A Controversy Over Canonizing Romanian "Saints of the Prisons"
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) has recently approved the canonization of 16 new saints, but the decision has been criticised because some of the names on the list are known for their connections with an inter-war fascist movement in Romania.
The list of new saints includes clerics proposed by BOR’s six metropolis in Romania, but also three priests from the Republic of Moldova and two monks who lived on Mount Athos.
The canonization will be proclaimed next year, when BOR is to celebrate 140 years since receiving autocephaly and 100 years since its status was elevated to the rank of Patriarchate.
According to church rules, canonization means that a person has had a righteous faith and a righteous life and has been held up as a model of holy living that can be followed by others.
But there were also critics of the BOR’s decision. ”We wonder whether the elevation to sainthood of persons who, during their lifetimes, have endorsed fascist values through their words or actions is consistent with Christian ethics”, the ”Elie Wiesel” National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania (INSHR-EW) said in a press release issued on July 16.
The Institute mentioned that priests Ilarion Felea and Ilie Lacatusu were members of Miscarea Legionara (Legionary Movement), a far-right, ultranationalist, organization, which combined elements of fascism with Romanian nationalism and Orthodox Christianity. The organization also promoted the idea of a "spiritual revolution" and a return to traditional Romanian values, while being vehemently anti-Semitic and anti-communist.
Dumitru Staniloae was also mentioned in the press release. A reputed theology professor and priest, he published several nationalist articles during the 1940s, at the beginning of his ecclesiastical career, defending and advocating for extreme right actions.
Unlike on other occasions when it ignored such criticism, the BOR decided to quickly communicate its point of view. In a statement, the BOR press office said that the decision to canonize was made "after a thorough investigation of the lives of the proposed individuals," and the process consisted "exclusively of recognizing sainthood based on substantial evidence and credible testimonies".
According to the BOR, there are seven criteria for recognizing sainthood, including "love and the spirit of sacrifice," "a pure and holy life," "receiving from God the gift of performing miracles," as well as the role of "confessor of Christ in communist prisons".
Furthermore, the BOR acknowledges that "some saints venerated in the Orthodox Church had, at certain points in their lives, attitudes and actions that are hard to understand or even contrary to Christian teachings. However, the Church considers the sinner's change of life and, especially, how they ended their life, without encouraging (sanctifying) certain deviations that these individuals had during their lifetime".
On their part, many ordinary believers along with some intellectuals affiliated with the BOR reacted heatedly, primarily on social media. They asserted that the Church has the right to canonize anyone deserving of it, including clerics who belonged to the so-called „Saints of the Prisons” group.
The term is used in Romania for a group of individuals, primarily, Orthodox Christians, who were imprisoned and often martyred during the communist regime from the late 1940s to the 1980s. The three clerics mentioned by the INSHR-EW were part of this group.
Marian Chiriac is a journalist who mainly covers politics and human rights issues. He currently runs the BIRN Romania organisation.
Divine Diplomacy is now open to guest authors. If you are interested in writing for us please check out the submission guidelines and get in touch.
 | A guest post by
|