The living church of Brăila Deanery during the german occupation during the Great War, reflected in archive documents Cover Image

Viața bisericească din Protoieria Brăila în perioada ocupației germane din timpul Marelui Război, în lumina documentelor de arhivă
The living church of Brăila Deanery during the german occupation during the Great War, reflected in archive documents

Author(s): Cristian Gagu
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Theology and Religion
Published by: EDITURA ARHIEPISCOPIEI DUNĂRII DE JOS
Keywords: Great Union; First World War; German Occupation; Church Life; Military Confessor; Braila;

Summary/Abstract: Between 23rd December 1916 - 10th November 1918, Braila lived the terror and drama of life under the German occupation. Over the centuries that have passed since then, few have been bent on the events of that period, and when they did, they focused on the aspects of the military situation and of the social, economic, albeit ecclesiastical life, though in those times of bitter suffering and humiliation, the role of priests, on the front, or in the parishes, was an extremely important one, since they were called to relieve suffering, to encourage souls, to cultivate hope, in a word to raise morale to their faithful. In the few pages where some historians have referred to Braila’s situation during the German occupation, information on religious life is extremely low, and is presented tangentially, not for their intrinsic value, but to reinforce statements about other issues. The present study aims, on the basis of the archive documents of those years, kept in the custody of the Brăila Deanery, to address this shortcoming and to present the involvement of priests and churchmen from this cause in the war effort of the Romanian army, the main lines of liturgical, missionary, spiritual and cultural activities they have carried out among their parishioner, and last but not least, their social situation and their families during the Great War.

  • Issue Year: XVI/2018
  • Issue No: 16
  • Page Range: 28-56
  • Page Count: 29
  • Language: Romanian