Cluj School Inspectorate directive sparks religious participation debate

A political controversy has emerged in Cluj, Romania, following a directive from the Cluj County School Inspectorate regarding student participation in a religious Te Deum service at the Cathedral to mark the start of the school year.

Senator Ciprian Rus (USR) criticized the wording of the document signed by Inspector Marinela Marc, which stated that school units in Cluj-Napoca “will ensure the participation of one class of students.” Rus argued that religious participation should be a personal choice rather than an administrative task, questioning the legal basis for the request and whether it constitutes an imposition on students and parents. He intends to seek explanations from both the Inspectorate and the Ministry of Education.

In response, MEP Rareș Bogdan (PNL) defended the Inspectorate, accusing USR of attacking traditional Romanian values. Bogdan asserted that the presence of students at the service, officiated by Metropolitan Andrei Îneș, was not mandatory and that contact with religious traditions does not constitute forced indoctrination. He characterized the criticism from USR as an attempt at religious-based purging.