I recently had an argument with someone about this cathedral after sharing the story on social media - the usual "that money could have been better spent elsewhere!", "megalomania", etc. Unknown to them is that the Romanian Orthodox Church, with its associated charities and clerical and lay volunteers, is arguably the largest provider of social welfare and public good in the country. The cathedral is a draw that will help to ensure that the church remains viable and able to provide assistance to the Romanian people. Of course, dissent comes from the west, where the role of the church in providing for the people has been done away with (and not for the better), where religion is irrelevant, and where churches are now museums, restaurants, and hipster apartments.