The Orthodox hierarchy in the territory of modern Romania had existed within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople until 1865 when the churches in the Romanian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia embarked on the path of ecclesiastical independence by nominating Nifon Rusailă, Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia, as the first Romanian primate. This so-called "Social Apostolate" doctrine, developed by Patriarch Justinian, asserted that the church owed allegiance to the secular government and should put itself at its service. The Romanian Orthodoxy Group of the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) seeks to promote research regarding the history of Romanian Orthodoxy, its current life in and outside of Romania, the pan-Orthodox and ecumenical relevance of the Romanian Orthodox Church and its diaspora, and the works of major Romanian Orthodox theologians. (File photo) The baptism ceremonies held in Romania where over 80 percent of the population is Orthodox are considered very important events and … Romanian Orthodox Church, Romanian Patriarchate - Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe. [11], In 1986, Metropolitan Antonie Plămădeală defended Ceaușescu's church demolition programme as part of the need for urbanization and modernisation in Romania. Nevertheless, the activity of the Orthodox Church as an institution was more or less tolerated by the Marxist–Leninist atheist regime, although it was controlled through "special delegates" and its access to the public sphere was severely limited; the regime's attempts at repression generally focused on individual believers. Since 1776, the Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia has been titular bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (Locțiitor al tronului Cezareei Capadociei), an honor bestowed by Ecumenical Patriarch Sophronius II. IN ROMANIAN politics, smears and scandals are commonplace. In 1872, the Orthodox churches in the principalities, the Metropolis of Ungro-Wallachia and the Metropolis of Moldavia, merged to form the Romanian Orthodox Church. Following the international recognition of the independence of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (later Kingdom of Romania) in 1878, after a long period of negotiations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Patriarch Joachim IV granted recognition to the autocephalous Metropolis of Romania in 1885, which was raised to the rank of Patriarchate in 1925. The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie (1912–1998), elder of the Sihăstria Monastery, is considered one of the most representative fathers of contemporary Romanian Orthodox monastic spirituality.[25]. The same applies to all state-recognised religions in Romania. Autocephalous Churches who are officially part of the communion: Traditional ecclesiastical jurisidictions of, In the Principalities and the Kingdom of Romania. Sunday, November 15, 2020, was the 40th anniversary of the episcopal ordination (consecration) of His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel (Popp) of Detroit and the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America.It is indeed a rare, unique, and joyous occasion in the Church when a hierarch completes 40 years of archpastoral ministry. The head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who made history when he invited the late Pope John Paul II to his Orthodox country in 1999 but was criticized for being too close to former Communists, died Monday. [14] The members of the church's hierarchy and clergy remained mostly silent as some two dozen historic Bucharest churches were demolished in the 1980s, and as plans for systematization (including the destruction of village churches) were announced. [11] The evangelical wing of the Romanian Orthodox Church, known as the Army of the Lord, was suppressed by communist authorities in 1948. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel meets with President Klaus Iohannis. Since the fall of Communism, Greek-Catholic Church leaders have claimed that the Eastern Catholic community is facing a cultural and religious wipe-out: the Greek-Catholic churches are allegedly being destroyed by representatives of the Eastern Orthodox Church, whose actions are supported and accepted by the Romanian authorities.[24]. Initiative of Patriarch Daniel’s, with a deep missionary impact for Church and society, has been the proclamation of jubilee and commemorative years in the Romanian Patriarchate, with solemn sessions of the Holy Synod, conferences, congresses, monastic synaxes, debates, programmes of catechesis, processions and other Church activities dedicated to the respective annual theme. As a result of this second co-optation, this time as an ally, the church entered a period of dramatic recovery. The patriarchal chair is currently held by Daniel I, Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudja (former Ungro-Wallachia) and Patriarch of All of the Romanian Orthodox Church. It was an important event on the long journey in the quest for understanding between the Catholics and the Orthodox of Romania. Vasilescu, an Orthodox priest, attempted to find grounds in support of the Social Apostolate doctrine in the Christian tradition, citing Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostom, Maximus the Confessor, Origen and Tertullian. Patriarch Daniel acceded to this position on 12 September 2007. The state also provides support for church construction and structural maintenance, with a preferential treatment of Orthodox parishes. Three Diasporan Metropolitanates and two Diasporan Bishoprics function outside Romania proper. [13] By weeding out the anti-communists from among the Orthodox clergy and setting up a pro-regime, secret police-infiltrated Union of Democratic Priests (1945), the party endeavoured to secure the hierarchy's cooperation. By 2006 the Moldovan Orthodox Church had 1,255 parishes, while the Bessarabian Orthodox Church had 219 parishes. Abune Mathias, who has been head of the church since 2013, did not say who was responsible for this. The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous (or self-governing) church within Eastern Orthodoxy. The majority of Romania's population (16,367,267, or 85.9% of those for whom data were available, according to the 2011 census data[5]), as well as some 720,000 Moldovans,[3] belong to the Romanian Orthodox Church. (File photo) The petition said: 'the death of a newborn baby because of … The highest hierarchical, canonical and dogmatical authority of the Romanian Orthodox Church is the Holy Synod. Address: Saint Michael and All Angels Church, Lawns Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS12 5ET, United Kingdom Upon a thorough review of the directives and having in mind everyone’s health and well-being, Father Onisie, the Parish Council and the Ladies Auxiliary President set the date for the re-opening of St. John the Baptist Romanian Orthodox Church in … This means that despite current political issues, the Metropolis of Bessarabia is now recognized as "the rightful successor" to the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia and Hotin, which existed from 1927 until its dissolution in 1944, when its canonical territory was put under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church's Moscow Patriarchate in 1947. Headed by Metropolitan Petru (born 1946), the Bessarabian Orthodox Church at that time claimed 75 priests and 68 parishes the country. By 1975, its diocesan clergy was numbering about 12,000, and the church was already publishing by then eight high-quality theological reviews, including Ortodoxia and Studii Teologice. Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church sometimes refer to Orthodox Christian doctrine as Dreapta credință ("right/correct belief" or "true faith"; compare to Greek ὀρθὴ δόξα, "straight/correct belief"). Fr. St. Peter's Catholic Books & Gifts. Eastern Orthodox Churches Directory & Guide Advertising Print … St Mary Orthodox Church (OCA), Falls Church, VA. Consecrated in 1988, Protection of the Holy Mother of God Orthodox Church (St. Mary), is a community of the Orthodox Church in America, an English-language parish of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, that meets in Falls Church, VA. The Romanian Orthodox Church is headquartered in Bucharest, Romania. A Romanian Orthodox priest sinks a child during a baptism at a church in Bucharest in May 2014. Dumitru Stăniloae (1903–1993) is considered one of the greatest Orthodox theologians of the 20th century, having written extensively in all major fields of Eastern Christian systematic theology. An autonomous diocese in North America is headed by Archbishop Victorin Ursache (Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada, 19959 Riopelle Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48203). [15] A notable dissenter was Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa, imprisoned for a number of years and eventually expelled from Romania in June 1985, after signing an open letter criticizing and demanding an end to the regime's violations of human rights. [18], Widespread dissent from religious groups in Romania did not appear until revolution was sweeping across Eastern Europe in 1989. …Romanians are adherents of the Romanian Orthodox Church, headed by a patriarch in Bucharest. It is the only autocephalous church within Eastern Orthodoxy to have a Romance language for liturgical use. [7]:455–456[9], The Romanian Workers' Party, which assumed political power at the end of 1947, initiated mass purges that resulted in a decimation of the Orthodox hierarchy. Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, who had in 1863 carried out a mass confiscation of monastic estates in the face of stiff opposition from the Greek hierarchy in Constantinople, in 1865 pushed through a legislation that proclaimed complete independence of the church in the principalities from the patriarchate. Orthodox clergymen consistently supported the Ceaușescu regime's foreign policy, refrained from criticizing domestic policy, and upheld the Romanian government's line against the Soviets (over Bessarabia) and the Hungarians (over Transylvania). As Romania made the transition to democracy, the church was freed from most of its state control, although the State Secretariat for Religious Denominations still maintains control over a number of aspects of the church's management of property, finances and administration. Youth Director:Emmanuel Cristian Frunzulica. Being independent, the Romanian Orthodox Church has its own patriarchate (ecclesiastical jurisdiction). The Romanian Orthodox Church is organized in the form of the Romanian Patriarchate. Dan Petru Ghindea. The head of Ethiopia's Orthodox Church has said that atrocities amounting to genocide are being committed in Tigray, in his first comments on the conflict in the region that broke out in November and has killed thousands. The visit that His Beatitude Teoctist, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, made to Rome last 7-13 October had a special significance. He was 92. [19], Following the removal of Communism, the Patriarch resigned (only to return a few months after) and the Holy Synod apologised for those "who did not have the courage of the martyrs".[17]. The Patriarch is officially styled as Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrogea, Locum tenens of the throne of Caesarea Cappadociae and Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Autocephaly recognized universally de facto, by some Autocephalous Churches de jure: Autocephaly recognized by Constantinople and 3 other Autocephalous Churches: The Romanian Orthodox Church (Romanian: Biserica Ortodoxă Română), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 1925, the church's Primate bears the title of Patriarch. Based on this alleged grounding in tradition, Vasilescu concluded that Christians owed submission to their secular rulers as if it were the will of God. [16], In the wake of the Romanian Revolution, the church never admitted to having ever willingly collaborated with the regime, although several Romanian Orthodox priests have publicly admitted after 1989 that they had collaborated with and/or served as informers for the Securitate, the secret police. The state provides funding for the church in proportion to the number of its members, based on census returns[20] and "the religion's needs" which is considered to be an "ambiguous provision". Although some claim that the Romanian Orthodox church traces back to Apostolic times i.e. The 4 August 1948 Law on Cults institutionalised state control over episcopal elections and packed the Holy Synod with Communist supporters. 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