Romania’s Pro-Life Week 2014: “The Family” – Christian Art Exhibition in Bucharest

Between March 25th and April 8th, 2014, Romania’s National Library in Bucharest hosted an art exhibition entitled “The Family”, with drawings, paintings and sculptures made by Christian artist Silvia Radu.

A promoter of Christian values, the artist was awarded, in 2003, by the Anonimul Foundation, the Opera Omnia Prometheus Award, which she shared with her beloved late husband, renowned sculptor Vasile Gorduz.

Remarkably, the opening of the exhibition took place on March 25^th, on the Christian feast of the Annunciation. It was part of Romania’s Pro-Life Week 2014, which started with Romania’s March for Life 2014 – “Adoption, The Noble Choice” and the charity concert Live For Life and then continued with movie screenings, roundtables and conferences promoting the theme of adoption in Romanian society.

Art critic Doina Mandru said at the opening that Silvia Radu’s works irradiate warmth, delicacy and joy, while Elena Tirziman, the National Library General Manager rejoiced to support this charity event, saying: “What is going on today, on the Annunciation feast, at the National Library, should become normality”.

Silvia Radu’s speech was another impressive call for normality. She called upon women to be real women, to build families and remain in Romania, because Romanians have the privilege of living in a country built on many sacrifices. And the foremost sacrifice, the one we can build on, in order to follow into our ancestors’ footsteps, is the simple daily sacrifice of motherhood.

“What can be more wonderful than the family – that «be it unto me according to thy word» (Luke 1, 38), uttered by the Ever-Virgin Mary? A childless family is a sad one. That is why, our youth must adopt if God doesn’t give them natural children. Ladies, the greatest satisfaction of a woman, her purpose and nature is to give birth to children. Neither the best artistic career, nor anything else could make a woman accomplished. There’s no joy, fulfilment and sacrifice greater than this. A mother is the most sacrificial being on the earth.

So does regretted archimandrite Sofian ask of us. Our nation needs our children”, said the artist at the opening.

The fact that adoption is still a sensitive subject in Romania was proven once more by the fact that a young man studying a book next to the exhibition spontaneously joined the discussion, talking from personal experience about the status of adopted children in Romania, of whom he said were socially disadvantaged.