Thank you for your attention!

1. COMENIUS MULTILATERAL PROJECT FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN COMISSION“ R.R.E.V.“ (REDISCOVER THE REAL EUROPEAN VALUES) PARTNERS: Romania, Estonia, Italy, Spain, Norway, France, Cyprus, Holland, Turkey. ‘This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.’

2. Throughoutournationalhistorytherehasalwaysbeen an ethnicand cultural diversity.in thefourgeographicregions of Romania: Transylvania, Moldova, WalachiaandDobrudgea .The foreigntravelers, particularlyCatholicmissionariesandespeciallytheFranciscans, mentionstheco-existence in thesegeographicregions, apartfromthe Romanian majority, ofSaxons, Polish, Italians, Greeks, Hungarian, Armenian, Hebrewandlater of Russian Lipovan andGypsy.

3. Eventhoughthe Great Schism of 1054 dividedthe Christian population of Europe in twoparts, OrthodoxandCatholics,theinhabitants of Romanian townscoexistedpeacefully, evenifsomewereCatholicandthemost of themOrthodox. • We can find this information in the testimonies of the Christian missionariesandtravelerspresentthecharacteristicaspects of dailylifeoftownscitiesand of people, theiroccupations, religion, traditionsandcustoms. For example the words of Giovanni Maria Angioleti (1470) which accompanied the Sultan Mohammed II in Moldavian campaign against Stephen the Great or of scholar travellers such as Antonio Bonfini, Enea Silvio Picolorini ,Sebastian Munzer, Johann Sommer, Marco Bandini.

4. N. Iorga , the most famous Romanian historian, in his book: "Passengers, ambassadorsandmissionaries in ourcountries" mentionsthat "manyapostles of the Roman Rite" (such as:Franciscan monks, Querini (Catholic Bishop of Arges county ), Rémond, Bakich and especially Bandini, bishop of Marcianopol, Gasparo de Nota, Francesca Maria Spera) arrived on our territory to increase the number of believers.Theywrote reports to the Congregation of Propaganda Fide and to the Pope himself, pages about Moldovian and Romanian tolerance. In the Moldavia region, at the confluence of the two rivers Moldova and Siret, in our town of Roman many nationalities co-existed peacefully with Romanians: Saxon craftsmenandmerchants, Hungarian, Polish, Armenian, Hebrewand a Catholicminority.

5. As a result of the good relations between the Orthodox majority and the Catholic minority, the Romanian rulers accepted the foundation of the first Catholic bishopric in Siret,Moldova in 1371. Also, the openess of the local rulers can be understood from the foundation of a famous school called: “Scola Latina” founded by the protestants who were specially brought by the voivode Despot Voda” (1561). The school was later taken under the guidance of the Jesuit monks(1585).

6. In the 19-th century, the industrial development determined an increased number of town inhabitants, among them being many different nationalities who were treated equally by the native inhabitants and administration. In 1832 in Roman there were 21,46 % inhabitants of foreign origin and different religions.

7. The national minorities contributed to the evolution and prosperity of the Romanian society and as citizens of their adoptive country they participated at the war of independence (1877-1878 )and at both World Wars. In 1918,when Romania was formed from all its historical parts, the population of the country was composed of 72% Romanian și 28% other minorities.

8. Romanian Constitution from 1923, offeredfull rights to all the inhabitants of the country regardless of nationality, race or religion. The consequences of this great democratic constitution were:* In the political plan - the formation of multi-party system and the appearance of the ethnic parties with representation in Parliament.* Minority language schools, including of the Armenians and Jews in Roman.

9. Until, the comunist period(1947-1989), from the confessional point of view, all the religions had the right of expressing openly their faith.

10. Another example of the Romanian tolerance was the fact that during the 2-nd World War, although at the beginning Romania, entered the war at the side of Germany, the Jewish population was not deported to the extermination camps in Germany.

11. Unfortunately, during the communist regime and of the soviet occupation, in July 1948 all the missionary orders(including the Franciscans) were interdicted and also the Greek-Catholic Church and the theological seminaries. During this period many communities had to leave the country : Armenians, Jews(to Israel) and Germans(many deported by the Russians in Siberia and other, after 1967, asking to return to their mother country). All the citizen rights and liberties were trespassed by the communist regime which was controlled directly from Moscow.

12. After the fall of the communist regime in December 1989, the new constitution provides full equality of rights to all regardless of nationality, race, religion. Also all religious orders were re-established, such as Franciscans, Dominicans, Capuchin and the Greek Catholic Church and many others settled new communities here. Much of the goods seized in 1948 from the Greek-Catholic Church were returned. • At the same time,many new churches were raised including in our town Roman , where 3 new Catholic churches , one Russian Lipovanand many protestant were built.

13. In 1999, took place the first visit of a Pope in an Orthodox majoritary country, and many oecumenical actions and initiatives were taken since then: common church masses, pilgrimages, conferences, all dedicated to the religious understanding and tolerance.

14. In this context, Roman has become an European model of ecumenism, of ethnic and religious diversity and tolerance. Besides the Orthodox, here live many Roman-Catholics, neo-protestants, and a small community of Jews and Armenians.

15. In 2009 in Roman there was held the first National Conference of urban anthropology, which reflectedthe realities of Romania in terms of ethnic diversity and the changes on some minorities through the process of acculturation. According to St. Francis ideas“Pax et Bonum!” the complex of the Minorites Franciscan Friars from Roman(including a high school and a university) became a real European capital of oecumenism, due to the conferences and symposiums with an international participation.

16. Thank you for your attention! • Presentation made by students Gabriel Bejan and Paul Bejan under the direct guidance and help of teacher PetruFlenchea from the “St. Francis of Assisi” high school, Roman, Romania.