Romanian Church synodal notes

(ROAA) - The Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchy informs: 
 
 On 16 -17 February 2011, in the Synod Hall of the Patriarchal Residence Hall under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Daniel, was held the first working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church of this year. Among the decisions taken were:

• At the proposal of the Romanian Patriarchate, the Holy Synod has declared the year 2012 as Year Anniversary of Holy Unction and care of the sick; 
 

• It was approved the procedure of the national collection, for furthering the work to build the Cathedral of the People's Salvation, in the parishes and monasteries of the Romanian Patriarchy eparchies;

• It have been designated hierarchies that will be part of the Preparatory Commission for the establishment of principles, themes and working methodology of the Joint Committee for dialogue between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Church United with Rome (Greek Catholic), because the positive response of the Greek Catholics bishops and to the call of the Holy Synod for the resumption of bilateral dialogue on 7 July 2010; 
 

• It was established the delegation of Romanian Orthodox Church to dialogue with the Serbian Orthodox Church; 
 
Anyone have any background on this note?
• It was endorsed the introduction of the course for the pastoral care of persons addicted to alcohol in the curricula of the Pastoral Theology discipline, which is taught in theological schools and universities;
 
An important effort that can be credited to an OCMC missionary, Floyd Frantz. He revolutionized treatment of people with substance abuse problems in one diocese, then into the seminaries, and now across the country.

The Hierarchs of the Holy Synod have evaluated the results of money collection and material assets held in the Romanian Orthodox parishes and the monasteries in the country and abroad following the call of the Romanian Patriarchy to prayer and Christian solidarity with the families from the northwest of the country, that affected by floods in the summer of 2010. Thus, the Romanian Orthodox Church helped the families in the affected areas with approximately 6,000,000 lei and also food, grain, clothing, building materials, medicines and other material assets worth about 5.4 million lei.

Wednesday morning, February,16, 2011, the Holy Synod meeting was preceded by Holy Liturgy and Te Deum served in the Patriarchal Cathedral, officiated by Bishop Ioan Casian of Vicina, Assistant Bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas, surrounded by a group priests and deacons.