Bucharest has a new cathedral, the highest in the Orthodox world

Bucharest - The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, today blessed the new cathedral in Bucharest, referred to as the highest Orthodox church in the world. Tens of thousands of believers stood in front of the Cathedral of the Salvation of the People while both patriarchs officiated the service, reported the AP agency. The cathedral is 120 meters high and towers above a massive palace, now the seat of Parliament, built in the 1980s by the then-communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu in the city center.

According to the church, the still unfinished construction has already cost 110 million euros (about 2.85 billion CZK), primarily sourced from public funds provided by both left-wing and right-wing governments. According to the AFP agency, total costs are estimated to reach 200 million euros. Critics argue that this money would be better spent on building schools, hospitals, and highways in the poorest country of the European Union. Since the fall of communism, however, churches have been popping up like mushrooms after rain in the country, noted AFP. The state also pays the salaries of clergy and other expenses, added AP.

"It seems that the authorities prefer to invest in our welfare in heaven rather than on earth,” ironically noted sociologist Gelu Duminica, reminding that about 1.5 million Romanians live on barely three euros a day (about 78 CZK) and that some neighborhoods in Bucharest lack both running water and sewage.

The Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church, however, is convinced that Romania needs an "representative national cathedral that symbolizes the faith, freedom, and dignity of the people." The existing cathedral, built in the 18th century, is "too small given the large number of believers coming to mass." The new cathedral can accommodate about 5000 people.

Approximately 88 percent of Romania's 20 million people identify as Orthodox. The cathedral, opened to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of modern Romania, aims to "honor Romanian heroes of all time,” noted AP.