As priests are among the most respected people in rural communities in Romania, Romania's Agriculture Ministry plans to use their status in the communities to promote measures from the ministry. An agreement will be signed on Monday ( May 13 ) evening between the Agriculture Minister Daniel Constantin and the head of the Orthodox Church, the Patriarch Daniel. Priests will thus promote financing measures for agriculture among their parishioners, but never during the religious mass. Priests will tell people in the rural areas about the advantages of associations, about family farms and measures such as bringing back young farmers to the countryside.

The Ministry found that even access to European fund is more difficult in the countryside because people don't trust receiving things for free, and priests will help clear their fears.

Romania has around 14,000 Orthodox priests, and more than half of them work in the countryside. They will not be paid extra for spreading information about agriculture.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Romanian Patriarchy Website)