Ioan Vasile Leb The Orthodox Church and the Minority Cults in Inter-War Romania (1918-1940) In the context of the Union of Greater Romania, a Let us mention from the start that this topic is as problem specific to the development of the Romanian vast as it is complicated, consequently, an exhaustive society and of the re-united national state was the regulation of the status or the varied religious cults. It is analysis is hardly achievable. I will try instead to encom- well known that under the Older Romanian Kingdom, the pass one of the more important aspects of the problem. Orthodoxy was a state religion. The other cults Lutheran, The ratification of The Declaration in Alba-Iulia on Catholic, Mosaic, and Moslem represented small numbers of believers and had not been regulated under the law; December 1, 1918 has been justly qualified as the ac- they were tolerated. Following the Union of 1918, the complishment of the most significant event in the his- Romanian State came to accommodate not just one, but tory of the Romanian people, that is, the Union of several denominations. Consequently, it had to clarify its 1 relations with the cults in the Romanian provinces of Greater Romania . Fundamental actions at all levels Bucovina, Basarabia, Banat, and Transylvania. These cults followed the Union of 1918. Their aim was to achieve which had not existed in the Older Kingdom functioned the unity of the country. Priority was given to the ad- according to the legislative systems they had belonged to ministrative and legal plans for an efficient and nation before 1918. Thus came the necessity of establishing the IOAN VASILE LEB unitary status for the minority cults, which, given the oriented governance. As for the intricate social issue diversity of their religious doctrines, rituals and interests, following the Union, this had to be mastered and man- Pr., Prof., Ph.D., Faculty posed new problems to be settled for the government aged at both political and administrative levels. The re- of Orthodox Theology, policy. This also should be the focus of the debates Babes-Bolyai University, unification of the four historic Romanian provinces had Cluj, Romania surrounding the forthcoming law of the cults in Romania. JSRI No.3 /Winter 2002 131 KEY WORDS called for such measures as would harmonise the insti- nal problems, and neither impeached upon their free tutional system. In this context, a problem specific to expression. Moreover, it is noteworthy that throughout Romania, Orthodox the development of the Romanian society and of the our history there had not been any religious wars or Church, tolerance, Roma- nian provinces, minorities, re-united national state was the regulation of the status persecutions, as was the case in the Western World. Catholic Church, Calvinist or the varied religious cults2. Given the limited number of believers, the Catholic and Church, Lutheran Church, Under the circumstances, the Romanian state had the Lutheran cults could not develop and organise in- state, legislation to clarify its relations with the religious cults of the Ro- dependently, therefore, they came under the patronage manian provinces: Bucovina, Basarabia, Banat, and of Austria and Germany and their leaders jurisdiction. Transylvania. These cults had not existed in the Older A first attempt was made in 1859 at settling this prob- Kingdom and had just been incorporated shortly be- lem. When drafting the Constitution, The Central Com- fore 19183. Moreover, their system was different for mission in Focsani convened to stipulate the safeguard of they came from different states. the rights of the two cults. Article 19 provisioned that It is well known that under the Older Romanian in the United Principalities a new law shall regulate the Kingdom, the Church and the State had merged to status of the Catholic Church and of the other estab- form a perfect unity. In contrast to other denomina- lished religious cults, the nationalisation of the clergy tions, the Orthodoxy was a state religion and the Or- and the independence of these religions from foreign thodox Church was the dominant Church. However, a dominion6. The view was quite progressive at the distinction had been drawn between the two institu- time. tions. It was pointed out that the Church enjoyed abso- Unfortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful. More- lute independence on issues of spirituality while the at- over, the Constitution of 1866 only specified that free- tributions of the State were limited to the rest of the dom for all cults shall be ensured, unless their services issues4. Dimitrie Cantemir himself claimed that the gov- infringe upon public order or ethics. The explanation erning of the church from without was the duty of the is to be found in the powerful influence of Germany monarch, whereas the inner issue of the peoples souls and Austria, which were directly interested in the fate was ruled by the metropolitan bishop5. This was the status of their co-nationals and did not readily accept the idea quo until the Union of 1918 when a religious unity was of an emerging nation and state asserting its right to also deemed necessary. sovereignty over the domestic affairs. The acceptance The other cults Lutheran, Catholic, Mosaic, and of Romania in the Triple Alliance aggravated the whole Moslem represented small numbers of believers and situation to the point where these cults came proximal had not been regulated under the law. They were toler- to exclusion, a situation not encountered in any other ated, that is, the State did not interfere with their inter- country. The Holy See regarded Romania as a terra JSRI No.3 /Winter 2002 132 missionis ruled by deacons. The two bishoprics in Iasi with the cults in the Romanian provinces of Bucovina, and in Bucharest were founded at a later date, without Basarabia, Banat, and Transylvania. These cults which the acknowledgement of the Romanian state. had not existed in the Older Kingdom functioned ac- The Protestant cult stayed in touch with that in other cording to the legislative systems they had belonged to states. The Lutheran communities received guidance before 1918. The new situation called for the endorse- from Berlin and the Calvinist by the Hungarian bishops ment of specific laws8. This is precisely why Article 22 of Cluj, who prior to 1918 had been under Hungarian was introduced in the Constitution of 1923: Freedom administration. As for the Lutheran communities in of consciousness is absolute. The State safeguards the Basarabia and Bucovina, their situation was different. freedom and protection for all cults, as long as their ac- In 1920, they were accepted within the organisation of tions do not prejudice public order, ethics and the gov- the Evangelic Lutheran Church of Transylvania. To erning laws of the state. The Romanian Orthodox conclude, prior to 1918, the status of the religious cults Church and the Greek Catholic Church are Romanian in Romania was not regulated under the law. Churches. The Romanian Orthodox Church as the pre- From the legal viewpoint, the cults were considered vailing religion of the vast majority of the Romanians is private in nature, all their actions pertaining to common the dominant church within the Romanian State, while law. Nonetheless, some of the provisions in the Law the Greek Catholic Church comes first before all the testified that the Romanian State did not ignore the other cults. The Romanian Orthodox Church is, and cults completely. For example, the Moslem communities remains, independent from any foreign dominion, yet is came under state guidance, which subsidised and unified in dogma with the Ecumenical Eastern Church. trained the religious staff. The status of some Greek Across the entire territory, the Romanian Orthodox churches was regulated by specific conventions ac- Church would have a unitary organisation entailing knowledging them as juridical persons on condition both lay and clerical participation. A specific law was to that they obey the state laws, with no right, however, to set the fundamental principles of this unitary property of rural estates. organisation, as well as the way in which the Romanian The relations with the Mosaic and the Armenian Orthodox Church regulates, governs, and adminis- communities had been regulated merely by ministerial trates, through its own institutions and under state sur- ordinances, which did not secure them the status of le- veillance, its religious, cultural, foundational activities gal entities7. and sponsorship. The spiritual and canonical matters of Following the Union of 1918, the Romanian State the Romanian Orthodox Church will be under the au- came to accommodate not just one, but several de- thority of a single central synod. The relationships be- nominations. Consequently, it had to clarify its relations tween the varied state cults shall be regulated under the JSRI No.3 /Winter 2002 133 law9. The representatives of the cults themselves ad- 1927, at the insistence of the representatives of the mitted the necessity for a settlement of their relations Baptist cult demanding legal acknowledgement by the with the Romanian State10. Romanian government. They went for support to As for the Romanian Orthodox Church, it pre- Nicolae Titulescu, then the representative of Romania served its hierarchy, and through consistent efforts it at the United Nations. accomplished the unification under Andrei Sagunas Or- A priority agenda was agreed upon when the pro- ganic Status11 , a document that has remains to this day cess of relation settlement was initiated. First, on May the foundation of our church. Congregating vast num- 6, 1925 the Law and the Statute of the Organisation of the Ro- bers of believers, the Romanian Orthodox Church manian Orthodox Church was passed, acknowledging the ranked high within the Orthodox Church. Therefore, Romanian Orthodox as the dominant Church within the Holy Synod decided in its meeting of February 4, the Romanian State.