The Orthodox churches in Eastern Europe seem to be bound to the Communist states in essentially loveless marriages, except in Romania. The Romanian Orthodox Church is still seen as an important aspect of Romania's cultural heritage and ethnic identity. The Orthodox liturgy is one of the oldest and longest in Christendom, and the spirituality of the services intensified by the Byzantine splendor of the setting and the beauty of some of the most inspiring choral music to be heard in any church in the world.