„That CWRS is Catholic is Bad Enough, but that it is from The United States it is just too much”: Humanitarian Interactions and Political Negotiations between The Romanian State and The „Catholic War Relief Services” (CWRS) in late 1940s Romania Cover Image

„CĂ ESTE CATOLICĂ ESTE GRAV, DAR SĂ FIE DIN STATELE UNITE E DEJA PREA MULT”: INTERACȚIUNI UMANITARE ȘI NEGOCIERI POLITICE ÎNTRE STAT ȘI „CATHOLIC WAR RELIEF SERVICES” (CWRS) ÎN ROMÂNIA ANILOR ’40
„That CWRS is Catholic is Bad Enough, but that it is from The United States it is just too much”: Humanitarian Interactions and Political Negotiations between The Romanian State and The „Catholic War Relief Services” (CWRS) in late 1940s Romania

Author(s): Ionuţ Biliuţă
Subject(s): Cultural history, Economic history, Political history, Social history, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949)
Published by: Institutul de Cercetări Socio-Umane Gheorghe Şincai al Academiei Române
Keywords: Romanian Catholicism; Catholic War Relief Services; US Catholic diplomacy; religious Cold War; spaces of religious dissent; negotiations of political status;

Summary/Abstract: The present text discusses the interactions between the Romanian Communist state and the Roman Catholic Church, especially the United States’ „Catholic War Relief Services”. Based on documents from the Vatican Apostolic Archives, the text shows that, despite the convoluted anti-American and anti-Catholic narratives envisaged by the Romanian communists and the official government propaganda, in late 1940s through tough negotiations, un-orthodox practices, and even blackmail, American Catholic prelates could still score victories over the government in their humanitarian and pastoral work.

  • Issue Year: 26/2023
  • Issue No: 26
  • Page Range: 187-199
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Romanian