Religions in Romania

What is religion ?Religion is any specific system of belief

about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics and a philosophy of life.

Religion

There is no state religion in Romania. However, an overwhelming majority of the country's citizens are Christian Orthodox - 86.7%

Other Christian denominations include: - Roman Catholicism (4.7%) - Calvinism (3.7%) -Pentecostal denominations (1.5%) -Romanian Greek-Catholic Church (0.9%). There are also Jewish people and atheists.

Christian OrthodoxRoman ChatolicismPentecostal denomina-tionsRomanian Greek-Catholic Church

Symbols of Religions from Romania

The Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman Catholic Cross

The Christian cross, seen as a

representation of the instrument of

the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the

best-known religious symbol of 

Christianity. It is related to the 

crucifix (a cross that includes a

usually three-dimensional

representation of Jesus' body) and to

the more general family of cross symbols.

The Calvinist (Huguenot) Cross

The symbolism of the Huguenot cross

is particularly rich. The cross, as an

eminent symbol of the Christian faith,

represents not only the death of Christ

 but also victory over death and impiety.

The elements of the Huguenot cross

mirrored those of the cross of the 1578

 Order of the Holy Spirit, the senior

chivalric order of France by precedence.

Pentecostal SymbolsKey Pentecostal symbols: fire,

doves, and water - are all associated

with the Holy Spirit, who, as the main

spiritual catalyst for Pentecostals, is the

most visible expression of Pentecostal

faith.

Churches• A building of Orthodox worship is composed

of the following parts listed in order from outside to inside:

• porch • the narthex• nave• the side apses• the altar• temple veil

The main elements of a church

The Narthex

The narthex is the entrance of the church. On it’s walls you can find painted the Ecumenical Councils.

The Nave

The nave is the middle side of the church where the people stay to pray. Here you can find the icons with Jesus Christ.

The Altar

The altar is the Eastern side of the church. The walls are painted with pictures of saints like Vasile the Great, Ioan The Baptist or events such as The birth of God or The Holy Communion .

Romanian churches

In Romania there are 184 churches, from which 119 are made of wood.

The Monastery of Voroneț

Voroneț is a monastery in Romania, located in the town of Gura Humorului, Moldavia. Often known as the "Sistine Chapel of the East", the frescoes at Voroneț feature an intense shade of blue known in Romania as "Voroneț blue“.

Corbii de Piatra MonasteryCorbii de Piatra Monastery (Stone Ravens

Monastery) was restored in 1512 by nun Magdalina during the reign of Neagoe Basarab Voivode (1512-1521).  In the documents there is no information about when it was built for the first time. The church is delved in stone.

The Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș

The Cathedral was built by Neagoe Basarab in 1512.It has a fascinating story. The master builder, Manole, was unable to finish the walls of the building so he suggested that they should follow the ancient custom of placing a living woman into the foundations. In the end, Manole was forced to sacrifice his own wife.

Characteristics:• it resembles a very large and elaborate mausoleum.• it is oblong in shape• in the centre rises a dome fronted by two smaller

cupolas• the windows are mere slits.• its legends have inspired many Romanian poets

BONUS ! The Happy CemeteryThe Happy Cemetery dates back to 1935 and

contains about 800 headstones. The Happy Cemetery in Sapanta, also called "The Folk Art Museum", is a fresco of community life, unique in the world, where the dead are celebrated with humorous poems recalling their lives.

 

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

“How to Avoid Crimes and Being Offended in the Internet”- Multilateral Comenius Project