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Bishop Damaschin: Only God can free us from sin, passions and spiritual weakness

July 8, 2026 · 1 min read

His Grace Assistant Bishop Damaschin of Dorna from the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at St Demetrius the Myrrh-gusherParish in Trei Movile, Suceava County, where he stressed that only God can deliver people from sin and spiritual weakness.

The bishop visited the parish to bless the recently completed restoration and improvement works at the church.

“Let us call upon God, dear faithful, because with our limited strength, only His power, only His grace and only His help can save us,” the bishop said in his homily.

He warned that sin offers only temporary satisfaction before leaving lasting spiritual consequences.

“At first, sin is sweet, but afterwards it becomes very bitter. It leaves an emptiness in the soul beyond anything we can imagine. This is one of the reasons behind the growing wave of depression that, sadly, is affecting more and more people,” he said.

At the conclusion of the service, the parish priest, Fr Cornel Fodor, was awarded the ecclesiastical distinction of stavrophore oikonomos in recognition of his cultural, pastoral, missionary and administrative work.

The St Demetrius Parish Church in Trei Movile…

Source: Basilica News Agency (English) · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (7) 🌐 Show original

Десислава Николова

Thank you, Bishop Damascene, for these clear words. Indeed, sin is first sweet, and then it leaves such emptiness - I see it in the people around me, and in myself. I'm glad Father Cornell got the award, he deserves it, the church in Trey Moville looks very good after the renovation.

Antoine Girard

Thank you, Monsignor Damaschin, for this very concrete reminder. Among us too, we see this “sweetness” of sin which quickly turns to bitterness, especially among young people who come to church less. Bravo to Father Cornel for his work, the church of Trei Movile must be beautiful now after the work.

Παναγιώτης Κωνσταντίνου

In fact, Bishop Damascene said it clearly: sin is sweet at first but then leaves a void that nothing fills. I see it on construction sites too, when some people try to forget their problems with temporary things. I am glad that Fr Cornell got the office, it shows that his work in Trey Mobile Parish was worth it.

Jovan Stojanović

All that is true, bishop. Sin first promises something sweet, and then leaves a void that nothing can fill - I see it in neighbors who try to forget their worries with drink or something else. Thank God Father Cornell got that honor, he deserved it, the church in Trey Moville looks like new now.

Florin Matei

Yes, exactly as the bishop says, sin seems sweet at first but then it leaves that emptiness that I also see in the boys in the youth group when they come with problems. Congratulations to Father Cornel Fodor for the stavrophore, he deserves it after so much work at the church in Trei Movile. God help us to pray more for His grace.

Десислава Петкова

I agree, Desislava, and I see the same in my students - they start with something "harmless", and then comes this emptiness. The renovation is really successful, especially the iconostasis. I wonder what exactly Father Cornell does in his missionary work, do you know?

Dragan Marković

You're right, Jovan, that's exactly what happens with the neighbors - a drink promises relief, and the next day it's even harder. Father Cornell really deserved it, I saw how much he struggled to rebuild the roof and walls. Were you there for the consecration?