Social-Philanthropical Department

The Social Assistance Section operates at the central level of the Romanian Patriarchate within the Social-Philanthropical Department, with the following tasks:

• to work out the strategy and plans of activity in the social field according to the Holy Synod instructions;

• to coordinate and guide the implementation of the strategy of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the social field, according to the instructions of the Holy Synod;

• to settle and maintain the communication both with the church central bodies and with the social sections of the eparchies;

• to work out and coordinate the implementation of various national programmes in the social field focused on topical issues which bring about moral degradation, marginalization and social exclusion of some of the faithful;

• to organise periodical meetings with the social eparchial counsellors and inspectors who coordinate the Social Assistance Departments of the eparchial centres;

• to identify sources of financing for supporting the social assistance programmes of the Church;

• to monitor the legislation in the field of social assistance and inform the eparchial centres in this regard;

• to organise information campaigns designed to inform the public opinion and make the communities members aware of various aspects of the social problems (organisation of seminars, conferences, debates, public campaigns, drafting of publications);

• to represent the Romanian Orthodox Church in the relations of collaboration, association and partnership with the competent state and private bodies, with foundations and associations, as well as with international bodies specialised in social assistance activity;

• to organise exchanges of experience among eparchies, as well as with similar bodies of the sister Orthodox Churches and of some other Churches as well;

• to draft the annual report on the social assistance activity implemented in the Romanian Patriarchate, based on the data received from eparchies, to study them and propose measures designed to improve it.