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125-585: Van Saanen Algi was the son of Robert van Saanen, a founding member of the Romanian Orthodox Church , and Louise Bruzzesi. Though the name Van Saanen is of Dutch origin, his family had left Hoorn as early as 1710. His grandfather, Pierre Edmond van Saanen (born 1813, in Smyrna ), had arrived in Wallachia during Gheorghe Bibescu 's reign (between 1843 and 1848) and had started a dynasty active in business and

250-461: A church council in 754 , which condemned the worship of images, after which many treasures were broken, burned, or painted over with depictions of trees, birds or animals: one source refers to the church of the Holy Virgin at Blachernae as having been transformed into a "fruit store and aviary". Following the death of his son Leo IV in 780, the empress Irene restored the veneration of images through

375-774: A patriarchate , numbering Moscow's bishop as fifth in rank behind the ancient patriarchates . The Russian Orthodox Church became the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world. As Ottoman rule weakened, various parts of the Orthodox Church that had been under the direct influence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate came to be independent. These churches at first usually declared their independence without universal approval, which came after Constantinople gave its blessing. The rate at which these new autocephalous ("self-headed") churches came into being increased in

500-583: A 13-page laudatory review of Nichifor Crainic's infamous antismetic book Transfigurarea Românismului (The Transfiguration of Romanianism) . Antisemitism was also present in regional journals, a leading example being Dumitru Stăniloae 's Telegraful român ( The Romanian Telegraph ). Orthodox chaplains in the Romanian army cultivated the Judeo-Bolshevik myth. A particular case was Romanian-occupied Transnistria . On August 15, 1941, The Holy Synod established

625-560: A Romanian Orthodox Church that was already no stranger to antisemitism. It became particularly evident in the second half of the 1930s in the writings of theologians such as Nichifor Crainic , Nicolae Neaga or Liviu Stan . In 1936, Crainic published a seminal text titled Rasă și religiune (Race and Religion) . While rejecting the Nazi idea of a superior Germanic race, as well as the fascination with Germanic paganism, Crainic argued that some races are indeed superior based on their accomplishment of

750-717: A diabolical temptation that had led the Iron Guard to undermine the state and the Conducător . Many of the clergymen who had participated in the Rebellion were, however, shielded by their bishops and continued parish work in remote villages. Romania's participation in World War II on the Axis side after June 1941 would provide them with opportunities for rehabilitation. By the early 1940s, Orthodox theologians such as Nichifor Crainic already had

875-457: A diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, declared its independence in 1448 shortly before Constantinople fell owing to its protest over the Council of Florence , in which representatives of the patriarchate had signed onto union with Rome , trading doctrinal concessions for military aid against the encroaching Ottomans. The military aid never came and those concessions were subsequently repudiated by

1000-783: A friend of Justinian's. The Social Apostolate called on clerics to become active in the People's Republic , thus laying the foundation for the church's submission to and collaboration with the state. Fr. 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 . Based on this alleged grounding in tradition, Vasilescu concluded that Christians owed submission to their secular rulers as if it were

1125-454: A glorification of Moța and Marin and their sacrifice and reflected the Guard's obsession for martyrdom. Intended as a bi-monthly Predania printed a total of twelve issues before being banned by the authorities. It stood out for its profoundly anti-ecumenical editorial line, publishing attacks against Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals. Also in the aftermath of Moța and Marin's grandiose funeral,

1250-501: A lengthy record of producing propaganda supporting the concept of Judeo-Bolshevism . After 1941 the idea became commonplace in central church newspapers such as Apostolul or BOR . A particularly infamous article was signed by Patriarch Nicodim himself and published in BOR in April 1942. It referred to the danger of domestic enemies whom he identified as mostly being Jewish. In 1943 BOR published

1375-690: A mandatory retirement age for clergy, thus providing authorities with a convenient way to pension off old-guard holdouts. The 4 August 1948 Law on Cults institutionalised state control over episcopal elections and packed the Holy Synod with Communist supporters. The evangelical wing of the Romanian Orthodox Church, known as the Army of the Lord , was suppressed by communist authorities in 1948. In exchange for subservience and enthusiastic support for state policies,

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1500-642: 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. 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

1625-659: A mission, rather than a new bishopric, in Romanian-occupied territories across the Dniester . The assumption was that Soviet atheist rule had destroyed the Russian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Orthodox Church took it upon itself to "re-evangelize" the locals. The main architect of the enterprise was Archimandrite Iuliu Scriban . In 1942 the Mission evolved into an Exarchate and was taken over by Visarion Puiu . Many of

1750-579: A preferential treatment of Orthodox parishes. The state funds all the expenses of Orthodox seminaries and colleges, including teachers' and professors' salaries who, for compensation purposes, are regarded as civil servants. 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

1875-504: A result of measures passed in 1947–48, the state took over the 2,300 elementary schools and 24 high schools operated by the Orthodox Church. A new campaign struck the church in 1958-62 when more than half of its remaining monasteries were closed, more than 2,000 monks were forced to take secular jobs, and about 1,500 clergy and lay activists were arrested (out of a total of up to 6,000 in the 1946-64 period ). Throughout this period Patriarch Justinian took great care that his public statements met

2000-765: A town a church should not be larger in size than the largest mosque. Many churches were converted into mosques (among them the Hagia Sophia and Chora Church in Constantinople , and the Rotunda and Hagios Demetrios in Thessaloniki ) or served for other uses (e.g. Hagia Irene in Constantinople, which became an armory for the Janissaries, and the Gül Mosque [Hagia Theodosia or Christ Euergetes], also in Constantinople, which after

2125-576: A violent insurrection known as the Legionary Rebellion . The putsch failed and out of the 9000 people arrested, 422 were Orthodox priests. Some particularly violent episodes during the insurrection directly involved the Orthodox clergy. Students and staff of the Theological Academy in Sibiu, led by Professor Spiridon Cândea and assisted by Iron Guard militiamen rounded up Jews in the courtyard of

2250-482: Is a titular office granted in 1776 by Ecumenical Patriarch Sophronius II to the holder of the office of Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia , the precursor position of the Orthodox Church to the today Patriarchate of Romania. 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 . One of his other major achievements in theology

2375-516: Is a (non-exhaustive) list of these prerogatives and their reference points: In the eighth and ninth centuries the iconoclast movement caused serious political unrest throughout the Empire. The emperor Leo III issued a decree in 726 against images and ordered the destruction of an image of Christ over one of the doors of the Chalke, an act which was fiercely resisted by the citizens. Constantine V convoked

2500-619: Is also a difficulty faced by the Patriarchate. In 2024, after the protests from Turkey, the signature of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been removed from the statement of the June 2024 Ukraine peace summit . The affairs of the patriarchate are conducted by the Holy Synod , presided over by the Ecumenical Patriarch. The synod has existed since some time prior to the fourth century and assists

2625-627: 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 has borne the title of Patriarch . Its jurisdiction covers the territories of Romania and Moldova , with additional dioceses for Romanians living in nearby Serbia and Hungary , as well as for diaspora communities in Central and Western Europe , North America and Oceania . It

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2750-603: Is considered to be an "ambiguous provision". Currently, the state provides the funds necessary for paying the salaries of priests, deacons and other prelates and the pensions of retired clergy, as well as for expenses related to lay church personnel. For the Orthodox church this is over 100 million euros for salaries, with additional millions for construction and renovation of church property. The same applies to all state-recognised religions in Romania. The state also provides support for church construction and structural maintenance, with

2875-534: Is now Greece , Asia Minor , Pontus , and Thrace . With the development of the hierarchical structure of the Church, the bishop of Constantinople came to be styled as exarch (a position superior to metropolitan). Constantinople was recognized as the fourth patriarchate at the First Council of Constantinople in 381, after Antioch , Alexandria , and Rome . The patriarch was usually appointed by Antioch. Because of

3000-538: Is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church . It is headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople . Because of its historical location as the capital of the former Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and its role as the mother church of most modern Orthodox churches, Constantinople holds a special place of honor within Orthodoxy and serves as

3125-750: Is organized in the form of the Romanian Patriarchate . The highest hierarchical, canonical and dogmatical authority of the Romanian Orthodox Church is the Holy Synod . There are ten Orthodox Metropolitanates , twenty archbishoprics , twenty-three bishoprics in total, of which four metropolitans and nine bishops administer the Church services for the Romanian Diaspora in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. An estimated number of over twelve thousand altar servers in parishes, monasteries and social centres of

3250-1278: Is the 45-year-long comprehensive series on Orthodox spirituality known as the Romanian Philokalia , a collection of texts written by classical Byzantine writers, that he edited and translated from Greek. Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie (1912–1998), elder of the Sihăstria Monastery , is considered one of the most representative fathers of contemporary Romanian Orthodox monastic spirituality. Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure : Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( Greek : Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως , romanized :  Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos , IPA: [ikumeniˈkon patriarˈçion konstandinuˈpoleos] ; Latin : Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constantinopolitanus ; Turkish : Rum Ortodoks Patrikhanesi, İstanbul Ekümenik Patrikhanesi , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul")

3375-622: Is the only autocephalous church within Eastern Orthodoxy to have a Romance language for liturgical use. 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 ), as well as some 720,000 Moldovans , belong to the Romanian Orthodox Church. 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"). The Orthodox hierarchy in

3500-577: The Albanian Orthodox Church declared its autocephaly, being granted recognition of it in 1937. In addition to these churches, whose territory had been agreed upon by all as within Constantinople's jurisdiction, several other disputed areas' Eastern Orthodox churches have had recognition by the Ecumenical Patriarchate as either autocephalous or autonomous , including the Finnish Orthodox Church and Estonian Orthodox Church in 1923,

3625-548: The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate , usually important laymen who make large donations for the upkeep of the Patriarchate. In turn, they are granted honorary titles which once belonged to members of the Patriarchal staff in centuries past. The Patriarchate acts in the capacity of being an intermediary and facilitator between the Orthodox churches and also in relations with other Christians and religions. This role sometimes brings

3750-468: The Council of Chalcedon in 451 recognized an expansion of the boundaries of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and of its authority over bishops of dioceses "among the barbarians", which has been variously interpreted as referring either to areas outside the Byzantine Empire or to non-Greeks. The council resulted in a schism with the Patriarchate of Alexandria. In any case, for almost a thousand years

3875-594: The Great National Assembly . 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. 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

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4000-746: The Istrate Micescu villa overlooking Cişmigiu Gardens , and Palatul Telefoanelor (with American architects Louis S. Weeks and Walter Froy ). As an artist, he is known for his drawings of famous dancers, such as Vaslav Nijinsky , Isadora Duncan and Anna Pavlova . Romanian Orthodox Church Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure : Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: The Romanian Orthodox Church ( ROC ; Romanian : Biserica Ortodoxă Română , BOR ), or Patriarchate of Romania ,

4125-564: The Latin Empire of Constantinople was established, and Byzantine refugees founded their own successor states, the most notable of these being the Empire of Nicaea under Theodore Lascaris (a relative of Alexius III ), the Empire of Trebizond , and the Despotate of Epirus . The new seat of the Patriarchate was established in the city of Nicaea until in 1261, when Constantinople was reconquered by

4250-576: The Nationalist faction led to the organization of massive processions in Romania, particularly in Bucharest where they were interred. Hundreds of Orthodox priests participated and Metropolitans Nicolae Bălan of Transylvania and Visarion Puiu of Bukovina held special services. Shortly after the funeral, Orthodox theologian Gheorghe Racoveanu and priest Grigore Cristescu founded the theological journal Predania (The Tradinion) . The first issue featured

4375-643: The Polish Orthodox Church in 1924, and the Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church in 1998. The majority of these disputes are a result of the expansion of the Russian Empire , which often included a subjugation of the Orthodox churches in conquered lands to the Moscow Patriarchate. Due to this, the Moscow Patriarchate often disputes the Ecumenical Patriarch's role as prime representative and spiritual leader of

4500-722: The Securitate , the secret police . A prime example was Bishop Nicolae Corneanu , the Metropolitan of Banat , who admitted to his efforts on behalf of the Romanian Communist Party , and denounced activities of clerics in support of the Communists, including his own, as "the Church's [act of] prostitution with the Communist regime". In 1986, Metropolitan Antonie Plămădeală defended Ceaușescu's church demolition programme as part of

4625-471: 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. Romanian Orthodox theological education

4750-590: The École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts . Van Saanen Algi married Aurelia Vasiliu-Bolnavu, the daughter of Romanian philanthropist Constantin N. Vasiliu Bolnavu . Later (before 1914), he was married to the New York-born author Marice Rutledge , who from 1915 to 1918 wrote under the name "Marie Louise van Saanen". He was the author of major architectural works in Bucharest : the Academy of Economic Studies building,

4875-653: The "Great Church of Christ" and it was the touchstone and reference point for ecclesiastical affairs in the East, whether in terms of church government, relations with the state, or liturgical matters. In history and in canonical literature (i.e. the Church's canons and traditional commentaries on them), the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been granted certain prerogatives ( πρεσβεία , presveía ) that other autocephalous Orthodox churches do not have. Not all of these prerogatives are today universally acknowledged, though all do have precedents in history and canonical references. The following

5000-449: The 1920s is marked by the rise of antisemitism in Romanian politics with figures such as A.C. Cuza or Iron Guard founding father Codreanu . Antisemitism also became apparent in church publications. In 1925, for instance, church journal Revista Teologică (The Theological Review) published an anti-Semitic article by Sibiu professor priest Pompiliu Morușca. Morușca's article blamed the Jews for

5125-524: The 19th century, particularly with the independence of Greece. In 1833, the Church of Greece declared its autocephaly, which was subsequently recognized by the patriarchate in 1850. In 1865, the Romanian Orthodox Church , against the protests of Constantinople, declared its independence, which was acknowledged in 1885. A year before Greece's autocephaly was self-proclaimed, the Serbian Orthodox Church

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5250-550: The Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos . In accordance with the traditional custom at the time, Sultan Mehmed II allowed his troops and his entourage three full days of unbridled pillage and looting in the city shortly after it was captured. Once the three days passed, he would then claim its remaining contents for himself. However, by the end of the first day, he proclaimed that the looting should cease as he felt profound sadness when he toured

5375-573: The Christian essence. Crainic also denied the Jews the moral right to use the books of the Old Testament since, according to him, those prophesies had been fulfilled by the coming of Christ who had abolished the Jewish religion. The deaths of prominent Iron Guard members Ion Moța and Vasile Marin on the same day, January 13, 1937, at Majadahonda during the Spanish Civil War while fighting for

5500-404: The Church tried to adapt to the new political situation. In August 1945 a letter of the Holy Synod was published in BOR . Again, it blamed the Germans for the horrors of the war and claimed that the Orthodox Church had always promoted democracy. The Romania Army was also praised for having joined forces with "the brave Soviet armies in the war against the true adversaries of our country." Finally,

5625-467: The Church. Almost 400 monasteries exist inside the country, staffed by some 3,500 monks and 5,000 nuns. As of 2004, there are, inside Romania , fifteen theological universities where more than ten thousand students (some of them from Bessarabia , Bukovina and Serbia benefiting from a few Romanian fellowships) currently study for a theological degree. More than 14,500 churches (traditionally named "lăcașe de cult", or houses of worship) exist in Romania for

5750-439: The Conquest served for a while as a naval dockyard). Such rules, however, although very strict in the beginning, with time and the increasing importance in the Ottoman Empire of the Rum millet were increasingly disregarded, so that in the 19th century in Istanbul there was a veritable building boom of Orthodox churches, many among them having high bell towers and brick domes, both of which had previously been strictly Since 1586

5875-408: The Eastern Orthodox Church, whose actions are supported and accepted by the Romanian authorities. The church openly supported banning same-sex marriage in a referendum in 2018 . The church believes that homosexuality is a sin and unnatural. The Romanian Orthodox Church also has jurisdiction over a minority of believers in Moldova , who belong to the Metropolis of Bessarabia , as opposed to

6000-471: The Ecumenical Patriarchate has had its headquarters in the Church of St George in the Fener (Phanar) district of Istanbul. The current territory of the Patriarchate is significantly reduced from what it was at its height. Its canonical territory currently includes most of modern Turkey , northern Greece and Mount Athos , the Dodecanese and Crete . By its interpretation of Canon 28 of Chalcedon, Constantinople also claims jurisdiction over all areas outside

6125-431: The Ecumenical Patriarchate, primarily in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America . The Patriarchate also enjoys an even greater majority in the United Kingdom . Furthermore, the Albanian, Rusyn and Ukrainian jurisdictions in America are also part of the Patriarchate. Most of the Patriarchate's funding does not come directly from its member churches but rather from the government of Greece, due to an arrangement whereby

6250-452: The Great moved his residence to the town renaming it Nova Roma ( Νέα Ῥώμη ), or "New Rome". Thenceforth, the importance of the church there grew, along with the influence of its bishop. Prior to the moving of the imperial capital, the bishop of Byzantium had been under the authority of the metropolitan of Heraclea , but from the 4th century on, he grew to become independent in his own right and even to exercise authority throughout what

6375-411: The Holy Synod issued a condemnation of Freemasonry . Moreover, following the lead of Metropolitan Bălan who wrote the anti-Masonic manifest, the Synod issued a "Christian point of view" against political secularism stating that the Church was in its right to choose which party was worthy of support, based on its moral principles. Iron Guard leader Codreanu saluted the Synod's position and instructed that

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6500-504: The Jewish population, the other being the metropolitan Nicolae Bălan of Transylvania. Evidence also surfaced that Simedrea personally sheltered a Jewish family in the metropolitanate compound. Priest Gheorghe Petre was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for having saved Jews in Kryve Ozero . Petre was arrested in 1943 and court-martialed but was released in 1944 for lack of evidence. After King Michael's Coup on August 23, 1944, Romania switched sides. The coup had been backed by

6625-427: The Jews as parasites who suck the bone marrow of the Romanian people and who should leave the country. The Orthodox church directly or indirectly supported far-right parties and antisemitic intellectuals in their anti-Jewish rhetoric. At the time many Orthodox priests had become active in far-right politics, thus in the 1937 parliamentary elections 33 out of 103 Iron Guard candidates were Orthodox priests. Overall,

6750-400: The Latins were astounded at the riches they found. Though the Venetians had an appreciation for the art which they discovered (they were themselves semi-Byzantines) and saved much of it, the French and others destroyed indiscriminately, halting to refresh themselves with wine, violation of nuns, and murder of Orthodox clerics. The Crusaders vented their hatred for the Greeks most spectacularly in

6875-423: The Lombard catepan of Italy , Argyrus , who had spent years in Constantinople, originally as a political prisoner. Patriarch Michael I Cerularius ordered a letter to be written to John, the Bishop of Trani in which he attacked the "Judaistic" practices of the West, namely the use of unleavened bread. The letter was to be sent by John to all the bishops of the West, including the Pope. John promptly complied and

7000-427: The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. As Bishop Kallistos Ware writes, "Even after 1054 friendly relations between East and West continued. The two parts of Christendom were not yet conscious of a great gulf of separation between them. […] The dispute remained something of which ordinary Christians in East and West were largely unaware". In fact, efforts were made in subsequent centuries by Popes and Patriarchs to heal

7125-413: 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 January 1953 some 300-500 Orthodox priests were being held in concentration camps, and following Patriarch Nicodim 's death in May 1948, the party succeeded in having the ostensibly docile Justinian Marina elected to succeed him. As

7250-457: The Orthodox faithful were asked to fully support the new government. Later that year BOR published two relatively long articles authored by Bishop Antim Nica and, respectively, by Teodor Manolache. Both articles dealt with the Holocaust and painted the Romanian Orthodox Church as a savior of Jews. Romania officially became a communist state in 1947. Restricted access to ecclesiastical and relevant state archives makes an accurate assessment of

7375-413: The Patriarch of Constantinople presided over the church in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and its missionary activity that brought the Christian faith in its Byzantine form to many peoples north of the imperial borders. The cathedral church of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), was the center of religious life in the eastern Christian world. The Ecumenical Patriarchate came to be called

7500-399: The Patriarchate had transferred property it had owned to Greece. In exchange, the employees, including the clergy, of the Patriarchate are remunerated by the Greek government. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America provides substantial support through an annual contribution, known as the logia , and its institutions, including the American-based Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society and

7625-407: The Patriarchate into conflict with other Orthodox churches, as its role in the church is debated. The question centers around whether the Ecumenical Patriarchate is simply the most honored among the Orthodox churches or whether it has any real authority or prerogatives ( πρεσβεία , presveía ) that differ from the other autocephalous churches. This dispute is often between Constantinople and Moscow,

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7750-443: The Romanian Orthodox Church's attitude towards the Communist regime a difficult proposition. 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. The attitudes of

7875-401: The Romanian Orthodox believers. As of 2002, almost 1,000 of those were either in the process of being built or rebuilt . The patriarchal chair is currently held by His Beatitude Daniel , Archbishop of Bucharest , Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudja , Locum Tenens of Caesarea in Cappadocia and Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The title of Locum tenens of Caesarea in Cappadocia

8000-492: The Romanian Senate. However, the context also allowed a number of young theologians like Nichifor Crainic , Ioan Savin , or Dumitru Stăniloae to study abroad. These theologians proved extremely influential after their return to Romania and helped shape theological academies. With a few rare exceptions, like Gala Galaction , the Romanian Orthodox theologians of this period embraced nationalism . Their scholarly works are thus imbued with nationalist ideology. The second half of

8125-418: The Synod's proclamation should be read by Guard members in their respective nests (i.e. chapters). In 1937, the Goga - Cuza government was the first to adopt and enact antisemitic legislation in the Kingdom of Romania, stripping over two hundred thousand Jews of their citizenship. That very same year, the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Cristea made an infamous speech in which he described

8250-411: The Turks, had they taken the city, would not have been as cruel as the Latin Christians. The defeat of Byzantium, already in a state of decline, accelerated political degeneration so that the Byzantines eventually became an easy prey to the Turks. The Crusading movement thus resulted, ultimately, in the victory of Islam, a result which was of course the exact opposite of its original intention. Meanwhile,

8375-421: The academy and forced them to hand over their valuables at gunpoint. Monks from the Antim Monastery in Bucharest, led by their abbot, armed themselves and, using explosives, blew up a Synagogue on Antim Street. The numerous Jewish inhabitants of the neighborhood hid in terror. After Antonescu and the Army crushed the insurrection, the Holy Synod was quick to condemn the Legionary Rebellion and publicly paint it as

8500-407: The agency of the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. The iconoclast controversy returned in the early 9th century, only to be resolved once more in 843 during the regency of Empress Theodora, who restored the icons. The relations between the papacy and the Byzantine court were good in the years leading up to 1054. The emperor Constantine IX and the Pope Leo IX were allied through the mediation of

8625-420: The arts. His mother's family had been active in the unification of Italy before moving to Bucharest. Edmond's parents divorced and his mother remarried Alexandru Algi (from whom Edmond obtained a longer surname), and not much later Constantin C. Arion , a former foreign affairs minister and a distinguished intellectual. After finishing his studies at the Munich Polytechnicum Edmond went to study for 10 years at

8750-449: The authority of the legates to issue such a bull is unclear. The legates left for Rome two days after issuing the bull of excommunication, leaving behind a city near riot. The patriarch had the immense support of the people against the emperor, who had supported the legates to his own detriment. To assuage popular anger, the bull was burnt, and the legates were anathematised . Only the legates were anathematised and, in this case too, there

8875-421: The beginning of the schism. The full schism was not actually consummated by the seemingly mutual excommunications. The New Catholic Encyclopedia reports that the legates had been careful not to intimate that the bull of excommunication implied a general excommunication of the Byzantine Church. The bull excommunicated only Cerularius, Leo of Achrida, and their adherents. Thus, the New Catholic Encyclopedia argues that

9000-660: The canonically defined territories of other Orthodox churches, which includes the entire Western hemisphere , Oceania , the United Kingdom , Western Europe , Northeast Asia , Southeast Asia . This claim is disputed by other autocephalous churches with dioceses in those areas, as well as the Turkish government. The Orthodox presence in Turkey itself is small; however the majority of Orthodox in North America (about two-thirds) are under

9125-644: The church became increasingly involved in politics and, after King Carol II assumed emergency powers, Patriarch Miron Cristea became prime-minister in February 1938 . In March 1938, the Holy Synod banned the conversion of Jews who were unable to prove their Romanian citizenship. Cristea continued the policies of the Goga-Cuza government but also advocated more radical antisemitic measures including deportation and exclusion from employment. Cristea referred to this last measure as "Romanianization". The church newspaper Apostolul

9250-413: The church's members, both laity and clergy, towards the communist regime, range broadly from opposition and martyrdom , to silent consent, collaboration or subservience aimed at ensuring survival. Beyond limited access to the Securitate and Party archives as well as the short time elapsed since these events unfolded, such an assessment is complicated by the particularities of each individual and situation,

9375-651: The communists; the Church, known for its long-term record of anti-Soviet and anti-communist rhetoric now found itself in an awkward position. Patriarch Nicodim was quick to write a pastoral letter denouncing the previous dictatorship, blaming the Germans for the events that had taken place in Romania during the 30s and during the war and praising "the powerful neighbor from the East" with whom Romania had, supposedly, always had "the best political, cultural, and religious relations." Starting in 1944, and even more after Petru Groza became Prime-minister with Soviet support in 1945,

9500-457: The crusaders inflicted a severe sacking on Constantinople for three days, during which many ancient and medieval Roman and Greek works were either stolen or destroyed. Despite their oaths and the threat of excommunication, the Crusaders ruthlessly and systematically violated the city's holy sanctuaries, destroying, defiling, or stealing all they could lay hands on; nothing was spared. It was said that

9625-449: The day the Turks made a great slaughter of Christians through the city". According to historian Philip Mansel , widespread persecution of the city's civilian inhabitants took place, resulting in thousands of murders and rapes, and 30,000 civilians being enslaved or forcibly deported. George Sphrantzes says that people of both genders were raped inside Hagia Sophia . After Constantinople

9750-652: The defense of Orthodox Christian traditions. Prominent issues for the Ecumenical Patriarchate's policy in the 21st century include the safety of the believers in the Middle East , reconciliation of the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches, and the reopening of the Theological School of Halki , which was closed down by the Turkish authorities in 1971. In the year 330 the Roman Emperor Constantine

9875-507: The desecration of the greatest Church in Christendom. They smashed the silver iconostasis, the icons and the holy books of Hagia Sophia, and seated upon the patriarchal throne a whore who sang coarse songs as they drank wine from the Church's holy vessels. The estrangement of East and West, which had proceeded over the centuries, culminated in the horrible massacre that accompanied the conquest of Constantinople. The Greeks were convinced that even

10000-519: The dispute need not have produced a permanent schism any more than excommunication of any "contumacious bishop". The schism began to develop when all the other Eastern patriarchs supported Cerularius. According to the New Catholic Encyclopedia, it was the support of Emperor Michael VI Stratiotikos that impelled them to support Cerularius. Some have questioned the validity of the bull on the grounds that Pope Leo IX had died at that time and so

10125-549: The economic situation of Romanians in Bukovina . It is a testimony of an older form of anti-Semitism going back to the 19th century. The Romanian Orthodox Church would evolve different forms of antisemitism in the 1930s. The Concordat of 1927 also triggered anti-Catholic reactions. The rise of Nazi Germany exposed Romania to the Reich's theological ideas. This mixture of nationalism, racism and theological thought found fertile ground in

10250-417: The highly influential Nicolae Bălan publicly declared their refusal to enter the race. Both of these bishops held pro-German, pro-Iron-Guard and antisemitic views and it is reasonable to assume that King Carol II's opposition was instrumental in their refusal. Thus, the patriarchal office passed to a reluctant Nicodim Munteanu . King Carol II abdicated on September 6, 1940. An openly pro-German coalition of

10375-462: The importance of the position of Constantinople's church at the center of the Roman Empire, affairs involving the various churches outside Constantinople's direct authority came to be discussed in the capital, particularly where the intervention of the emperor was desired. The patriarch naturally became a liaison between the emperor and bishops traveling to the capital, thus establishing the position of

10500-505: The influence of the patriarchate at its capital. This influence came to be enshrined in Orthodox canon law , to such an extent that it was elevated even beyond more ancient patriarchates: Canon 3 of the First Council of Constantinople (381) stated that the bishop of that city "shall have primacy of honor after the Bishop of Rome because Constantinople is the New Rome." In its disputed 28th Canon,

10625-517: The largest Orthodox church in terms of population, especially as expressed in the Third Rome theory which places Moscow in the place of Constantinople as the center of world Orthodoxy. Such disputes sometimes result in temporary breaks in full communion , though usually not for very long. The relationship between Constantinople and the Ottoman Empire was frequently bitter, due in no small part to

10750-555: The legates' authority legally ceased, but they effectively ignored this technicality. In response to Michael's refusal to address the issues at hand, the legatine mission took the extreme measure of entering the church of the Hagia Sophia during the Divine Liturgy and placing a bull of excommunication on the altar. The events of the East-West Schism are generally dated from the acts of 1054. However, these events only triggered

10875-454: The letter was passed to Humbert of Mourmoutiers , the cardinal-bishop of Silva Candida , who translated the letter into Latin and brought it to the Pope, who ordered a reply to be made to each charge and a defence of papal supremacy to be laid out in a response. Although he was hot-headed, Michael was convinced to cool the debate and thus attempt to prevent the impending breach. However, Humbert and

11000-620: The looted and enslaved city. Hagia Sophia was not exempted from the pillage and looting and specifically became its focal point as the invaders believed it to contain the greatest treasures and valuables of the city. Shortly after the defence of the Walls of Constantinople collapsed and the Ottoman troops entered the city victoriously, the pillagers and looters made their way to the Hagia Sophia and battered down its doors before storming in. Throughout

11125-784: The majority, who belong to the Metropolis of Chișinău and All Moldova , under the Moscow Patriarchate . In 2001 it won a landmark legal victory against the Government of Moldova at the Strasbourg -based European Court of Human Rights . 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

11250-467: The military headed by marshal Ion Antonescu and the Iron Guard took over. Patriarch Nicodim Munteanu's reaction was cautious and his September 1940 address was unenthusiastic. Munteanu, like Cristea before him, feared the anti-establishment nature of the Guard. But the Iron Guard was highly influential on the Church's grassroots. In January 1941, seeking full control of the country, the Iron Guard attempted

11375-572: The missionaries were former affiliates of the Iron Guard, some were seeking rehabilitation after the 1941 insurrection. Abuse against the Jewish population was widespread and numerous reports of Orthodox priests partaking and profiting from the abuse exist. In 1944, Visarion Puiu fled to Nazi Germany, then, after the war, in the West. In Romania he was tried and convicted in absentia after the war. Many priests active in Transnistria also faced prosecution after

11500-527: The need for urbanization and modernisation in Romania. The church hierarchy refused to try to inform the international community about what was happening. Widespread dissent from religious groups in Romania did not appear until revolution was sweeping across Eastern Europe in 1989. The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church Teoctist Arăpașu supported Ceaușescu up until the end of the regime, and even congratulated him after

11625-538: The newly acquired territories and, generally speaking, manage the relationship with the state. The legislation was intricate. The Statute on the organization of the Romanian Orthodox Church adopted by the Romanian parliament on May 6, 1925, counted 178 articles. The law on the functioning of the Romanian Orthodox Church counted 46 articles. Legislators adopted the Transylvanian tradition of mixing clergymen and laymen in administrative assemblies and granted bishops seats in

11750-473: The patriarch as one involving the unity of the whole Church, particularly in the East. In turn, the affairs of the Constantinopolitan church were overseen not just by the patriarch, but also by synods held including visiting bishops. This pan-Orthodox synod came to be referred to as the ἐνδημοῦσα σύνοδος ( endemousa synodos , " resident synod "). The resident synod not only governed the business of

11875-493: The patriarch in determining the affairs of the possessions under his jurisdiction. The synod first developed from what was referred to as the resident synod , composed of the patriarch, local bishops, and any Orthodox bishops who were visiting in the imperial capital of Constantinople. After the fall of Constantinople , the synod's membership became limited to bishops of the patriarchate. The Holy and Sacred Synod, presided over by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I,

12000-408: The patriarchate but also examined questions pertinent to the whole Church as well as the eastern half of the old empire. The patriarch thus came to have the title of Ecumenical , which referenced not a universal episcopacy over other bishops but rather the position of the patriarch as at the center of the oikoumeni , the "household" of the empire. As the Roman Empire stabilized and grew, so did

12125-508: The patriarchate but, from 1448, the Russian church came to function independently. Within decades after the Fall of Constantinople to Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire on 29 May 1453, some were nominating Moscow as the "Third Rome" , or the "New Rome". In 1589, 141 years later, Constantinople came to recognize Russia's independence and led the Eastern Orthodox Church in declaring Russia also to be

12250-631: The period of the siege of Constantinople , the trapped worshippers of the city participated in the Divine Liturgy and the Prayer of the Hours at the Hagia Sophia and the church formed a safe-haven and a refuge for many of those who were unable to contribute to the city's defence, which comprised women, children, elderly, the sick and the wounded. Being trapped in the church, the many congregants and yet more refugees inside became spoils-of-war to be divided amongst

12375-444: The political elite encourage nationalism as a means to strengthen its position against Soviet pressure. The Romanian Orthodox Church, an intensely national body that had made significant contributions to Romanian culture from the 14th century on, came to be regarded by the regime as a natural partner. As a result of this second co-optation, this time as an ally, the church entered a period of dramatic recovery. By 1975, its diocesan clergy

12500-524: The pope made no concessions and the former was sent with legatine powers to the imperial capital to solve the questions raised once and for all. Humbert, Frederick of Lorraine , and Peter, Archbishop of Amalfi , arrived in April 1054 and were met with a hostile reception; they stormed out of the palace, leaving the papal response with Michael, who in turn was even more angered by their actions. The patriarch refused to recognise their authority or, practically, their existence. When Pope Leo died on April 19, 1054,

12625-520: The privilege given to Islam . requires by law that the Patriarch be a Turkish citizen by birth, which all Patriarchs have been since 1923 – all ethnic Greeks from the decreasing Greek minority of Turkey , which is causing a shortage of priests and consequently potential candidates for the post of Ecumenical Patriarch. The closing of the Orthodox Theological School of Halki

12750-422: The property rights over as many as 2,500 church buildings and other assets belonging to the (by then-outlawed) Romanian Greek-Catholic Church were transferred to the Romanian Orthodox Church; the government took charge of providing salaries for bishops and priests, as well as financial subsidies for the publication of religious books, calendars and theological journals. By weeding out the anti-communists from among

12875-422: The regime's standards of political correctness and to avoid giving offence to the government; indeed the hierarchy at the time claimed that the arrests of clergy members were not due to religious persecution. The church's situation began to improve in 1962, when relations with the state suddenly thawed, an event that coincided with the beginning of Romania's pursuit of an independent foreign policy course that saw

13000-613: The regime's violations of human rights. In an attempt to adapt to the newly created circumstances, the Eastern Orthodox Church proposed a new ecclesiology designed to justify its subservience to the state in supposedly theological terms. 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. This notion inflamed conservatives, who were consequently purged by Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej , Ceaușescu's predecessor and

13125-411: The rift between the churches. However, a number of factors and historical events worked to widen the separation over time. The Fourth Crusade in exchange for promised funds attempted to help the deposed emperor Alexius IV regain his throne. After taking Constantinople, returning Alexius IV to the throne, the revolt against and murder of Alexius IV left the Crusaders without payment. On 12 April 1204,

13250-555: The sack of Constantinople by the Frankish and Venetian Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade: The Latin soldiery subjected the greatest city in Europe to an indescribable sack. For three days they murdered, raped, looted and destroyed on a scale which even the ancient Vandals and Goths would have found unbelievable. Constantinople had become a veritable museum of ancient and Byzantine art, an emporium of such incredible wealth that

13375-527: The seat for the Ecumenical Patriarch, who enjoys the status of primus inter pares (first among equals) among the world's Eastern Orthodox prelates and is regarded as the representative and spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians. The Ecumenical Patriarchate promotes the expansion of the Christian faith and Eastern Orthodox doctrine , and the Ecumenical Patriarchs are involved in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue , charitable work, and

13500-614: The spiritual, administrative, fiscal, cultural and legal jurisdiction of the Patriarchate. Some of the other patriarchs came at various points to live permanently in Constantinople and function as part of the local church government. This situation, according to some of the Orientalists and historians, shows the Pax Ottomana (or Pax Ottomanica , literally "the Ottoman Peace"). The Russian Orthodox Church , which for centuries had been

13625-461: The state murdered one hundred demonstrators in Timișoara . It was not until the day before Ceaușescu's execution on 24 December 1989 that the Patriarch condemned him as "a new child-murdering Herod ". 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 ". As Romania made

13750-495: 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. Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza , who had in 1863 carried out

13875-410: The total amount looted from Constantinople was about 900,000 silver marks. The Venetians received 150,000 silver marks that was their due, while the Crusaders received 50,000 silver marks. A further 100,000 silver marks were divided evenly up between the Crusaders and Venetians. The remaining 500,000 silver marks were secretly kept back by many Crusader knights. Nicetas Choniates gives a vivid account of

14000-462: 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. The state provides funding for the church in proportion to the number of its members, based on census returns and "the religion's needs" which

14125-436: The triumphant invaders. The building was desecrated and looted, with the helpless occupants who sought shelter within the church being enslaved. While most of the elderly and the infirm/wounded and sick were killed, and the remainder (mainly teenage males and young boys) were chained up and sold into slavery. The women of Constantinople also suffered from rape at the hands of Ottoman forces. According to Barbaro, "all through

14250-472: The understanding each had about how their own relationship with the regime could influence others and how it actually did. 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. Three archbishops died suddenly after expressing opposition to government policies, and thirteen more "uncooperative" bishops and archbishops were arrested. A May 1947 decree imposed

14375-472: The war, although communist prosecutors were mostly looking for connections to the Iron Guard, rather than explicitly investigating the persecution of Jews. Historical evidence regarding the Romanian Orthodox Church's role in World War II is overwhelmingly incriminating but there are a few exceptions. Tit Simedrea , metropolitan of Bukovina is one two high-ranking bishops known to have interceded in favor of

14500-551: The will of God. Once recalcitrants were removed from office, the remaining bishops adopted a servile attitude, endorsing Ceauşescu's concept of nation, supporting his policies, and applauding his peculiar ideas about peace. 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

14625-497: The world's Orthodox Christians, citing that it represents the numerically largest Orthodox community. As a ruling institution, the Ottoman Empire brought regulations on how the cities would be built (quality reassurances) and how the architecture (structural integrity, social needs, etc.) should be shaped. Special restrictions were imposed concerning the construction, renovation, size and usage of bells in churches. For example, in

14750-494: Was instrumental in propagating Cristea's antisemitic ideas throughout his premiership but church press as a whole became flooded with antisemitic materials. Miron Cristea died in March 1939. Soon after, the Holy Synod voted to uphold regulations adopted under Cristea banning the baptism of Jews who were not Romanian citizens. Cristea's death led to elections being held in order to select a new Patriarch. Metropolitans Visarion Puiu and

14875-561: Was named autocephalous by the local secular government but Constantinople refused recognition until 1879. In 1860 the Bulgarians de facto seceded from the Ecumenical Patriarchate; in 1870 the Bulgarian church was politically recognized as autonomous under the name Bulgarian Exarchate by the Sultan's firman, but it was not until 1945 that it was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In 1922,

15000-560: Was no explicit indication that the entire Western church was being anathematised. In the bull of excommunication issued against Patriarch Michael I Cerularius by the papal legates, one of the reasons cited was the alleged deletion by the Eastern Church of the "Filioque" from the original Nicene Creed. In fact, it was precisely the opposite: the Eastern Church had not deleted anything; it was the Western Church that had added this phrase to

15125-609: Was numbering about 12,000, and the church was already publishing by then eight high-quality theological reviews, including Ortodoxia and Studii Teologice . 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 of 1989, two metropolitan bishops even sat in

15250-670: Was overrun by the Ottoman Turks in 1453, the Patriarchate came to care more directly for all the Orthodox living in the Ottoman Empire . Mehmed II appointed Gennadios II Scholarios as the Patriarch in 1454 and designated him as the spiritual leader as well as the ethnarch or, in Turkish, milletbashi of all the Orthodox Christians in the Empire, regardless of ethnic origin; not only Greeks, but also Bulgarians , Serbs , Albanians , Wallachians , Moldavians , Croatis , Syrians , orthodox Arabs , Georgians and Lazs came under

15375-502: Was placed on church music, canon law, church history, and exegesis. After World War I , the Kingdom of Romania significantly increased its territory. Consequently, the Romanian Orthodox Church needed massive reorganization in order to incorporate congregations from these new provinces. This led to shortages and difficulties. The Church had to establish a uniform interpretation of canon law. It had to handle public funds for paying clergymen in

15500-582: Was put under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church's Moscow Patriarchate in 1947. After the debut of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine , the Romanian Orthodox Church in Moldova has seen a significant number of parishes switching afilliation from the Moscow controlled Metropolis of Chișinău and All Moldova to the Metropolis of Bessarabia, sometimes smoothly, otherwise through intense debates and highly polemicized switches. The Romanian Orthodox Church

15625-523: Was underdeveloped at the end of the nineteenth century. The theological institute at Sibiu , for example, had only one theologian as part of its faculty; the rest were historians, journalists, naturalists, and agronomists. The focus of priestly education was practical and general rather than specialized. In the early twentieth century, the curriculum of a priest included subjects such as hygiene, calligraphy, accountancy, psychology, Romanian literature, geometry, chemistry, botany, and gymnastics. A strong emphasis

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