Chernivtsi, Ukraine; Belgrade; Romania, January 4, 2024
Fr. Ciprian Ioniță, head of the Romanian Patriarchate’s Philanthropic Department meets with an elderly woman who received Church assistance. Photo: basilica.ro
Providing philanthropic support to the poor, victims of disasters and wars, and all who are in need is a regular part of Orthodox Church life. There have been several reports lately about such help from the Ukrainian, Serbian, and Romanian Orthodox Churches:
Chernivtsi, Ukraine
Believers and clergy of the Chernivtsi Diocese donated nearly 9 tons of humanitarian aid to Kherson for those affected by the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam in June.
On December 29, 8.8 tons of aid, including mattresses, blankets, household supplies, hygiene products, Christmas gifts for children, canned goods, and other food, were delivered to the Kherson Province, the diocese reports.
The aid was collected by the faithful of the diocese and philanthropists from Ukraine and abroad.
A local volunteer spoke about how old women have been left behind, with no one to take care of them, for fear of the shooting going on in the area. “They survive thanks to the help brought in and local people of good will and volunteers preparing food,” the diocese said.
Belgrade
Yesterday, January 3, His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church again distributed gifts to needy children during a ceremony at St. Sava Church in Belgrade.
In particular, Christmas gifts were distributed to orphans, students of schools attached to Belgrade hospitals, and children from multi-child families, reports the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The charitable department of the Belgrade Archdiocese has been distributing Christmas gifts for six years with the help of Katarina Fenslow from Chicago, who provides gifts for the children through her Our Serbs humanitarian organization.
“The greatest gift we have as human beings, as children, and as adults, is the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ,” the Patriarch said. “But our greatest gift to God, Jesus Christ, is to be good, to strive to be good, to have understanding among ourselves. You children are for us the greatest gift, precisely because Jesus Christ came among us as a child.”
Last month, the Patriarch also distributed scholarships to gifted and needy students.
Romania
And in the Romanian Orthodox Church, it was reported that more than 70,000 people received assistance from the social-philanthropic departments of the Patriarchate throughout 2023.
2023 was especially dedicated to pastoral care for the elderly in the Romanian Church, and numerous activities, campaigns, projects and programs intended for disadvantaged people, shut-ins, and needy families were organized throughout the year, reports the Basilica News Agency.
Those in need received food, care products, toys, firewood, and other humanitarian provisions.
Altogether, the Patriarchate estimates that more than 70,000 people received aid.
The Church also offered training for social assistance personnel, including a course aimed at preventing human trafficking.
Fr. Ciprian Ioniță, head of the Patriarchate’s Philanthropic Department, also noted that the Church runs even more programs during the Paschal and Christmas holidays to help the vulnerable and victims of disasters.
The Church also collected donations to help the Orthodox communities in Syria and Turkey following the severe earthquakes there. Financial aid and blood donations were also organized for the victims of the Crevedia accident in August.
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