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Approximately 500 believers participated, on Monday, in the service officiated by His Eminence Theodosius at the monastery of San Andrés in the county of Constanța.
Although the authorities have warned that those who move to the area without taking into account the restrictions run the risk of being sanctioned, there have been organized groups that have arrived at the San Andrés cave. The police and gendarmes did not prohibit access to the service, but they requested the personal data of all participants and will be punished, if they violate the legal provisions.
With bad weather, from the early hours of the morning, the pilgrims began to arrive in the area of the San Andrés Monastery, even from other counties in the country.
Reporter: “Did you know there are restrictions?”
Participant: “Yes, I found out on TV, but I came with my wife’s parents, I’m from here in the area and I said if I could light a candle.”
A delicate moment was around 10 o’clock, when cars and minibuses full of people began to arrive in convoys on the access road to the monastery.
Police and gendarmes searched the drivers and passengers and issued warnings.
Reporter: “Where are you from?
Participant: We are from free Dacia, does the locality still matter?
Reporter: What do you think of these measures?
Participant: They are absurd, but they are resistant for us Christians. What can we say, all bad for good with the mercy of God before ”.
Inside the monastery and near the cave of San Andrés, the faithful observed the health prevention measures.
Throughout the religious service, they wore masks and kept the distance indicated, by the way, by special markings.
In the cave of San Andrés, the reliquary was disinfected after the visit of each believer.
local: “We are from the area”
Reporter: “What are you praying for today?”
local: “For health, for everything. “
After finishing the service, the Archbishop of Thomis Theodosius declared that he did not fear possible illnesses caused by the participation of the faithful in the feast of Saint Andrew.
His Eminence Theodosius, Archbishop of Tomis: “If a person came to Saint Andrew, he came to seek God, here he met God. Stop talking about the disease, we are not talking about the disease in San Andrés ”.
In turn, the representatives of the Gendarmerie assure that so far no fines have been issued, only warnings.
Lieutenant Alexandru Iacob, Romanian Gendarmerie: “So far, there have been no incidents to mention. The sanctions, as provided by Ordinance 2, consist of verbal or written warnings and a fine. So far, we have applied verbal warnings. “
Since 2012, the feast of the Holy Apostle Andrew has become a legal feast in Romania.
