Romanian Orthodox Church supports lay initiative of Constitution amendment on marriage

The Romanian Orthodox Church supports a lay initiative to amend the Constitution by specifying that a family is based on a marriage between one man and one woman. 

A release of the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate to STIRIPESURSE.RO on Friday states that the Holy Synod has acknowledged with appreciation the citizens' initiative to amend Article 48 of the Constitution to the aforementioned effect. 

"This initiative of laymen belonging to several cults has the support of the Romanian Orthodox Church, as it expresses its teachings on family and its constant legal position," the release reads. 

The Synod, which held on Thursday its first seating this year, also mandated Patriarch Daniel to support the Romanian Orthodox Church's position at the Synaxis of the Orthodox Churches heads on January 22-28 in Chambesy, Switzerland. "The synaxis' purpose is to validate the text proposed for approval by the next meeting of the Grand Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church announced for June 2016, around the Pentecost holiday," the release mentions. 

The Orthodox leading ecclesiastics also called the rich parishes to aid the poor ones, and asked the dioceses to examine the impact on new cult regulations on the Church's building and philanthropic works.