The Romanian Orthodox Church During the Cold War
The Romanian Orthodox Church During the Cold War

Summary/Abstract: This article provides a two-fold analysis: first, it examines the constitutional and legal pro-visions regarding the relationship between the Romanian state and the Orthodox Church; secondly, it assesses the degree of separation between the two entities during various phases of the communist era. The article briefly compares the situation of the Romanian Orthodox Church under the Soviet-type regime with that of other Orthodox Churches, mainly in Southeast Europe, under communist rule. The article’s hypothesis is that the Greek Catholic factor distinguished Church-State relations in Romania. Furthermore, the Romanian case seems to stand out both due to the increased infiltration of the priestly and monastic communities by political police informants (the Securitate) and due to the intensive use of Orthodox hierarchs to promote state-sponsored cultural nationalism (the so-called Romanian Protochronism). Finally, starting from the nationalist involvement of the Orthodox clergy under the Ceaușescu regime, the article also examines several elements of continuity into the post-communist era.

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