The International Meeting of Orthodox Youth – Fr. Pimen Vlad

Listen to Father Pimen Vlad as he fondly shares his impressions from the International Meeting of Orthodox Youth.

Enjoy!

Here we are again, my dear ones! I’m somewhere in Timisoara now. It’s raining beautifully, I’m somewhere under a roof, yet still in nature. I’m with a family outside Timișoara, in a quiet area, though the neighbors have a barking dog, so we’ll have some background music. What did I want to talk to you about this evening? About a wonderful thing I experienced here. I think you have all heard about the Orthodox Youth Meeting [ITO in Romanian] in Timișoara.

If I’m not mistaken, this is the seventh edition, nationwide. Previous gatherings have taken place across the country—in Bucharest, Sibiu, Craiova, Cluj, Iași, and others I can’t recall. This time, it was in Timișoara, and since I was in the country, I made an effort so that on my route, I would be around this event in Timișoara. God ordained it and I arrived right from the opening. I could say that it’s the most wonderful thing that can be done in our country—the Orthodox Youth Meeting! To manage to gather so many young people, over 5000, most of them beautifully dressed, in national costume… think about it. They weren’t just from our country, the local metropolitan, His Eminence Ioan, mentioned that participants came from 29 countries. Think about it—young Orthodox people came here from 29 different nations!

There were about ten metropolitans and bishops from various countries as well. From Antioch, Kenya, Bulgaria, foremost among them a delegate from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Metropolitan of Prussia, along with many others. There was a metropolitan from Greece, from Bulgaria, as I mentioned, and from many other countries. So, there were representatives from all over and not only as metropolitans and bishops, but also ordinary Orthodox young people.

It was something impressive, and I experienced every moment with them, from the opening on Thursday evening until Sunday when it ended with the Divine Liturgy. It was so beautiful, truly wonderful! The opening took place in the Roses Park here in Timișoara. Our Patriarch, His Beatitude Daniel came to the opening together with all the others. From the Holy Mountain, Father Atanasie, the abbot of the Skete of Prodromos, came with three other fathers from there and another father from somewhere else, and also with Father Irineu from my cell. The fathers from Prodromos asked me to allow him to come with them. And since I was in the country, I participated as well and shared in their joy in all these moments. It was beautiful.

At the opening, several representatives spoke, starting with our Patriarch. After that, a few Romanians sang on stage. There were beautiful moments of joy. When you see so many young people together, you can’t help but rejoice. And in the first place, why are these reasons for joy? Because it shows that in our country, there are still good, brave, faithful, and beautiful young people. A country with such youth can never be lost. No matter how hard the enemies of faith try to bring it down, it cannot get lost. Because there are good young people, close to God, and [they are] the future of the nation. I learned that the next meeting will be in 2 years. I would have liked it to be annual because that fosters unity and communion among the youth. They get to know each other, talk, maintain connections, they are strengthened, and have courage to move forward.

Several conferences were held after the opening in the Roses Park. For two days at the Olympia Hall, there were meetings and conferences, and on Friday evening from 10pm to 3am there was a night vigil ending with the Divine Liturgy in the Athonite tradition. Father Atanasie from Prodromos, the abbot, served alongside a group of clergy. There was beautiful chanting. Father Nikodimos Kabarnos came from Greece, I think you know him, he has a beautiful voice. You can find recordings online of his beautiful chanting. He came with a few members of his choir. They chanted beautifully as well. I was truly glad to see him; he embraced me. Until now, we had not met directly, but he said, “Father, I follow you too! You’re all over the Internet. I’m glad to have met you. I want to come and spend a week there in Athos to be at peace and rejoice.” A very open man, I enjoyed meeting him. We exchanged a few more words. A beautiful person with a wonderful voice that praises God.

Yes, that’s why I say that these meetings bring people together, make them better, and deepen their joy. I recently heard a doctor say, on Trinitas TV, that people who rejoice and laugh daily live longer, fall ill less often, regulate their immune systems, and their hearts, lungs, and brain work properly. Man is so made by God that he has to rejoice every day. This doesn’t mean life is free of struggles; there are struggles, but he overcomes them beautifully with hope in God and in the Mother of God. That man always finds a reason to rejoice, regardless of troubles. Do you hear, dear ones? What’s more, at these wonderful meetings a vigil was held. The majority there Communed, with joy. The next day, on Saturday morning there was a conference, followed by the March of Friendship in the afternoon.

For two hours, over 5,000 young people—perhaps even more—walked from one place, I can’t quite remember its name because I don’t really know the area, but it exactly traced the route of the 1989 march at the fall of communism, when the revolution started here in Timișoara. We walked the same path singing. I walked with those in the front. Some recognized me; now you all know, whether I wanted it or not, I became known, although I never sought that. Through my videos, I aimed to encourage people to move forward and overcome life’s hardships. I never wanted to become known, but here I am without wanting to. Now you realize, there were people here who are connected to God, some are listening to this and that, and some who may have read my books. They were all somehow trying to reach me. More and more people were trying to reach me, to make contact, to hug.

They even provided me with a type of escort, at this march. They saw that even in the church where I was sitting, people were coming continuously, they were trying to reach me and one point I told them to stop coming because they were disturbing the service and that we would all meet afterwards in front of the cathedral. Many wanted to take pictures, to hug… and I assured them there would be time. I even asked a priest to explain to them not to come, to avoid disrupting the service. I actually wanted to say this; maybe there will be other times, who knows, perhaps God will keep me and allow us more moments like this: always, during the service try to sit quietly in the church even if I’m somewhere, don’t come to me then. Neither to other members of the clergy, when people come to someone, this disturbs the service. There will always be time after the service.

That’s why I also tried to spend a little time with people after the service, to share a few words within reason, to hug them. Many wanted to take a photo. But I couldn’t linger too long because of my health; my spine troubles me. I have some compressed discs that sometimes lock up. There are moments when I can’t move from the chair, and I need others to help me stand up. Over time, this body has also reached its limit. I had moments these days, from exhaustion, standing in the church, when I would get home in the evening, I would get stuck. That’s why I avoided staying longer. However, whenever I can…

Always know, when participating in events, avoid making a crowd in the church to approach me or anyone else as it disrupts the service. Wait until the end of the service and then we can talk quietly. I come with all my heart, believe me! I cherish embracing you all and sharing in your joy, but always disturbing the service must be avoided. During this march of friendship or joy, the organizers knew people would want to see me, so they provided an escort. And they gave me two priests, both of them 6.2 feet tall, one on the right and one on the left, to look after me. I was just looking, I was small between them. They said, “Father, we must take care of you,” and so we walked together. It was beautiful!

I took pictures with groups of people, I truly enjoyed it. I also met the group from Suceava, because I hadn’t seen them. I told them I was looking for them. Then I recognized a few familiar faces, young people, good kids, both boys and girls. They were part of the group “Ai lui Ștefan, Noi Oșteni” [“We, the Soldiers of Ștefan”] from Putna, whom I knew and had rejoiced with on other occasions. I hugged them all warmly and took photos together. There were also groups from Iași, Neamț, and Botoșani, and I rejoiced with them. They were from many other places, I can’t remember them all. They all asked me to take pictures together. I really felt alive, as if I were growing younger alongside them. I was rejoicing, I was being nourished, I felt like I was being strengthened, even though I was a bit worn down, let’s say, in health. The march was beautiful. We walked together, even if it was in the sun, it was beautiful. The Mother of God helped me and I managed to make it through even as the sun blazed down, because I also have some problems with my heart and then I had to be a bit careful, to resist.

And the Mother of God helped me, even though the night before, when the vigil was held, afterwards I couldn’t get out of bed. But the Mother of God arranged things, someone helped straighten me out, realigning my bones, and I was able to join the march. It was a sight to behold, a column of young people stretching a kilometer down the street, one after the other, flags in hand, chanting together. We were in the front, where the flags and the icons were, and also where the choir was which chanted the whole way, “Lord, save Your people!” Further back you could hear each group singing a song. Of course, the loudest, as I’ve now realized, was the group from Maramureș, from Satu Mare. They came with drums and various instruments, and everywhere they went they sang and beat on the drums filling the air with their music. I had never imagined that the people of Maramureș would be the noisiest. I thought they might be from Moldova or elsewhere, but now I realized, they were heard from everywhere. Later, I traveled through Maramureș and discovered that everyone there has țuică (Romanian spirit). They also offered me a drink for the road. And then it became clear why they were so noisy—since the țuica is stronger, it makes them a bit more vocal, let’s say.

Yet, they are all good, beautiful people, even if a bit noisier. I realized during the initial reception, as each group was announced, they all passed before the Patriarch, displaying their flags beautifully, that it was the ones from Maramureș who were so vocal and had drums. They were all beautiful, and I rejoiced with everyone. At the end, as the march ended, candles were lit all the way up the steps of the Cathedral. “Eternal Memory” was chanted by everyone and prayers were said for the departed. And then everyone dispersed, and today, since it’s Sunday, everyone returned to the Cathedral for the Divine Liturgy and we all joyfully Communed with Christ.

The service was wonderful. The Cathedral was filled to capacity, there was hardly room to drop a pin, even in the balconies. At the end, the Metropolitan gifted an icon to each bishop and metropolitan who had traveled from abroad, as a blessing and a reminder of their presence here. Such wonderful things can happen, even if this meeting of Orthodox youth occurs only once every two years. I believe it would be beneficial for the dioceses and metropolises to hold these meetings annually. In addition to this meeting of Orthodox youth, at least each diocese should host its own meetings for the young people within its diocese, its metropolis. This should be organized once a year. Perhaps some will hear my words now and consider this idea at the metropolitan level. It matters greatly; you cannot imagine the significance of bringing all the youth together to spend two or three days in such beautiful events.

Another thing I really liked… what do those beautiful young people mean? The anthem they wrote here for the Orthodox Youth Meeting at Timișoara… The words are very beautiful, but the melody, perhaps it’s the tradition here, sounded more like operetta and was hard for the crowd to sing. A choir performed it, but no one could follow along, as it was kind of high. I was even talking to other participants and they were all saying, “The words are beautiful but they didn’t choose the right melody, so that everybody can sing it.” And then someone showed me a video of about ten young people singing this anthem on Saturday night in the Roses Park, accompanied by a guitar. They sang this anthem, the same words, but the melody was “singable,” everyone could sing it. It was so beautiful that I thought it should be sung by all, that everyone should be able to sing it. And the same thing today, after the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral ended and people went out, the young people played the anthem again on guitar. I heard them singing it when I came out, but I didn’t get the chance to reach them because there were so many people around me wanting to get in touch with me, and I couldn’t go on anymore. My spine hurt fiercely, and with the fatigue after standing in church for the Liturgy, my right leg began [to hurt] to my heel, and I couldn’t put any weight on it.

I was trying to hide my discomfort, wearing my cassock, stepping carefully on my left foot while dragging the right, and I realized I could no longer stand. I left, as they say, with a heavy heart, hearing the young people still singing beautifully on the steps. I longed to join them, to share in their joy, but the car had arrived, and I had to go because I could no longer stand, and of course, the crowd was growing, and I thought it best to leave. So, I withdrew, but I truly cherished everything that had happened here.

It was very nice, and if God wills it, perhaps I will return for such an occasion again, I cannot say for certain. For now, I hope to regain my health, because whether I want to or not, on September 28th, I am invited by Provita to speak in Iași at a spiritual evening, let’s call it, at 6 p.m. I was hesitant at first, as I didn’t want to step into the public eye that much, but they insisted until I finally said, “Yes” and then they spoke to the Metropolitan, His Eminence Teofan. Provita arranged everything, securing approval for me to speak in a hall at Agora on September 28. I hope to recover my health so I can come that evening.

I am aware that young people will be there. I’ve seen them; well-behaved, beautiful, faithful, and right then the school will have started in Iași, and many young people will gather, from ASCOR, ATOR and others [Christian Orthodox Students’ Association of Romania and Orthodox Youth Association of Romania respectively]. We hope to get there safely, to meet there as well, to rejoice together to exchange a word, to meet each other’s gaze, to embrace, and to rejoice that God takes care of us… and the Mother of God always protects us. I am going to end now and I want to tell you how much I enjoyed my time here in Timișoara, being present among these wonderful young souls. May the good God and the Mother of God always watch over us!

May the Lord help us!

[Video continues]

I couldn’t conclude, the filming had ended, but I remembered one more thing. You see it’s raining now. I remember what the Metropolitan Ioan of Banat said right before the beginning of the Orthodox Youth Meeting. He said, “I’ll pray to God that heaven does not weep in these days, so we can carry on.” Do you grasp what he said? “That heaven does not weep!” Just think that it hasn’t rained at all since Thursday until today. The sun shone, clouds drifted by, and it was warm and beautiful. We can say everything was perfect, and today, at one o’clock, it all wrapped up. Everyone returned to their accommodations. Everyone was first invited to lunch. You should know that everyone has been provided with accommodation and meals. After eating, everyone went their separate ways. And do you see that now, towards evening, the rain has begun? So after everything concluded and everyone went their separate ways, that’s when it started to rain. Do you see that God answered his prayers? Because he prayed that heaven would not weep, so that all might unfold beautifully. I remembered this and felt compelled to share it, to add this. And one more thing,

I will ask Father Theologos, I’ll send him a few pictures to add to what I have said, for there were wonderful people, and for those whom… Of course, now you find everything on Trinitas too, they brought 40 people here on the ground [to record]. They obviously went into great detail to make sure that everyone saw this wonderful thing. But I’ll also give him pictures captured through my eyes, as I took with my phone, a photo here and there, and I’ll even give him this song filmed in Roses Park, as these beautiful young people played the anthem on guitar. I liked it very much and I’ll ask Fr. Theologos to add it at the end of the video, so you can enjoy it and, as they say, to treat your soul to these young people’s performance.

May God grant that these young people remain beautiful, faithful, and good, and then our country will never be lost, know that! I’m really trying to wrap up now. I can say that I stayed with a wonderful family here in Timișoara, secluded, outside the city. They took me back and forth at the events, and I rejoiced with them wholeheartedly. One of their daughters volunteered at the event, fully engaged in the experience. So, each family gave beautiful children who enjoyed and participated here, and I rejoiced together with them.

May the good Lord and the Mother of God help us and watch over us always! May the Lord help us!

[Singing the Orthodox Youth Meeting Anthem 2023]

VERSE 1
From grains of wheat, a liturgical bread
Always grows in the land of Banat.
It is the most holy sacrifice, Christ in the Chalice,
The Christian faith we live in a Romanian way.

CHORUS
Banat, land of my forefathers,
My pride to be Romanian,
You have always conquered disbelief.
With God on our side, victory is ours!

VERSE 2
This is Banat, with ears of grain in the sun,
A bounty of love, the foundation of faith,
Now Christ the Lord calls us to Him—
“Young ones, you are My friends!”

CHORUS

VERSE 3
Roses in the light, martyr flowers,
Born from the ashes of sacrifice at dusk,
With the bells proclaiming Freedom’s treasure—
“Today in Timișoara, tomorrow across the land!”

CHORUS

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