Archbishop Athanasius on the Holy Martyrs of Brâncove: A true icon of the Church at hometranslated

"The Brâncoveni family remains over the centuries a true icon of the Church at home," Archbishop Athanasius of Great Britain and Northern Ireland said on Sunday at the Brâncoveni Monastery in Olt county.

His Eminence officiated the Holy Liturgy together with the Most Reverend Father Sebastian, Bishop of Slatina and Romanians. Archbishop Athanasius spoke about the testimony of the Holy Martyrs Brâncoveni, emphasizing that they are honored by the Church for their steadfastness in faith.

"The Church honors them as confessors of Christ, as people who showed, in the hour of the hardest trial, that faith cannot be negotiated, conscience cannot be enslaved, and the love of God is stronger than the fear of death."

The hierarch showed that, at the moment of martyrdom, Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu and his sons chose to keep the faith, even though they had lost power, wealth and freedom: "In the face of the sword, they did not defend an earthly throne, wealth or fleeting glory, but the most precious treasure of their lives: the living connection with Christ".

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