In June of 2020, the Romanian government approved a law designating Aug. 16 as the National Day of Awareness of Violence Against Christians.
LIVIU-PETRU ZĂPÎRȚAN
Romanian Ambassador to the Holy See
“I think it's a message of fraternity that agrees with the Holy Father's message about human fraternity. It's a message about the need to find this link that unites us, regardless of religious beliefs. We are brothers and sisters, as human beings, social beings.”
The date also commemorates Romanian prince, Constantin Brâncoveanu, a Christian who, along with his four sons, was martyred for his faith on Aug. 15, 1714, in Constantinople.
LIVIU-PETRU ZĂPÎRȚAN
Romanian Ambassador to the Holy See
“Prince Brâncoveanu was important also because he encouraged, for the first time in the history of Romanian culture, the publication of a famous bible, the Bucharest Bible, in 1688.”
The Romanian ambassador to the Holy See says Romania is a country of tolerance, with 21 religious groups that freely cultivate their faith. It's a privileged condition not all countries enjoy, a reality made evident by increasing incidents of violence against Christians worldwide.
LIVIU-PETRU ZĂPÎRȚAN
Romanian Ambassador to the Holy See
“The fixed date is Aug. 16. The goal is to evoke this dramatic situation of the modern world, this resurrection of religious conflicts.”
Now, every Aug. 16, the country's most important buildings, including the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, will be illuminated. Religious celebrations will also be held to convey solidarity and fraternity with those facing persecution today.
