Return . . .		120 Orthodox churches built each year Associated Press - September 12, 2005  Orthodox believers gather around the Patriarchy Cathedral in Bucharest in this file photo. Some 120 Orthodox churches have been built each year in Romania since 2001 - or about one church every three days - according to a NGO report. A total of 2,000 Orthodox churches have been built in the 15 years since communism ended, while 1,000 were still under construction, the report from the non-governmental organization Solidarity for Liberty of Conscience said on Friday. The Orthodox Church, to which almost 90 percent of Romanians belong, saw a surge in popularity after communism ended in 1989. Companies and public figures, including sports stars and politicians, have donated money for church construction. "One church every three days is not much, compared with the area of the country and (the fact) that there are 18 million Orthodox believers," Culture Ministry adviser Ionut Corduneanu told the daily Cotidianul. In Bucharest - called "the city of 300 churches" in the mid-19th century when the population was about 400,000 - there are now just 280 Orthodox churches for the city's two million residents. "There is a shortage of Orthodox churches, mainly in urban areas," Corduneanu said. During four decades of communism, the state encouraged atheism and frowned upon church attendance. It was considered a damaging career move to openly attend church. About 18 churches were demolished in Bucharest in the last five years before Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown and executed in 1989, as the city cleared space for apartment buildings as part of a grand urbanization plan. The Orthodox Church is strongest in rural areas, and is seen as being involved in the daily activities of the peasants who make up about half of the country's population of 22 million. In these areas, the church celebrates nature and life, with a large number of holidays, feast days, periods of fasting as well as traditional Christmas and Easter. Bonds issue for Redemption Cathedral The Orthodox Church decided to build a cathedral to mark 2,000 years of Christianity on Romanian territory. The construction will begin next year. While the project, recently approved in Parliament, has generated enthusiasm and publicity, some have complained that the investment should go toward constructing more, smaller churches across the capital. "Bucharest is the city with the smallest number of churches recently built," said Dan Ciachir, a media commentator on the Orthodox Church. "This is a consequence of the great interest that authorities have placed on the new cathedral, instead of concentrating on small projects." The National Redemption Cathedral is expected to cost around 200 million euros. Part of the money was raised by the church and it is part supported by the government. However, in order to cover the entire cost of the building, the Orthodox Church is considering entering the financial market through a bonds issue, according to Cotidianul. In order to get approval for the operation, the Church's finances must be audited, in order to see if the institution will be able to pay interests to the buyers. The bonds will be later sold through a public offer and listed on the stock market, according to Stere Farmache, head of the Bucharest stock exchange. Unlike Bucharest, Orthodox churches have sprung up in smaller cities, such as the Black Sea port of Constanta, the Danube port of Galati, and the Transylvanian cities of Brasov and Baia Mare.