Romanian Daniel: The call and mission of the Christian family todaytranslated

The importance of the family as a fundamental cell of the Church and society, as well as the need to strengthen pastoral care to support Christian families, was mentioned by His Beatitude the Patriarch of Romania, Mr. Daniel, during the opening session of the International Theological Symposium on "The Christian family: light and witness in modern society". The Symposium, which is being held in Bucharest from 5 to 8 October 2026, brings together bishops, clergy, professors of Theology, researchers and experts from Romania and abroad, aiming at the scientific and pastoral approach to the family and the contemporary challenges it faces.

The ceremonial opening took place in the "Patriarch Theoktistos" Great Hall of the Patriarchal Palace, in the presence of representatives of state institutions, the Romanian Academy and the University of Bucharest. Greetings were addressed by representatives of the institutions, underlining the importance of the dialogue between the Church, the academic community and the State around an issue that concerns the whole of society.

As part of the opening session, it was emphasized that the family is not the responsibility of a…