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The Orthodox Christian News Service

Published by Evenimentul Zilei, April 7, 2004

Brave Anania

by Cornel Nistorescu

After the Orthodox priests longed only for the honey jar for many years, now we can see the first signs that things are changing. We haven't succeeded in finding out anything about the priests who collaborated with the former political police Securitate. We couldn't go beyond the doors of the archives which hide crimes committed by the priests. We couldn't read the files which conceal offences committed against their fellow humans. Our Orthodox Church which curried favour with all powers seemed to continue to be as servile as ever. The few priests who opposed the submissive policy of the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) couldn't make their voice heard because of the others. They didn't cause any move among the clergy.

The step taken at the meeting of the Holy Synod, when the priests were asked to choose between church and politics, might be considered of crucial importance. The army of priests was ready to rush to fight. Along with the local barons and the barons of faith, the clergy were preparing to win over the laymen. To rule over them and levy taxes on their poverty. The decision of the Holy Synod to ban the priests from getting involved in politics came as a blow. The bribe-taker's career of some of them was affected, if not even interrupted. By this decision, the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) gave the first important signal for self-discovery and autonomy. That things haven't gone any farther it is easy to understand. The mother-church has submission in its blood. Even the great project of the Nation's Cathedral, besides a form of pride emptied of any meaning, can be considered as an attempt to back the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) in its move to improve something of the tarnished image in an electoral year. All the fuss about the location of this building is rather a sort of public scandal aimed only at helping the PSD divert the attention from itself.

The press statement made by Archbishop Bartolomeu Anania yesterday has the merit of giving us some hope. The one who firmly advocated in the Holy Synod the clear separation of priests from politics has rendered the voices in our Church a necessary civic dimension. The Archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj is one of the most outstanding church and cultural figures of the country. His public disclosures about the communist years, his memories from prisons have become as many lessons of courage. The Easter message of Bartolomeu Anania, conveyed to the believers yesterday, gives us fresh hope. The Romanian Orthodox Church still has resources to get rid of flattery, political obedience and servility.  It can return to its key-position of a guide for consciences. Our church, for so many years a speaker on behalf of the party and state rulers (regardless of how many crimes and stupid things they have done), has resources to distance itself from politics, and also to make its voice heard to speak about the big problems of  Romania.

We don't know how many sins Bartolomeu Anania committed in his youth. But his suffering has helped him in his approach to tell the Romanians necessary truths. Yesterday, Archbishop Anania, right during the Holy Week, revealed himself exactly as he should be. A firm clergymen, concerned about his country and its people, ready to serve through truth.

The gesture of the Archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj yesterday, shows us that the church, much-troubled by the sinners inside it too, still has resources to save itself and be always close to our souls!
 

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