Epiphany in Romania
Christian-Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians in Romania are celebrating the Epiphany today, a Christian feast that honours the revelation of God the Son as a human in Jesus Christ. Today in Eastern Orthodox churches, the emphasis of the feast is on the shining forth and revelation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Second Person of the Trinity at the time of his baptism. It is also celebrated because, according to tradition, the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist marked one of only two occasions when all three Persons of the Trinity manifested themselves simultaneously to humanity: God the Father by speaking through the clouds, God the Son being baptized in the river, and God the Holy Spirit as a dove descending from heaven (the other occasion was the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor). Thus the holy day is seen as a Trinitarian feast. The Monday after Epiphany is known as Plough Monday.
Romania’s first cabinet meeting of the year
The Romanian government is meeting today for the first time in 2016 as ministers are expected to focus mainly on a draft resolution concerning the inventory of a centralised state. Cabinet agenda also includes memorandums concerning the 2016 budgets of economic operators with the state as sole or majority shareholder. The government will also discuss changes brought by the country’s Finance Ministry to a draft law on corporate governance of public enterprises along with amendments to rules concerning the organisation and functioning of the probation system. Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by a court instead of serving time in prison.
Romania’s Superior Council of Magistracy meets to elect its new leadership
A meeting of Romania’s Superior Council of Magistratcy (CSM) was scheduled to elect its new leadership on Wednesday. The election took place with only one candidate for each of the two leading positions in the body. Judge Mircea Aron was elected president of the Council while prosecutor Luminiţa Palade may become the Council’s new vice-president. Current CSM President Marius Tudose presented a report on CSM’s activity in 2015 indicating a worrying increase in the number of disciplinary actions resulting in exclusion from magistracy of six judges.
Insolvency application of Hunedoara Energy Complex in court
The County Court in Romania’s south-western county of Hunedoara is hearing an insolvency application put forward by Hunedoara Energy Complex last week. The official request was made following a visit of Energy Minister Victor Grigorescu to Petroşani when he called on managers to admit responsibility for the company’s mismanagement. But 18 companies already called previously for the insolvency of the complex as its debt hit RON 1.2 bl. The insolvency is merely a formality for the local mining trade union as the Hunedoara Energy Complex was facing bankruptcy for nearly two years.
Alexandru Danga/adanga
