On Saturday, March 24, 2018, Friar Damian PĂTRAŞCU, the Postulator Genera, visited the “Light from Light” Exhibition in the Upper Room of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy.
The event was organized by the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, in the Cenacle of Santa Croce, in collaboration with the Association of Friends of Santa Croce; the Romanian Orthodox Deanery of Tuscany; the “RomanArt Gallery”; the “2Alter.NATIVA” Cultural Association; the Theological Study Center for laypersons; and the City of Life Magazine, Florence, with support from the Romanian Embassy to the Holy See; the Regional Council of Tuscany; and the Municipality of Florence.
This ecumenical event was held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Unification of Romania, which occurs this year.
At the same exhibition, a book was presented called “Icoana, Chipul Slavei Tale Celei Negrăite” (Icon, the Inexpressible Face of Your Glory), published by New City Magazine, Florence. The authors are Father Constantin NECULA, an Orthodox priest and a professor at the St. Andrei Şaguna Orthodox Theological Faculty at the University of Sibiu (Romania) and Friar Eugen RĂCHITEANU, OFM Conv., Director of the City of Life Magazine. The speakers emphasized how the icon, both the western and the eastern one, unites the two churches, as long as it not reduced to purely a work of art. Its purpose, being more spiritual and theological, is to lead one to contemplate the face of God and also that of man, made divine in the image of the Creator. Finally, a collection of beautiful Orthodox icons was displayed. They had been brought to Italy by the owners of the RomanArt Gallery, husband and wife team Cezar and Rodica PĂDURARU. The icons will be exhibited in the Upper Room of Santa Croce until April 15 of this year.
Friar Damian PĂTRAŞCU, Postulator General
