The life of Gloria Buzau’s midfielder who proves that sport and faith do not make a discordant note became the story of Digisport, one of Romania’s most-read sports website.
Attached to the values of the Orthodox Church, Iulian Roşu did not refrain from confessing his religious conviction. “There is absolutely nothing you can do without Him,” Iulian said.
“I think it’s very important that I profess my faith. I respect all the other believers of another religion, each of us is free, but for me, it is essential to profess the faith in God,” said the football player of Gloria Buzau.
At the age of 26, Iulian is a double champion in League 1 with FCSB and Astra, and currently, he plays for Gloria Buzău under the lead of Ilie Stan.
The footballer said that he enjoyed the help of his family who unconditionally supported him. With a note of humour, Iulian said that his father did not reach all his games because sometimes “his match was in the Church”, being a priest in the capital city of Bucharest. However, “he stayed with me only through prayers,” added the footballer.
Being the son of a priest, the divine services were something natural for the football player who did his junior stage at Steaua.
“When I was little, my father was a hospital priest at St. Mary’s. I spent my childhood in the hallways of the hospital because I went to him a lot. It wasn’t the happiest place, but I was happy to find God,” said the midfielder.
He was impressed by the suffering of the patients in the hospital. “I would go, stay, and then go home. But they were still there and I could find them the next day. They lived there. (…) I went to that place for seven years.”
This year, Iulian helped his father to distribute the Holy Fire from Jerusalem and blessed Easter bread to the parishioners in the context of the state of emergency imposed by the pandemic.
“I couldn’t stay in the house. I couldn’t watch the Easter service on TV, so I went with my father to share the Holy Fire.”
The experience on Easter night was enchanting for the football player of Gloria Buzau. “I observed a great joy on the faces of people when they took the Light from us. I took it as a sign from God because Light means God. They realised that God is with us.”
Iulian Roşu
He was born in 1994 in Bucharest. He did his junior years at Steaua Bucharest. He made his debut in League 1 in a match with FC Braşov, in 2011.
He is the son of priest Daniel Roşu from the Holy Trinity – Dudeşti Parish in Bucharest.
He graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports and is currently studying Theology.
Source: Basilica.ro
