Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Senseless-Systematic Destruction of Greek Catholic Property in Romania


NOTE: Be sure to read the comments for this article,  which serve to open the situation to more than one perspective.

The homepage of the Romanian Greek Catholic Association has a photo of this parish church in Sapanta (above) that does not at all appear as though it is being renovated.   With due respect, if my home were renovated in like manner I'd be living out in the yard very soon.

The destruction of confiscated Romanian Catholic parish churches in Romania is an ongoing tragedy of familial proportions.  Sadly these instances are occurring in the immediate moment.  They are not forty or sixty years old, and there is no indication that their frequency is declining.   A website in English highlights this one case out of many:

"The Romanian Greek-Catholic Community is facing with a cultural and religious wipe-out: the Greek-Catholic churches are systematically destroyed by the Orthodox Church representatives, whose actions are supported and accepted by the Romanian authorities, the Romanian Greek-Catholic Association accuses in a letter addressed to Hillary Clinton, the US state secretary.   

Romanian Greek-Catholic Association, Inc. is a non-for-profit association registered in the United States of America, aiming to support the Greek-Catholic communities.  

Head of the association priest Cristian Terhes argues that "the citizens are harassed and threatened because they declare themselves Greek-Catholic; the rights and freedoms of the Greek-Catholics are systematically infringed, without the State interfering".

The quoted letter draws attention upon the situation of the Geek-Catholic church next to the Merry Cemetery from Sapanta, Maramures (North Romania, Transylvania) and upon the fact that "the Romanian state institutions could not find the time for the last two weeks to enforce a court decision that specifically demands an end to the demolishing and building actions".

"Since the abolition of Communism in 1989, the Romanian authorities haven’t done anything to return the assets confiscated by the communists to their rightful owners", the association claims. The organisation requests the State Department to reintroduce "the situation of violating the human rights and the civil rights in case of the Romanian Greek-Catholic community" on the discussions agenda that the US politicians will have with Romanian officials in the future.  

All documents referring to the situation in Sapanta can be downloaded from the following address: Romanian Orthodox Church is destroying the "Merry Cemetrey” in Sapanta."


In 1948 the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic was outlawed, and all its assets, including churches, were handed over to the Orthodox church. After the fall of the Communist regime, the Greek Catholics requested that their churches be returned, but so far only 16 of the 2600 claimed churches have been returned. There are reports that several old Greek Catholic churches were demolished while under the administration of the Orthodox Church.  The map of Romania here shows the areas in Romania were there is a significant number of Romanian Catholics.  Clicking on the image will allow you to enlarge the image so that you can read the legend in the upper right hand corner.

 In a CNEWA [Catholic Near East Welfare Association] article, author Ronald Roberson says:

"After 41 years underground, the fortunes of the Greek Catholic Church in Romania changed dramatically after the Ceausescu regime was overthrown in December 1989. On January 2, 1990, the 1948 decree which dissolved the church was abrogated. Greek Catholics began to worship openly again, and three secretly ordained bishops emerged from hiding. On March 14, 1990, Pope John Paul II reestablished the hierarchy of the church by appointing bishops for all five dioceses. 

Unfortunately the reemergence of the Greek Catholic Church was accompanied by a confrontation with the Romanian Orthodox Church over the restitution of church buildings. The Catholics insisted that all property be returned as a matter of justice, while the Orthodox held that any transfer of property must take into account the present pastoral needs of both communities. In 1998 a bilateral commission between the Orthodox and Greek Catholics was established to resolve property issues, but progress was slow and only 16 churches were returned as a result of its work. It has practically ceased activity since 2004. Altogether less than 200 former Greek Catholic churches had been returned by 2006, many of them in the Banat region where Orthodox Metropolitan Nicolae was more willing to allow the return of Greek Catholic property. More than 200 worshipping communities are still without a church and compelled to meet in public places. In the meantime the Greek Catholic Church has reduced its property claims from an initial list of 2,600 to less than 300."

The case of Romania is one of particular interest to me,  and the reasons for that interest will become more apparent during the lifetime of the blog.  I can say in brief that Father Dimitru Staniloae, out of all of the contemporary Orthodox fathers,  has had a significant impact over the decades, on my own personal openness to Orthodox spirituality and doctrinal teachings.  So in that way I have a sense of being personally invested in what happens between Romanian Orthodox and Romanian Catholics in Romania.
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19 comments:

  1. Uniatism was implemented by force in Transylvania.
    All throughout the 18th century many were killed for opposing it, churches and monasteries were demolished, closed or confiscated, Orthodoxy was denied a hierarchy and was officially seen as only a "tolerated religion".

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  2. Oh yes. We've heard all the stories. And those who stay with the Catholic Church are just too stupid to live and so the Churches that they built have to be destroyed.

    We know and we pray for you, whoever you are too afraid to have a name or identity.

    boo!

    EM

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  3. Corneliu Ilea is my name.
    I'm Romanian, as well. Transylvanian, to boot.
    Non-uniate, as well. Orthodox ancestors.
    Enough?

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  4. Father Dumitru (not Dimitru) Staniloae was one of the most outspoken anti-uniatists in Romania. He is the "bete noire" of the Uniates.
    On the other hand the emphatic title "The ROC destroys the Merry Cemetery of Sapanta" is downright fraudulent. Not even the church was not "demolished" but undertook renovations (which have been suspended by Court decision). Absolutely nobody would think to "destroy" the cemetery, this being one of the major touristic attractions in Romania.

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  5. Dear Corneliu,

    Thank you for letting me know. Can you, will you shed light on the current situation in Romania with respect to day to day interactions between Romanian Catholics and Romanian Orthodox? You mention that you are not Romanian Catholic but you do not say that you are Orthodox so perhaps I presume too much.

    Mary

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  6. Dear Protov,

    Forgive me. As time goes by you will come to see that I will very often make errors in what I write. The longer I am on-line the more I realize that my brain and typing hands do not always connect well. I do know the proper spelling of Father Dumitru's name but I do have difficulty with all language production with respect to the correct letters and in the correct sequence, and proper and unfamiliar names tend to suffer more than other things because I don't see those error as readily. I hope that does not serve to discredit me entirely. Feel free to correct any time!

    I am also aware that Father Dumitru was not a lively friend of the Catholic Church nor even a remote sympathizer. That is heart of the tragedy for the Catholic Church in my mind.

    His work exhibits great insight. All his work excels yet he allowed himself to indulge in the same misrepresentations of Catholic teaching as the most base polemicist. What a loss to the west that is!!

    Few Catholics who are not dogged about making and keeping ties with Orthodoxy will bother to plow through representations that they know are not real representations of the teachings of their Church. Why would they of course?

    One of the things that always strikes me is that aside from his polemics, he is very Catholic in his manner of presenting the faith and the spiritual life. It is the great irony of the schism, as far as I am concerned.

    As to your superior knowledge of Catholic churches in Romania, I don't believe I will yield to it, because if it is not THIS church, then others will fit the situation as well or better. And sadly I also find that I cannot simply and automatically trust the word of many Orthodox when it comes to Catholic and Orthodox relations. I have learned that over many long and difficult years. Some I can implicitly trust. Others...well it takes time to know. It is my fervent prayer that someday, perhaps God willing, that will change.

    Blessings,

    Mary

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  7. Where I come from there are no Greek-Catholics, and have never been, only Roman Catholics who are also Hungarian. We get along with them just fine.
    Now,the problems mainly exist in those villages that were 100% Greek-Catholic before 1948 but are no longer now, usually with a new Orthodox majority (former G-C families not wanting to go back to Rome) and a Greek-catholic minority that wants the church and the rectory, land etc back.
    The situation is more complex that it appears to be: the Orthodox not wanting to give the GC their properties back. It is mostly a strife between GC and former GC. Both can point out to their respective families that built the church.
    PS
    Of course, I'm Orthodox.
    C.I.

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  8. Dear Corneliu,

    I'm glad you came back. Your comments on current parish configurations make pretty good sense. Though it seems that one would not wish to leave a functioning parish simply to find one's self homeless, so perhaps if things were a bit easier there for the eastern Catholics they might be more willing to re-organize themselves. Time will tell in any event.

    I live in central Pennsylvania where there have been large communities of eastern European coal miners. They were eastern Catholic when they arrived but soon found themselves and their traditions unwelcome here, as you know. Then the splits occurred with families and parishes divided between Orthodox and Catholics. The struggle over property was long and hard and angry. The scars of all those years remain, and very often the Catholic and Orthodox churches are side by side.

    Circumstances would be somewhat different in Romania. Here in the US families divided in anger but they were not driven into hiding or forced to choose one of only one option.

    What you say comports with the article from CNEWA where it says that the requests have reduced from 26000 to 300. It does seem that there is some truth to the difficulties experienced by the eastern Catholics there though you have offered something of a more local perspective.

    My spiritual father who is an eastern Catholic priest, a Russian by patrimony, says that the most charitable thing for the Catholics to do would be to drop the fighting over property, and just help the Catholics to rebuild. There's sense in that approach as well.

    I'm including an address here for a list that I run also called Irenikon. I don't know your time constraints but you'd be more than welcome to sign up and participate or web read now and then. Most of the total participants actually are Orthodox but the active contributors are split about half and half, Orthodox and Catholic. It would be wonderful to have an eastern European voice included...that is my own selfish perspective of course.

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Irenikon/

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  9. Correction on the post above. Should read

    2600 not 26000

    M.

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  10. In those villages where the majority of the village came back to the GC church, they also got their churches back. The same in most villages which had two churches, before communism, one GC, one Orthodox, one of them went back to the GC. There are two villages in this situation, close to where I come from.
    The cathedrals were also returned, with, possibly, one exception, the one in Baia Mare.
    There are some monasteries not returned, among them Nicuala and Bixad.
    Within the Metropolitanate of Banat all propertis formerly owned by the GC were returned.
    C.I.
    Christ is risen!

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  11. Dear Corneliu,

    Can you comment on this statement from the CNEWA article:

    "In 1998 a bilateral commission between the Orthodox and Greek Catholics was established to resolve property issues, but progress was slow and only 16 churches were returned as a result of its work. It has practically ceased activity since 2004. Altogether less than 200 former Greek Catholic churches had been returned by 2006, many of them in the Banat region where Orthodox Metropolitan Nicolae was more willing to allow the return of Greek Catholic property. More than 200 worshipping communities are still without a church and compelled to meet in public places. In the meantime the Greek Catholic Church has reduced its property claims from an initial list of 2,600 to less than 300."

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  12. Elijahmaria,

    I am sorry to disappoint you in regards to Father Staniloae. His views about the Uniate Church were firmly held beliefs stemming from his profoundly Orthodox theology. Besides he was a Transylvanian and knew the problem first hand well before Communism. He did not "allowed himself to indulge in the same misrepresentation of the Catholic teaching as the most base polemicist".It is the view of the Uniates of course, but it is unfair to the person of Father Staniloae and to his teachings. He always was critical of Catholic teachings and to make him look as a "closet" Catholic is a profound misrepresentation.
    You do not trust the word of many Orthodox when it comes to Orthodox-Catholic relations. Why don't you apply the same criterion when it comes to the word of "Catholics"?

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  13. Dear Protov,

    You don't surprise me at all.

    I don't think you quite understand what I am saying so I don't think I will argue with you except to say that it is clear to Catholics who read Father Dumitru that he does not characterize Catholic teaching very accurately.

    It is not just an Orthodox failing. But it does happen. We are sorry that it happens when it happens.

    I am more interested in hearing more from Corneliu, so you'll pardon me if I ask you to not argue with me here any further. We are not communicating clearly and it is not worth your time or mine to continue.

    Thank you

    Mary

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  14. I agree with you. That is why I think it is imperative to check the accuracy of the "news" you post on your blog and not to endorse them wholesale. This particular piece is not only inaccurate but misleading.

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  15. Dear Protov,

    I think that is precisely what is happening here. You cannot simply wave away the fact that there were wrongs done to the Greek Catholics in Romania. Why would you want to do that while emphasizing all the wrongs done to Orthodoxy by the Catholic Church for 2000 years or more.

    Pull it all out and look at it...from both sides if possible. There's a great deal of potential for healing in all of this.

    At any rate I am grateful to C.I. for his participation and his kindness, and to you for your willingness to keep the tone civil and allowing me to direct the discussion a bit.

    I'd like to talk to you more under a different heading about what I see and what you see in Father Dumitru. Maybe I can create and opportunity for that soon.

    Do you happen to know Father Radu Bordeianu who is going to be presenting at the upcoming conference at Fordham? I am very interested in his work on Father Dumitru and have written to him, but I am not sure if I have sent my brief letter to the right place.

    Mary

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  16. I am afraid that I do not know Fr. Radu Bordeianu. He seems to be way younger than me, albeit more successful career wise than me. I would be personally very interested to compare his views of Father Staniloae with my own (who knew personally the Father since 1970 and was privy of most of his intimate beliefs).
    I will be glad to share whatever I know about the Father with anyone. Father Staniloae (that is the way he was known in Romania. The appellation of "Father Dumitru" seems to have been introduced by a biographer of him, Maciej Bielawski, trying to suggest a close intimacy with him, and in my opinion a slightly derogatory approach . I can assure you that nobody in Romania ever addressed him with this appellation. He was Dumitru exclusively for his wife. For the rest he was "Parintele Staniloae" (Father Staniloae). I personally have no recollection of anyone calling him by his Christian name.
    I will be more than willing to share with you (or anyone else for that matter), although I feel humbled, some crumbs of my encounter with a personality of this magnitude.

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  17. Dear Protov,

    You do realize that for 12 years in this country, I have been corrected about my Catholic habit of calling priests by their last name.

    I was told that my Latin roots showed every time I failed to call an Orthodox priest by his first name. It was strange to me then and strange to me now but I have made the effort to go along with the traditions and reference priests by their first names when I know them. Sometimes I forget and fall back into the more formal habit of the Roman tradition.

    So now I can joke with you and say to you clearly that your Roman roots are showing.

    I would be more than happy to refer to Father as Father Staniloae.

    By the way have you read any or all of the translations of Father Staniloae's books that are in translation?

    I am curious to hear what someone, who actually knew Father Staniloae intimately, and knows all about what Father thought and what he did in life, has to say about the translations of his works.

    We are sorry you learned about the Catholic Church from Father Staniloae. Ten to one you picked up all his bad habits of mind concerning Catholic teaching. That is a shame.

    Mary

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  18. I was mainly referring to the form of address in publications. Father Staniloae was an academic and in publications the academic forms of address were observed.

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  19. Oh. I see. Well this was the part of what you said that confused me then:

    "I can assure you that nobody in Romania ever addressed him with this appellation. He was Dumitru exclusively for his wife. For the rest he was "Parintele Staniloae" (Father Staniloae). I personally have no recollection of anyone calling him by his Christian name."

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