On Tuesday, Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the “St. Barbarus” Chapel of Ploiești Penitentiary, marking 20 years since its consecration.
During the service, Bishop Veniamin encouraged the inmates to use their prison time to draw closer to God.
“This is a special institution, and it is essential to maintain love, unity, and respect, understanding that the devil seeks to bind us and steal the freedom God has given us. You understand the value of freedom better than others,” said Bishop Veniamin.
He reminded them, “The freedom God gave us—to choose good or evil—can work against us when misused, revealing that our freedom ends where the rights of others begin. It is vital that we keep pure and good hearts because, when we do, God protects us through His angels.”
Reflecting on the role of clergy, Bishop Veniamin added, “God changes hearts when they are pure. A priest’s role in these institutions is to help free people from the spiritual bonds holding them, primarily through prayer and the forgiveness of sins, which comes through confession.”
Following the liturgy, Bishop Veniamin led a conference titled “I Was in Prison, and You Visited Me!” at the Ploiești North Deanery Cultural Center.
The event highlighted the key projects conducted by the Romanian Patriarchate in partnership with the National Penitentiary Administration.
“Collaboration between the Romanian Patriarchate and the National Penitentiary Administration has always been strong. We have priests in nearly all Romanian penitentiaries, and together with various dioceses, we implement supportive projects for those in need,” said Fr. Ciprian Ioniță, Coordinator of the Social-Philanthropic Sector of the Patriarchate.
Photo: Trinitas TV
Source: basilica.ro
