DESPRE ACTIVITATEA PREOłILOR MILITARI ÎN TIMPUL PRIMULUI RĂZBOI MONDIAL
THE ACTIVITY OF ARMY PRIESTS DURING WORLD WAR I

Summary/Abstract: On May 15, 1915, the Holy Synod met at the suggestion of the Metropolitan Bishop Pimen Georgescu of Moldova. World War I had broken out and Romania was about to enter the war, so measures had to be taken concerning army priests and mobilized priests. Archpriest Constantin Nazarie, professor at the Faculty of Theology from Bucharest, was the one chosen to tackle the situation. He was notified by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church through address no. 60 from May 16, 1915 that he had been appointed Head Archpriest of Army Priests. Through order no. 130 from May 28, 1915, Nazarie, now Chief of the Religious Service and colonel, was summoned at the Army Headquarters. His main task was to coordinate the activity of all priests on the front. According to Religious Service documents, 235 priests were mobilized during WWI. 2 were never sent in combat, 46 were demobilized for various reasons, 25 were missing in action or taken prisoners. 5 priests died, 6 were injured and 147 became captains. 5 priests were never advanced in rank due to a delay in obtaining the necessary papers. Out of the 235 mobilized priests, 135 were B.Th., 10 were graduates of the Faculty of Theology from Bucharest, 70 had full seminary studies, 10 had studied only 4 years at the seminary, 11 priests had remained at secondary school level. There was insufficient data to classify the remaining 6 priests.

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