‘I would say that our responsibility is related to the choice we made consciously or unconsciously after all the years of communism and materialism,’ Bishop Siluan noted.

The Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Italy explained that ‘if we entrust our life, future, present, ourselves and each other and our entire life to Christ God, we have the greatest possibility, if not even certainty, that we will go on the good path, meaning healthy and safe happiness, but above all meaning an eternal perspective for our lives.’

Unfortunately, our hopes were put in humans

In his interview, the bishop noted that ‘unfortunately, after 1989, we chose to leave our fate and put our hopes in humans, in human beings, who cannot save,’ he said quoting Psalm 146.

“We have entrusted ourselves to man, and man cannot save man and bring him to a safe harbour, he cannot give a sense, he cannot give perspective beyond the limitations and the pleasures and the material goods and accomplishments of this world,” said Bishop Siluan of Italy.

“And our hopes, unfortunately, were put in people, they were put in a slightly higher pension, but also given by people, not out of the pocket of those who led.’

‘And the land that was given back to people, not from people was given, because the people in question did not own them, but because God is the Lord of the earth and God is the Lord of the goods of a country. And, of course, there was discontent because human things cannot bring gratitude and fulfilment.’

‘The alternative, this exodus you are talking about, was, unfortunately, a human alternative, a human hope, which fulfilled in the case of some.’

‘Fortunately, however, the Lord comes to rescue what is salvable and who accepts to be saved.’

In the interview with Familia Ortodoxa (Orthodox Family), Bishop Siluan also referred to the increasing number of abortions and presented the way the Orthodox Church carries out its activities in Italy.

Photography courtesy of Familia Ortodoxă