Patriarchate accuses Pro Romania of illegally dividing Orthodox calendars, Ponta says it gives them for free, while BOR gives them money | News, News Romania | Freedom

The Romanian Patriarchate and Victor Ponta’s party, Pro Romania, discuss the ecclesiastical calendars that party members have distributed free to voters in recent days in all sectors of Bucharest, but also in the country. And there are many: some 2.8 million copies were printed, according to the data inscribed on them.

In a press release, the leadership of the Romanian Orthodox Church states that “it was surprised to learn that a political entity in the electoral campaign has printed, in order to offer citizens as electoral material, (false) Christian-Orthodox calendars which contain not only a political logo, but also liturgical and typical errors, omissions or erroneous inscriptions of some recently canonized Romanian saints and of some religious festivals ”.

The Patriarchate affirms that the electoral gesture of Pro Romania is a violation of the law.

“Besides the fact that such an initiative materialized in the printing of electoral material masked in the Orthodox Christian calendar constitutes a hijacking of Christian-Orthodox content, image and symbol, it violates Law no. 103/1992, on the exclusive right of religious cults for the production of objects of worship (updated on January 29, 2001) according to which the Romanian Orthodox Church has the exclusive right to print Orthodox calendars and sell / distribute them only in churches , monasteries and their own church shops, ”the document says.

In the same document, BOR recalls the call launched in the summer to “the leaders of political parties in Romania not to allow the recruitment of members of the clergy or the use for political purposes of people, spaces, services and church insignia “.

Ponta: BOR has calendars for sale

In response, Víctor Ponta watches the face of the Orthodox Church and remembers that it has calendars for which it asks for money, while those of his party are distributed free of charge.

“I think it is a misunderstanding on the part of those who think only of pecuniary gain. BOR has calendars that it sells with the official symbols and logo. I asked my colleagues from Pro Romania to distribute for FREE some calendars that do not have the BOR format or logo ”, declared Victor Ponta for Libertatea.

Attack on Vlad Voiculescu

He says the party has thought of those who do not have the money to buy a calendar and launches an attack against one of the PLUS leaders, Vlad Voiculescu.

“I am convinced that here it is not about competition, but about the welfare of low-income people. I am convinced that we are all happy that people who do not have money to buy can have a religious calendar. In this period in the that politicians like Vlad Voiculescu are making a real campaign against the Church and those with religious beliefs, we, being PRO Romania, want to support citizens without material resources! ”he said.

Voiculescu: Ponta is a Pharisee

Vlad Voiculescu responded to Victor Ponta’s attack.

“Mr. Ponta is a Pharisee. One escaped. These old parties are on the campaign as it is written in the Bible:” Clean the outside of the glass, and inside they are full of theft and greed. “