The Romanian bishops have encouraged the faithful to make their contribution to alleviate the sufferings of the Asian populations struck by the tsunami. “We cannot pass by this event without being touched”, writes Msgr. Jeno Schonberger, bishop of Satu-Mare and delegate for social problems within the Romanian Episcopal Conference. Apart from local fund-raising measures, a day of prayer and collection of offerings for the survivors, coordinated by diocesan Caritas, was held on Sunday, 23 January. The Romanian Greek-Catholic Church recently rejected the state honours conferred on three of its pastors by former President Iliescu. On 7 February 2004 Romanian President Iliescu had in fact conferred the cultural military Order on three pastors of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church: Bishop Alexandru Mesian of Lugoj, Bishop Virgil Bercea of Oradea, amd Msgr. Cristian Sabau, vicar general of Blaj. However, the three were only informed that they had received this award a year later, by fax, at the end of 2004 and in the final days of the presidency of Ion Iliescu. In the same letter, the bishops were invited to participate in the award ceremony on 29 December. The letter announced that the honours had been conferred “as a sign of special appreciation” for the activities of the Romanian Greek-Catholic bishops and their ecumenical and civil spirit, as well as for their contribution to the consolidation of interconfessional relations”. However, the bishops felt offended by the letter and by the procedure for the conferment of the honours. Consequently, all three rejected them and did not take part in the ceremony.
