This article originally appeared on VICE RomaniaRomania is a pious country – about 81 percent of the population practices Orthodox Christianity. The Orthodox Church has so much power in Romania that the government is funding the construction of a €500 million (£418 million) Orthodox megacathedral. One Swedish politician criticised the move as being "pharaoh-esque" in one of the poorest countries of the EU.
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Though the construction is still incomplete, local religious leaders in Bucharest decided to hold a sermon last weekend on a huge stage in front of the church – to celebrate how far they've come and to collect even more financial support for its completion. The event was supported by local political leaders – who in the past have had help from the Church to get elected – and whole event was funded from the city's cultural budget.A lot of young people from Christian NGOs attended the sermon, many dressed up in traditional Romanian outfits. They prayed, celebrated and held debates – on the subject of the evil spread of homosexuality in the West, for example. Which was worrying to say the least, especially at an event sponsored by a city government in an EU member country, organised by one of the most influential churches in Eastern Europe.More on VICE:Photos of Romania's Neglected Orphans Then and NowSnoop Dogg Accidentally Posted About Being in Romania and the Entire Country Freaked OutInside the Gaudy World of Romania's Wealthiest Witches