Leaders representing major Christian denominations in Bihor County, Romania, have issued a joint declaration affirming the dignity of every human being while upholding traditional biblical teaching on marriage. Its publication came a day before the Oradea Pride march on Saturday (July 25).
The statement, titled "On the Dignity of the Human Person," was signed by Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Reformed, Pentecostal, and Baptist leaders in the region. It sought to outline a unified Christian perspective on human identity and sexuality amid ongoing public debates in western Romania.
"In the context of public debates and demonstrations touching upon some of the most sensitive dimensions of human existence, we, representatives of the religious denominations in Bihor County, feel it is our duty to express our vision - not to impose it nor to condemn individuals, but out of a responsibility to testify, with respect and love, to the truth about humanity," the statement reads.
The leaders unequivocally affirmed the intrinsic value of all individuals, stating that every person is created in the image of God and therefore "possesses a dignity that can neither be negotiated nor lost.”
"No one has the right to hate, despise, or turn a fellow human being into an adversary," the declaration said, noting that judgement belongs strictly to God.
Addressing the theological foundation of human identity, the statement rejected reducing a person's existence solely to sexuality or passing desires.
"Christian teaching has always affirmed that the practice of homosexual relations is incompatible with the order of creation, like any other use of sexuality outside the communion between a man and a woman united through Holy Matrimony," the leaders wrote, adding that this doctrine stems not from hostility, but from the conviction that God knows the true purpose of human existence.
The statement also contained an acknowledgment of past shortcomings within the Church, calling ministers to humility.
"We acknowledge that, not infrequently, we failed to welcome such wounds with the delicacy of the Gospel," the text reads.
"There were moments when sterile rigors took precedence over parental embraces, and harsh responses came faster than benevolent listening."
Calling on believers to respond to cultural shifts "without hatred, without verbal violence, without irony, and without contempt," the declaration urged Christians to bear witness with gentleness, warning that "truth without love becomes cruelty, and love without truth turns into a simple endorsement of error."
The declaration was signed by P.S. Sofronie (Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Oradea), P.S. László Böcskei (Roman Catholic Bishop of Oradea), P.S. Virgil Bercea (Greek-Catholic Bishop of Oradea), P.S. Bogdán Szabolcs János (Reformed Bishop), Pastor Ioan Moldovan (President of the Pentecostal Community of Oradea), and Pastor Mihai Micula (President of the Baptist Community of Oradea).
