Critical Reflections BT

Revd. Prof.
PhD Aurel Pavel
Critical Reflections on Christian Mission

ISBN 978-606-8602-86-8
Revd. Prof. PhD Aurel Pavel
Critical Reflections
on Christian Mission
Published with the blessing

of His Holiness Laurenţiu Streza,
Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transilvania
Andreiana Publishing House

Sibiu – 2016
Graphics and layout: Dragoş Boicu
Cover 1: Martyrdom of Saint Ignatius of Antioch from the Menologion of Basil II

(c. 1000 AD)
Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naţionale a României

PAVEL, AUREL
Critical reflections on christian mission / revd. prof. PhD Aurel Pavel ;
published with the blessing of His Eminence Laurenţiu Streza, Archbishop
of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transylvania. - Sibiu : Editura Andreiana, 2016
ISBN 978-606-8602-86-8
Volume conducted
in the Research Center for Theology
and Research Center for Ecumenical Studies
of “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania
Contents
Theological Research:
Orthodox Church’s missionary imperative............................................ 7
Baptism as „rebirth” and „renewal”....................................................... 10
Ecumenical Dialogue in the Perspective

of the Romanian Orthodox Church..................................................... 25
The Teaching on Ecumenism and on other

Christian Traditions in Orthodox Churches......................................... 40
Mission and Ministry – the vision of Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae................. 49
Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos’ Contribution

to the Development of Orthodox Missionary Theology........................ 58
La contribution de làrchevêque Anastasios Yannoulatos au

développement de la théologie missionnaire orthodoxe��67
Ecclésiologie sacramentaire originaire et la crise liturgique

moderne chez Alexander Schmemann ��104
On Manliness in Christ, “The New Adam” at St. Cyril of Alexandria��117
Preaching the Gospel and Establishing Local Churches.

Important Goals of the Mission��132
Considerations on the Need for Interconfessional
and Interreligious Dialogue in the Context of Postmodern and
Globalizing Challenges��144
The Kievian Theological Education – A Model

for the Romanian Theological Education��159
L’ethos della Chiesa Primaria

e l’Ecclesiologia Ortodossa Contemporanea��187
The Parish: Ecclesial Environment

in Pastoring Alcohol Addicts��212
Theological Research:
Orthodox Church’s missionary imperative
The crisis facing the contemporary society today – despite what is

stated in general – is not a social and economic one, but a religious-moral
one. The contemporary man suffers from deprivation not horizontally
(goods, services, etc.), but vertically, through the loss of the true landmarks
to place him in a right relationship to the elements of the world (which are
nothing more than gifts of God).
The challenges to the Church are reflected automatically on theologi-
cal education. Thus, we do not exaggerate when we say that this is found
today into a crisis which affects all the factors involved in education: teach-
ers, students, master and PhD students. It is a crisis whose roots are too
deep to be properly exposed here. Therefore, both at the level of under-
graduate and master studies, but especially at the level of doctoral studies,
it is imperative that exactness take the place of dilettantism, and the writ-
ing of an original paper (license, master, doctorate) take the place of the
pseudo-academic basting which appear only as a “collection of quotes”.
Only thus “the finished products” of the Orthodox doctoral schools can
be put into service of the Church and not against it, as a counter-witness!
Talking about authentic theological research assumes, however, to
remind ourselves what is authentic theology and what is its role. Etymo-
logically, the term theology comes from the words Theos (“God”) and logos
(“word”), meaning word, speech or doctrine about God and His works.
Patristic testimony, however, stressed that while theology is therefore dis-
course about God and His works, elaborated based on the supernatural
divine Revelation, it is also the knowledge of God in the Spirit based on
personal experience. Theology is a blessing from the Holy Spirit, a gift of
God, spiritual knowledge of divine realities and presenting them in words
of wisdom through which the theologian reveals new spiritual meanings
of the Word of God.
7
By its very nature, theology must always be adapted to the needs of
the Church and societal demands: even if pulling its sap from the Holy
Scriptures and the Holy Fathers’ thinking it must be anchored in the re-
alities of each historical era. Thus, while constantly remain the same, the
major themes of theology ought to be updated and valued, adapted to the
new realities of the society, remaining, otherwise simple existential irrel-
evant theories. Therefore one of the fundamental principles of Orthodox
Tradition was that of the indissoluble relationship between lex orandi and
lex credendi, between Dogmatics, Liturgics and Spirituality. This unitary
character of Theology, marked by an infinitus progresus in idem, determines a
both static and mobile character – a something which remains as perennial
value, but at the same time alive, presented in new forms. In this regard
one of the most important Orthodox theologians of the twentieth century,
Vladimir Lossky, defined Tradition as “the life of the Holy Spirit in the
Church”.
The previously stated represent a model and an encouragement for
all those involved in theological ministry (of the Word) to reflect equally
to the two aspects of the Tradition, the static and the dynamic. What
does this mean? That it behooves that each of us to promote the same
eternal values drawn from reading the biblical and patristic texts, but
also that each of us must make our own contribution for these values to
be expressed in a way as current and accessible as possible to the contem-
porary, so that words become spirit.
Certainly, it is not an easy task - and here should be considered exi-
gencies of inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue. Today’s society, a
global one, requires more than before a theology close to scientific dis-
coveries, having the purpose to draw attention to the ethical issues posed
by technological and informational explosion. Similarly, Christian values
co-exist and face other religious systems, going either to violent breakup
(religious fanatism) or, conversely, to the simplistic identification (religious
syncretism). These are dangers over which we can not easily pass; the pres-
ence of discernment is absolutely necessary, of a maturity of serving God
in word and deed.
We conclude by drawing into attention the issue of integrating the
Faculty of Orthodox Theology in the University – an iconic picture for us
of what is their role in society. On the one hand, just as the Church is not
8
from the world but in the world, so these Faculties are in the University
to show that there is no knowledge for the sake of knowledge, that life
is beyond science and, especially, that all human knowledge is by defini-
tion partial. On the other hand, just as the real tension is not between
the Church and the world, but between the Church, the world and the
eschatological Kingdom of God, the Theological Faculties are aimed to
remember the “ultimate reality” of man, namely to promote an education
that would lead people not only to the rank of professionals – or even good
citizens –, but to “the stature of perfect man”, Jesus Christ.
*
This volume summarizes some studies that I have presented as papers
at various national and international symposia.
The Author
9
Baptism as „rebirth” and „renewal”
during the first two Christian centuries
Pastoral-missionary implications*
Introduction
However surprising it may seem, there are still some „Christians”
who challenge the need of receiving the Baptism as an act indispensable
act for salvation. In the same time, are others who, although recognize
and practice Baptism, give it little significance, and thus diminish its im-
portance comparing to what Orthodox theology says about this Mystery
of the Church established by Jesus Christ Himself. Indeed, Baptism is a
mystery to us, absolutely necessary to salvation; it shares the grace of the
Holy Spirit, removes sins (including the original sin) and thus makes the
baptized a member of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. There are
inextricably linked issues that are presented both in the text of the Holy
Scripture and in the testimony of the Holy Tradition of the Church. Next
we will refer to the most important patristic testimonies of the first two
centuries of the
Church, regarding the mystical-symbolic meaning of the Sacrament
of Baptism, starting with St. Clement of Rome and St. Clement of Alex-
andria. We will not insist on all aspects of Baptism, which are debated by
these two Fathers of the Church1, but we will emphasize the meaning of
Baptism as „rebirth” and „renewal” of the believer. This way it will come
*
Published in Revista Teologică (Theological Review), XXI (93) no. 4, 2011, p.
152-164.
1
Among the works that have been very useful, we especially remember two: Liviu
Streza, Baptism in Different Christian Liturgical Rites, EIBMBOR, Bucharest, 1985, and
Ciprian Streza, Holy Sacrament of Baptism between the Symbolism of the Baptismal Ritual
and the Realism of the Secret Work of Grace, Sibiu, 2009.
10
off very clearly the absolute necessity of administering the baptismal Sac-
rament, which gives these patristic testimonies a pastoral-missionary rel-
evance particularly striking in the contemporary context.
Some Patristic Testimonies on Baptism (1st and 2nd centuries AD)
Sometime between years 98-100, amid a dispute within the commu-
nity of Corinth – due to the rebellion of youth against the priests and their
chasing away, as the episcopal seat of Corinth was released, and the need
of electing a new bishop – Clement of Rome wrote two epistles addressed
to the Christian community in this city. The second Epistle – in fact a
true Christian preaching2 – includes a few pieces of advice, offered on the
basis of scriptural texts: Matt. 6, 24 or Luke 16, 13. Just as there is an an-
tagonism between serving two masters, God and mammon, so there is an
antagonism between now and the next century3. Christians must therefore
follow this advice: „Let’s forsake this and be friends with each other”, hat-
ing „the ones here that are small, temporary and corruptible, and loving
the others, the imperishable riches”. Only doing the will of Christ – he
adds – we will find rest, for disobedience of orders entails the punishment
of „eternal torment”4, that no one can escape.
In this chapter, the sixth, we find a statement on Baptism. Thus, it
says here: „If some righteous like them can’t, with their righteousness, to
redeem their children, what chance we have to get in the palace of God, if
we don’t keep Baptism pure and righteous. Or who will be our defender, if
we are found with no holy and righteous deeds?”5 Set in relation to other
passages in the epistle6, we understand that whatever the terms used, sphra-
2
See PG 2, col. 330-347.
3
Clement of Rome, Second Epistle to Corinthians VI, 1-4, PG 2, col. 336 C: „This
age speaks about fornication, corruption, love for silver and deception; the other age
gives up this age”.
4
Ibidem, VI, 7, PG 2, col. 337 A.
5
Ibidem, VI, 9, PG 2, col. 337 A.
6
„Because the Scripture says about those who did not keep the seal (sphragis): «
Their worm will not die and their fire shall not be extinguished and their whole body will
be privée»”, ibidem, VII, 6, PG 2, col. 340 A. „Keep your body clean and seal undefiled,
to gain eternal life”, ibidem, VIII, 6, PG 2, col. 341 B. „Church, who was spiritual, it was
shown in the body of Christ, showing us that if one of us will keep the Church in his
body and will not hurt it, will receive the Holy Spirit”, Ibidem XIV, 3, PG 2, col. 344 B.
11
gis or baptisma, the author refers to the same sacramental reality: the bap-
tismal seal. Likewise, keeping the body clean, as receptacle of the Spirit,
is related to gifts received in Baptism. To enter the Church means uniting
yourself with Christ and receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But Chris-
tians are meant to keep clean these gifts until the eschatological times,
which leads us to conclude that for Clement of Rome, Baptism is closely
connected with cleansing of sins and receiving the Spirit.
The second author we have in mind is one of the most important mar-
tyrs of the Early Church, St. Ignatius of Antioch St. Ignatius of Antioch.
In the Epistle to Smyrnans, he makes a reference to the link between the
bishop and Baptism: „Where we see the bishop, there are the multitude of
believers, as where Jesus Christ is, there is the universal Church. Without
any bishop is not allowed to baptize, nor to make love feast; because it is
pleasing to God what the bishop approves, everything that is committed
to be safe and established”7. More than likely it is emphasized here the va-
lidity of a Sacrament, but not only that; to this we add the compliance of
the canonical order, for the preservation of unity against the divisions and
heresies which the Church had begun to face8.
In another of his writings, Epistle to the Ephesians, St. Ignatius refers to
the cleansing nature of Jesus’ Baptism in Jordan9 – which henceforth gives
water a purifying role –, but also to the Sacrament of Chrismation. Another
important reference to Baptism occurs in the very scene of Bishop Ignatius
of Antioch’s martyrdom. In the act of this martyría, he sees not only the
apogee of his faith in Christ, but also his sharing of Jesus in the Eucharist.
„Let me just – he writes – to be poured as libation to Godas long as we still
„This body can share the life and incorruption as the Holy Spirit unites with it, so that
can not even say, nor speak „those the Lord has prepared” unto His own”, Ibidem XIV,
5, PG 2, col. 344 C.
7
St. Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to Smyrnans, VIII, 2, PSB 1, p. 184. Before this
statement, St. Ignatius, talking about the Eucharist, emphasized: „That Eucharist should
be considered good, that is made by the bishop or the one the bishop allowed to”. See
Ibidem XVII, 1, PSB 1, p. 184.
8
More details at William R. Schoedel, Ignatius of Antioch: A Commentary on the
Letters of Ignatius of Antioch, (Hermeneia: a Critical and Historical Commentary on the
Bible), Fortress, Philadelphia, 1985, p. 238 a.f.
9
St. Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Ephesians, XVIII, 2, PSB 15, p. 163: „He was
born and baptized so that by His passion to purify water”.
12
have an Altar”10. Then adds: „I am God’s wheat and I want to be crushed

by beasts’ teeth, to be found pure bread of Christ”11.
The revelation of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharistic bread is reca-
pitulated in the person of the martyr. And here the references are obvious
not only about the Eucharist, but also about Baptism: „There is no fire in
me to love the material, but living water (o.u.) that speaks in me and says
within me: Come to the Father!”12. St. Ignatius longs his ordeal, as he sees
in it the fulfillment of its Christian vocation, and this vocation in turn is
nothing more than to become a holy Temple, an epiphany13.
Written sometime between years 70-130, in order to convince Ju-
daized Christians not to follow the Old Testament (this one having a tran-
sitory nature, not more than a prefiguration of the New Testament), Epis-
tle of Barnabas includes, in its turn, references to both ways: the „way of
life”, of light, and, in opposition to it, „way of death”, of darkness. This
writing mentions also the effects of Baptism on Christians: „we descend
into the water full of sins and defilement („descent” may be an allusion
to performing Baptism by immersion, o.n.), but we raise full of gifts in
our heart, having fear for the Spirit and hope in Jesus”14. This epistle also
includes the terms „seal” (sphragis) and „to seal” (sphragizein), terms which
later became „classics” in describing the action of the Holy Spirit in the
Sacraments of initiation (Baptism and Chrismation). What is important
for us to remember, are the effects of Baptism: the main renewing effect
of receiving holy water – along with forgiveness and hope in Jesus Christ
– is mentioned „the re-creation” of the human being: „when we received
forgiveness of sins and we hoped in Lord, we have been renewed, being
built up again from the beginning... in the home of our heart, inhabited
in reality by God...”15.
This renewal following the removal of demons and sins of the hu-
man heart (again, a possible reference to the exorcisms before Baptism):
10
Idem, Epistle to Romans, 2, PSB 1, p. 175.
11
Ibidem, 4, PSB 1, p. 175.
12
Ibidem, 7, PSB 1, pp. 176-177.
13
This is the interpretation of Alexander Golitzin, Mystagogy the Experience of God
in Orthodoxy. Studies of Mystical Theology, translated by Ioan I. Ică jr., Deisis Publishing,
Sibiu, 1998, pp. 85-86.
14
S. Barnabas Apostolus, Epistola catholica, XI, 11, PG 2, col. 756-757.
15
Ibidem, XVI, 8, PG 2, col. 773-776.
13
„Before we thought in God, our house was broken and weak... as a temple
built by hand; was full of idolatry, was the home of demons, because he
did everything that was against God”. But through Baptism „this temple
will be built in the name of God”16. As with Clement of Rome, the author
of this epistle attests the eschatological character of Baptism: if this sacra-
mental act recovers in the believer the image of God, darkened by the fall,
then it anticipates the restoration of creation from the Eshaton.
Among the writers of the second century, a decisive contribution to
patristic literature of this period was brought by the Christian apologists.
They are the ones who, determined by the attacks started from the intran-
sigent Judaism, the fanaticism of the people, the Roman legislation, and
pagan writers have sought to stress: on the one hand, justice of Christian
teaching, to achieve a certain tolerance from the public authorities and,
on the other hand, the superiority of Christianity to paganism. Naturally,
a doctrine of faith that could not miss from their work was the Baptism.
For example, the Apology of St. Justin Martyr, like the other Apologies,
seeks to disprove the accusations brought by pagans against Christians, on
the one hand exposing the major Christian doctrines (ch. XXIII-LX), on
the other hand exposing essential acts of Christian worship (LXI-LXVII).
Among the latter is presented the Baptism, which is called „regeneration”
(anagennesis), „enlightenment” (ho photismos) and „bath” (lytron). He is
compared to natural birth – if it is adult baptism, then it is a willful,
conscious rise – making direct reference to John 3, 5: „Those who believe
wholeheartedly that what I have taught is true, begin by confessing that
they want to live according to them; then they are advised to pray and seek
from God, through fasting, forgiveness of their sins past; we ourselves pray
and fast for them. Then we take them to a place where is water and they are
reborn with the same renaissance that we have revived. They are immersed
in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”17.
From another scholar of the second century, Meliton of Sardis, we
have been preserved some fragments of his works. Among these we can
mention some fragments, one of which seems to be part of a work dedi-
cated to Baptism. He does not tell us anything about how the mystery
16
Ibidem, XVI, 7, PG 2, col. 773.
17
Justinus Philosphus et Martyr, Apologia prima pro Christianis LXI, 3, PG 6, col.
420-421.
14
was celebrated in Sardis, nor he develops some theological issues on the

subject. He is talking instead about the heavenly bodies reflected in the
ocean, drawing a parallel with Baptism. Speaking about the sun and its
sunset, Meliton says: „Iimmortal falls completely in cold water, but keeps
the watchful fire; and when he fell in a symbolic way, by immersion, he is
extremely jubilant, taking water as food. Although one and the same, he
raises to people like a new sun, shaped by the deep, cleaned by the bath”18.
Although the passage says quite a few items on Baptism – there is no pos-
sibility to review it within the context of the work – however it seems
Meliton had in mind the expression of the purification of newly baptized
in the baptismal water.
Converted to Christianity in adulthood, Bishop Theophilus of Anti-
och wrote, to present his friend Autolic the Christian doctrine, an apolo-
getic19 response of great value, through which rejected a series of com-
plaints to the Christians. In the second book, explaining the days of crea-
tion, St. Theophilus says: „creatures created in water were blessed by God,
and it is proof that people have to receive repentance and forgiveness of
sins through water and the bath of regeneration, ie all those approaching
the truth, who are born again and receive blessing from God”20. Undoubt-
edly, this text presents a number of baptismal connotations. We can see
that the author emphasizes not only the cleansing side of Baptism (repent-
ance and forgiveness of sins), but calls it „bath of regeneration”, following
Apostle John’s tradition. Moreover, the baptismal act brings knowledge
through being „near the truth”, a revival and God’s blessing21.
We find essential information in a work of Tertullian, dedicated en-
tirely to exposing the ritual and the theological significance of Baptism22.
The starting point of exposure is the opinion of a Gnostic sect, which,
promoting a maniheic type of dualism, says that water is a subject in itself
evil and therefore should not be used in baptism, for faith alone would be
sufficient for salvation. Tertullian is therefore defending the holy baptismal
18
See Thomas M. Finn, Early Christian Baptism and the Catechumenate: West and
East Syria vol. 1, Liturgical Press, Colegeville, 1992, 36.
19
The Apology text is found in PG 6, col. 1023-1168.
20
Teofil of Antioch, Book II to Autolic, XVI, PG 6, col. 1077C.
21
Ibidem, XVI, PG 6, col. 1077C-D.
22
Tertulian, De Baptismo, PL 2, col. 1305-1334.
15
water. He writes about: the best time to baptize is remembered as the feast
of Easter and Pentecost, „but it is important to know that all the days be-
long to the Lord and all hours and anytime is a great time for Baptism...
because nothing changes grace” 23; about the doer – he is the bishop, but he
may delegate it to a deacon or priest and (in case of emergency even a lay-
man can baptize)24; about the preparation that precedes it – the ordinance
of baptism is preceded by a special preparation through prayer, fasting,
kneeling, vigils, confession of sins; about who can be catechumen – the
catechumenate about which speaks Tertullian still seeks its rules of or-
ganization: every Christian is prepared for Baptism in an unique way. The
author prefers not to admit children too young to baptism, for it is better
to know what they do”25. The period of catechumenate, from Tertullian’s
point of view, must be characterized by a doubling of moral and ascetic ef-
fort: the catechumen must demonstrate that he broke away from old habits
(omnium abolitio peccatorum). For us the most interesting data are given
by the apologist about the significance of holy water, the ritual of Baptism
itself and post-baptismal ritual acts.
Baptismal service begins with prayer of sanctification of water –
that Tertullian did not write – prayer that has the following role: „water
is consecrated in order to sanctify in its turn”. He also speaks of the pre-
baptismal rite of exorcism – entered the baptismal pool (aquam ingressi),
those who want to be baptized „confess their faith in Jesus Christ... after
they rejected the devil, the pump and his angels”26. The text emphasizes
the connection between baptismal water and then water at the beginning
of creation. The cosmic character of baptismal ritual act is thus empha-
sized: just as the water from Genesis 1, 2 is the primary element (initia-
tor) and the environment in which all creatures were brought to life by
the Holy Spirit, so by the power of the same Holy Spirit, it becomes
life-giving water and restores in man the image of God: „Holy once in-
23
Ibidem, 19,1, PL 2, col. 1331-1332.
24
Ibidem, 17,1, PL 2, col. 1326.
25
Ibidem, 18,4, PL 2, col. 1329-1330.
26
Rejection of Satan, called eieratio, is explained by Tertullian in another work: „We
reject these: the pride of the world, the devil and his angels... earthly dignities, honors,
solemnities, false oaths, human servitudes, praise vanity, conceit and what underlies all –
idolatry”. See idem, Liber de corona, III, PL 2, col. 98.
16
voked descends raised above the baptismal water as if he recognized his

old throne”27.
Then comes another comparison with another report in the Old Testa-
ment – between the waters of baptism and the flood waters. As once, after
the flood waters retreat – which as through a real baptism of the world,
they removed the „old injustice” – the dove announced the end of heavenly
punishment, in the same way the dove of the Holy Spirit flies to earth, to
our body, cleansed of sins through baptism bath, bringing God’ peace28.
Tertullian shows that Baptism had been performed by triple immer-
sion after each of the three questions of faith: „Then we immersed three
times, bringing a more fully response than that ordained by the Lord in
the Gospels” 29. (These words may be interpreted as if the questions were an
amplification of the baptismal formula of Matt. 28, 19-2030.)
Post-baptismal rites mentioned by Tertullian are: full anointing with
sanctified oil, the marking of the forehead with the sign of cross and laying
the hands, in prayer, over the newly baptized. Post-baptismal anointing is
considered by Tertullian „a priestly blessing, which gives the recipient the
name of Christian from Christ, the Anointed One”31.
At the end of the ordinance of Baptism, the bishop used to make the
sign of cross and put his hands on the newly baptized, saying a prayer to
invoke the Holy Spirit. The neophytes received Holy Eucharist, only after
they had tasted milk and honey, as a sign of the fulfillment of Old Testa-
ment promises and foretaste of heavenly good things.
Regarding the sacramental effects of the Baptism, Tertullian shows
that the saving efficiency of Baptism is based on the dependence of the
mystery on passion, death and resurrectionof Christ: „For our death could
not be destroyed without the Lord’s passion nor our life could be restored
without His resurrection”32. From the cross Christ sends the Holy Spirit
and the Baptism stems from his stabbed ribs. Passion of the Lord make
the basis of the Church. It is intimately associated as a bride with the
27
Idem, De Baptismo 8,3, PL 2, col. 1316.
28
Ibidem, 8,4, PL 2, col. 1317.
29
Idem, Liber de Corona III,8, PL 2, col. 43.
30
See C. Streza, op. cit., pp. 87-88.
31
Tertulian, De Baptismo 7,1, PL 2, col. 1315.
32
Ibidem, 11,2, PL 2, col. 1321.
17
work of Christ, she unites her sons with Christ by Baptism. Thus the mys-
tery of baptism is both personal renewal, birth to new life, release from
the bondage of Satan and sin, and entry into the large family of Christ,
the Church.
The basic idea of Tertullian’ exposure, along with providing essential
data about the order and deepest meaning of Baptism – is says, for ex-
ample, in addition to those shown above, the uniqueness of the mystery:
„only once we enter the bath of baptism, only once our sins are wiped up”
33
–, is that the baptism of heretics is not valid, because they do not confess
the same Christ34.
On how Baptism was done in the West, about the same time as the
writings of Tertullian, we learn from the work of St. Hippolytus of Rome,
Apostolic Tradition35. The most important data covers the catechumenate
period preceding the Baptism (see Chap. 15-20). Hippolytus first presents
a list of jobs and situations incompatible to the admission to the cate-
chumenate (chapters 15-16), and in what the catechumens training itself
means, it was run over three years, possibly shortening it, depending on
the conduct and zeal of the catechumen. Catechetical lesson were followed
by prayer and laying on of hands on catechumens (chapters 17-19). Cat-
echetical preparation ended with a new life analysis of the catechumen, to
see if he has mastered the way of Christian living, and after that began the
preparations to receive the Baptism. During this period, the catechumens
were exorcised by special prayers and the laying of hands.
Sunday was the day reserved for receipt of Baptism as an initiating
act of entry into the ecclesial community, although the preparation was
increased from the previous days: the Thursday before the baptism, cat-
echumens washed themselves, fasting Friday, and Saturday were exorcised
by the bishop who, after saying the prayer of exorcism, blew over the can-
didate and marked him on the forehead, ears and nostrils. They spent Sat-
urday night in vigil, receive the last advices before baptism (ch. 20).
As in the early periods, Baptism was performed in running water,
except for cases of necessity, when any water could be use. The ordinance
33
Ibidem, 15,3, PL 2, col. 1324.
34
Ibidem, 15,2, PL 2, 1325.
35
Hippolite de Rome, La tradition apostolique d’âpres les anciennes versions,
introduction, traduction et notes par Bernard Botte, SC 11 bis., Paris, 1968, pp. 69-95.
18
of Baptism began with the blessing of water, at „cock crowing” and Hip-
polytus wrote about this: „Candidates for baptism will be stripped off,
because they put new garb (o.u.), giving up any kind of jewelry, not to let
Satan any support”36. Mature candidates responded to questions of faith
themselves, and for infants, parents or someone in their family responded,
expressing the belief of the child. If more candidates were baptized, were
baptized babies first, then the adults, men and women.
It should be noted that, before Baptism, the bishop sanctified two
vessels with oil – the first through a „prayer of thanks” from which oil will
be called the „oil of thanksgiving”, and the second, through a prayer exor-
cism, oil and call it „the exorcism” 37. (Unfortunately, we are not given the
water sanctification prayer or the prayers for the sanctification of the oil.)
In what regadrs the priest, he took each candidate, asking him to renounce
Satan and say: „I deny you, Satan, and all your service and all your works”
38
. Then followed pre-baptismal Chrismation with „oil of exorcism”, ac-
companied by: „Let us depart from thee any evil spirit.” After the anoint-
ing, the baptized one entered the water with a deacon. Followed a series
of questions about the main teachings of faith. The priest, with hands
on his head, asked: „Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?”. The
candidate replied: „I do” and the priest immerses the first time. Followed
the second question: „Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and
was incarnated of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was crucified
under Pontius Pilate, and suffered (and was buried), and rose again on the
third day, and ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of
the Father, and shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and
the dead?” After the affirmative response the candidate was immersed a
second time. The priest continued: „Do you believe in the Holy Spirit,
who is in the Holy Church, (and the resurrection of the body)?” And soon
after he answered, he was sinking the candidate the third time. After leav-
36
Ibidem, p. 85.
37
One of the interesting details of this paper therefore aims also the celebrant of
the Baptism: he is the priest, but the author of the practice left from the early era – that
of laying on of hands – was the bishop. This tradition will eventually lead, in the West, to
the separation of Baptism and Chrismation. More details in Daniel Popa, „Chrismation
as Mystery”, in The Annual of Faculty of Orthodox Theology „Andrei Şaguna” – Sibiu,
2000-2001, Sibiu, pp. 212-230.
38
Hippolite de Rome, op. cit., p. 86.
19
ing the waters of baptism, the priest administered the neophyte a second
anointing with „oil of thanksgiving” saying: „I anoint you with holy oil in
the name of Christ Jesus”39.
The baptized and anointed got dressed and went into the church and
came to the bishop, who put his hands on them, praying to God, Who
forgave their sins and reborn them through the bath of Baptism, to send
them the grace of the Holy Spirit, to be able to fulfil all His holy will. The
Bishop took the „thanksgiving oil” and, with his hand, marked the fore-
head of the baptized, to complete the post-baptismal anointing made by
the priest, saying for every part of the body: „I anoint you with oil conce-
crated in God the Father Almighty, in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit”.
Then he kissed each one, saying: „The Lord be with you” and they said:
„And with your spirit”. From now on the newly-baptized could pray with
other believers, receiving and giving the kiss of peace40.
Immediately after that follow the consecration of the gifts brought
to sacrifice: they brought as gifts, along with bread and wine, milk mixed
with honey – a symbol of reaching the promised land where flows „milk
and honey”, because for the fulfillment of this promise Christ gave His
body, from which the believers eat (cf. I Peter 2, 2), and the sweetness of
His words softens the bitterness of heart – and a little water, a symbol of
baptismal bath41. Finally, it should be mentioned that the communion of
neophytes with milk and honey had only symbolic value, and is different
from the Eucharist.
In the theology of Baptism, St. Hippolytus respects the old West-
ern tradition, which focuses on birth of water and the Spirit (cf. John
3, 6). Thus, the effects of Baptism are mentioned: cleansing of sins,
rebirth of water and the Spirit, sharing the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Commenting on the text of John 12, 34, St. Hippolytus reveals the
link between blood and water flowed from the ribs of Christ and Holy
Baptism. Blood and water show the death of the One Who gives all life,
and they became life-giving – blood in the Holy Eucharist and water in
the Holy Baptism42.
39
Ibidem, p. 87.
40
Ibidem, p. 89.
41
More details in C. Streza, op. cit., p. 90-94.
42
Hippolite de Rome, op. cit., p. 103-104.
20
Disciple of Pantene and its successor in the School of Alexandria,

Clement (150-215) presents the steps of Christian initiation, beginning
with Christ’s Baptism, and with the Pauline conception regarding it. Thus,
he writes: „We do not call us children and baby because our learning
would be childish and easy to despise... For us, after we were born a second
time, immediately received the perfect teaching, for which we trouble. We
were enlightened, and this means that we know God. So, perfect is not he
who knows The perfect... When the Lord was baptized, a voice came from
heaven to give the loved one witness”43.
Christian Baptism appears here as our „second birth” and as „enlight-
enment”, but Jesus’ Baptism in Jordan is the first model for the interpre-
tation of the Christian one, and even calling the example of the Israelites
crossing the Jordan, under Joshua’s leadership, to enter the Holy Land.
Clement insists in associating the term infant with the new converts, clear-
ly linking the interpretation of Baptism with the rebirth and enlightement.
Then are exposed some effects of Baptism: „The same thing happens with
us, for whom our Lord was a model. When we are baptized, we enlighten;
after being enlightened, we are adopted; when we are adopted, get perfect:
being perfect, we are immortal. The Scripture says: I said: you are gods
and all sons of the Almighty”. This work is called in many ways: it is called
charisma, illumination, perfection, bath; it is called bath, because we are
cleansed from sin; it is called charisma, because the penalties for sins are re-
moved; it is called enlightenment, because we get that holy saving light, in
which we see the deity; is called perfection, for is not lacking anything”44.
Clement puts in close connection with Baptism, the receiving of
the Holy Spirit: „As those who are up from sleep immediately rinse their
minds, or, better said, as those trying to drain away from their eyes, with-
out taking from outside the light which they did not have inside them, but
get the light only if they remove from their eyes what was there, if they
leave free the pupil, so we who are baptized with the Holy Spirit, remov-
ing from us our sins, as a cataract, which kept us in darkness, we gain free,
untrammeled and bright eyes of the Spirit; and only thus we contemplate
the Deity, because the Holy Spirit, coming from heaven flows into us”45.
43
Clement Alexandrinul, Paedagogus, I, 25, 1-2, PG 8, col. 280B.
44
Ibidem, I, 26, 1-2, PG 8, col. 282A.
45
Ibidem, I, 28, 1, PG 8, col. 284A.
21
Those initiated to receive the Baptism had not yet received the light, but
are in a gradual process of discovery, following which, through baptism,
acquire „light of the Spirit”, which provides for „eternal light” 46.
Thus, we see that Clement considers Baptism as a „rebirth” which has
as a final point perfection. Clement puts Baptism closely with faith, lead-
ing to perfection: „Faith and new birth mean perfection in life” 47. The one
who is born once again, is immediately enlightened, escaping the darkness
and receiving the light48. Also, Baptism is linked to the adoption49, because
the baptized are like babies: „It goes without saying, then, that we are ba-
bies, children of God, who has removed the old man, put off sin and put
on incorruptibility of Christ, to be new people, holy people, and being
born again, to keep man uncorrupted; to be babies, as a child of God”50.
Moreover, for Clement, Baptism brings forgiveness of sins previously
committed: „Through Baptism we wash all our sins and we are not sin-
ners. This is the only grace of enlightenment: we are not the same as before
Baptism”51. „We need to know that those who fall into sin after they were
baptized, are punished for the sins they have committed, sins commit-
ted before baptism are forgiven; those committed after Baptism they need
cleaning”52. The denial of sins is „perfection, rebirth in the faith of He,
Who alone is perfect, and forgiveness of previous sins”53.
Clement understands the light received through Baptism as a spir-
itual transformation of the soul of the baptized to knowledge, the action
of grace on the soul. Enlightenment is a product of two factors: a divine
one and a human one (the latter does not annihilate reason, but instead
leads to a broadening of the knowledge). The entire process is done under
the direction of Jesus Christ: „The teacher of mankind, our divine Word,
using all the skills of wisdom, wants with all the power to save the babies;
gives them advices, blames them, quarrels them, threatens them, prom-
46
Ibidem, I, 28, 2, PG 8, col. 284A.
47
Ibidem, I, 27, 2, PG 8, col. 282B.
48
Ibidem, I, 27, 3, PG 8, col. 282C.
49
Idem, Stromata, II, 75, 2, PG 8, col. 1013B.
50
Idem, Paedagogus, I, 32, 4, PG 8, col. 92C.
51
Ibidem, I, 30, 1, PG 8, col. 285C.
52
Idem, Stromata, IV, 154, 3, PG 8, col. 1364B.
53
Idem, Paedagogus, I, 52, 3, PG 8, col. 312C.
22
ises them, gives them, and as with many reins bridles the reckless impulses
of humanity. To say it short, the Lord deals with us as we carry our own
children”54.
Conclusions
New Testament texts stressed the particular importance of Christian
Baptism, especially in comparison with the baptism performed by St. John
the Baptist: if the latter was made „for repentance”, for justice (Matt. 3,
5-6, Mc. 1, 4; John 1, 25-26), the first one, performed in the name of
the Holy Trinity, iss his superior as it is done for the remission of sins, for
adoption and it gives the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1, 5 , 2, 38, 19,
1-6; Gal. 3, 27; Rom. 6, 3). According to this, the Baptism of the Church
is fully a Sacrament of Christ, which has as sacramental effect the deletion
of personal sin (Acts 2, 38, 22, 16; I Cor. 6, 11, 15, 50; Rev. 21, 27), re-
newal of the nature (John 3, 5-7; Rom. 6, 3-5), receiving the status of child
of God (I Cor. 12, 13), who dresses in Christ (Gal. 3, 26-28) to eternal life
(Mark 16, 16) of the eschatological kingdom of God55.
Organic continuity of the patristic thought with the Scriptural one
emerges from the fact that the first preserved and revealed all these aspects
of the Baptism, that we listed above. In the religious context of our days
this is particularly important, because it fights fully against reducing the
significance of Baptism to a mere „symbol”, that is an imitation, a likeness,
memory and commemoration. Baptism is not just a repetition of a cer-
emony, with the custom value of a mere compliance of the early Church.
(Based on a unilateral interpretation of the texts of Acts 11, 14 – „... will
tell you words by which you and your whole family will be saved” – and
16, 31 – „Only believe and you will save you and all your home” – is
considered by some denominations and Christian sects that Baptism is
only the external practice, a memory, which strengthens faith, sealing it
– and that faith alone brings salvation and give man the status of „new
creation”56.)
54
Ibidem, I, 75, 1-2, PG 8, col. 340 B-C.
55
Regarding Baptism as absolutely essential mystery of salvation, in a missionary
context see P.I. David, Christian Guide for Understanding and Defending the True Faith
against Sectarian Proselytism, Arad Diocese, Arad, 1987, p. 264.
56
Ibidem, p. 266.
23
Patristic testimonies of the first two centuries, outlined in this study,

highlighted a much larger value to the Mystery of Baptism, which must
be always emphasized in theological works, sermons, and homilies of our
Church, as well as in ecumenical dialogues:
1) The relationship between the unity of the Church and the bap-
tismal unity is indissoluble. Nobody can enter into the Church – mys-
tical-sacramental body of Jesus Christ – but through the Sacraments of
initiation: Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist. Regarding Baptism, we must
emphasize neophyte’s real participation in the Holy Spirit charisma, that
is characteristic of Baptism, by which original sin and personal sins are
forgiven.
2) Baptism marks the beginning of man’s ontological restoration as a
new creature in Christ. It’s the first sacramental act, from which and on
which is built around the life of a Christian. Through Baptism and Chris-
mation is granted the gift of God and man is meant to provide, through
faith and good works, in response to this gift. (Hence, among other things,
the unity of the Church as unity in the fullness of faith and of the seven
Sacraments.)
3) The practice of Baptism by immersion into the baptismal water,
performed on behalf of Holy Trinity, remains an essential element of the
Church. This practice is clearly attested by patristic testimonies, and one
of the ecumenical task is this: the need to return to the old tradition of
the undivided Church, on which the Church unity must be based. Or-
thodox Church, preserving this Tradition, hopes that his influence will be
extended to Christian theology in general, helping churches and Christian
denominations to fully discover their ecclesiological identity.
24
Ecumenical Dialogue in the Perspective
of the Romanian Orthodox Church*
Introduction
Teaching Ecumenism within the Faculties of Orthodox Theology
in Romania is closely related to Romanian Orthodox Church involve-
ment in the ecumenical movement. We can identify three distinct situa-
tions: 1) 19201948 period, including between the years of “stagnation”
or “non-involvement”, 1948-1961, 2) 1961-1989 Period and 3) From
1990 until today.
1920-1961 Period
Creation of Great Romania in 1918 would be followed by reorgani-
zation of the Romanian Orthodox Church through a new statute written
in 1925 (when it was raised to the rank of Patriarchate). Even though the
Romanian Orthodox Church did not take part in the Assembly of Edin-
burgh (1910) it would be involved in the ecumenical movement. Thus, it
has sent a delegation to the preparatory meeting for the formation of the
World Council of Churches, held in Geneva during 9-20 August 19201.
It is worth mentioning Romanian participation within the Commission
*
The present paper explores the ecumenical involvement of the Romanian Or-
thodox Church according to its relevance in the Faculties of Orthodox Theology in
Romania. As a case study the author has chosen the “Andrei Saguna” Faculty of Theology
in Sibiu (ed.). Published in Orthodox Handbook on Ecumenism. Resources for Theological
Education, edited by Pantelis Kalaitzidis et alii, Regnum Books International / World
Council of Churches, 2013, p. 350-358.
1
To this delegation took part Prof. Ph.D Dragomir Demetrescu and Fr. Ph.D
Gheorghe Rădulescu from Constanţa. See PI. David, Ecumenismul, factor de stabilitate în
lumea de astăzi (Ecumenical Movement, Stabilizing Factor in Today’s World), Gnosis Pub-
lishing, Bucharest, 1998, pp. 57-58; Niculae I. Şerbănescu, “Biserica Ortodoxă Română
25
“Faith and Order”: a Romanian delegation took part in the first general
meeting (3-31 August 1927, in Lausanne)2.
Reorganization of the Romanian Orthodox Church was doubled also
by the theological education reform. Between 1918-1948 in Romania have
functioned three Faculties of Theology (Bucharest, Cernăuţi and Chişinău),
five Academies in Transylvania and Banat (Sibiu, Cluj, Oradea, Arad and
Caransebeş) and more than ten seminars3, all in the “old Romania”.
The ecumenical relevance of teaching the theological subjects in these
Romanian educational institutions was null. On the contrary, the Orthodox
theology that was taught in them was a strictly confessional one. In the field
of missionary Theology Vasile Ispir4 and Petru Deheleanu5 have imposed
themselves. Their work mainly focused on the “internal” mission of the Or-
thodox Church. The main purpose of their writings was to fight against the
sects that began to penetrate and consolidate all over Romania. We should
mention that, in combating these new sects, the call was made not only on
biblical and theological arguments, but also on arguments of national order,
the new religious movements being seen not only as a threat to the true
Church of Christ, the Orthodox one, but also as a threat to the preserving of
the Romanian national unity (the motivation being their allogeneic origin
as well as the external support enjoyed by the representatives of these sects)6.
şi mişcarea ecumenică (Romanian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Movement)”,

Ortodoxia (Orthodoxy), no. 1-2 (1962), p. 122.
2
Consisting of Fr. Prof. Ph.D Grigorie Cristescu and Prof. Ph.D Nicolae Colan,
both from the Theological Academy in Sibiu, and Fr. Trandafir Scorobeţ, counselor at
the Metropolitan of Transylvania. On the fifth day of the conference Nectarie Cotlar-
ciuc, Metropolitan of Bucovina, also arrived. See Iuliu Scriban, “Românii, la Congresul
creştinesc de la Lausanne (The Romanians at the Christian Congress in Lausanne)”, in
Biserica Ortodoxă Română (Romanian Orthodox Church), no. 8 (1927), p. 497.
3
Mircea Păcurariu, “Biserica Ortodoxă Română în secolul XX (Romanian Ortho-
dox Church in the Twentieth Century)”, in Christine Chaillot (coord.), Biserica Orto-
doxă din Europa de Est în secolulXX (Orthodox Church in Eastern Europe in the Twentieth
Century), translation into Romanian by Liliana Donose Samuelsson, (Humanitas Pub-
lishing: Bucharest, 2011), p. 183.
4
Vasile Ispir, Sectele religioase din România (Religious Cults in Romania), (Arad, 1928);
Idem, Curs de îndrumări misionare (Missionary Guidance Course), (Bucharest, 1929).
5
Petre Deheleanu, Sectologie (Sectology), (Arad, 1948).
6
Another name worth to be mentioned here is that of Bishop Grigorie Comşa
(1889-1935). In the interwar period he carried out an intense publishing activity an-
26
Ecumenical Dialogue in the Perspective of the Romanian Orthodox Church
The Communist regime in Romania has produced profound changes

at a socio-economic and theological level. In august 1948 came into force
the new Law on Religions. According to it, in Romania were recognized
14 religious denominations. The Law also stipulated also the right of the
State to supervise and control all these religious denominations. The State
had some “special delegates” to mediate between the religious denomi
nations and the State. In fact, their role was to achieve permanent control
over all religious life in Romania. Also, in august 1948 a new Law on Edu-
cation came into force. This provide for an education exclusively secular
and public. The study of religion was forbidden in the schools of all grades
and the high schools of some religious groups passed under the Ministry
of Education. At the same time were closed the Faculty of Theology of
Cernăuţi (transferred meantime to Suceava), four theological academies in
Transylvania and all the theological seminaries in “Old Romania”.
Restriction of activity of Romanian Orthodox Church by the new
atheist communist state authorities was made on several fronts, and fol-
lowed the line imposed by the Soviet State to the Russian Orthodox
Church. At the ecumenical level, it should be noted that the Romanian
Orthodox Church, like all the other Orthodox Churches of so-called “so-
cialist countries” could not be present at the general assembly in Amster-
dam (1948) due to directives from Moscow. Under the sphere of influence
of the Soviet Union, the Romanian Orthodox Church has not taken part
for more than a decade in any ecumenical assembly. Despite these restric-
tive measures the ecumenical efforts did not miss. At a strictly theoretical
level they have resulted in “The Handbook of Dogmatic and Symbolic
Theology”, in which were critically discussed the major Christian denomi-
national families. On this basis the ecumenical theology could be later
tisectarian, regarded mainly against the Baptists and Adventists. He also tried to revive
the “apostolate of the laity”, as the main defensive measure against these sects’ offensive.
Among his works we mention: Pentru neam şi lege. Patruzeci de cuvântări împotriva
baptiştilor şi adventiştilor (For the Nation and Law. Forty Speeches against the Baptists
and Adventists), (Caransebeş, 1923); Combaterea catehismului baptiştilor (Combating the
Baptist Catechism), (Arad, 1926); Lucrarea diavolească a adventiştilor (The Devilish Work
of Adventists), (Arad, 1929), Zece ani de luptă împotriva baptiştilor (Ten Years of Fighting
against the Baptist), (Arad, 1930); Apostolatul laic (The Apostolate of the Laity), (Arad,
1933); Biserica misionară (The Missionary Church), (Arad, 1928).
27
built, and through it the Romanian theology was singled out positively
between other Orthodox Churches.
In practice, especially in Transylvania, the so-called “local practical
ecumenism” continued to progress, being the living source of the ecumeni-
cal theology about which we talked.
1961-1989 Period
A change could occur only after 1958, when the Romanian Commu-
nist authorities have adopted a line of national autonomy (un-Sovietisa-
tion). Thus, at the third general assembly of the World Council of Church-
es in New Delhi (November 19 to December 5, 1961), were received as
members also the Orthodox churches from the “socialist camp” that hadn’t
joined in 1948; among them the Romanian Orthodox Church. Starting
this year the ecumenical contacts locally and internationally are intensified.
Locally, under the watchful eye of the communist authorities Romania has
developed an “ecumenism under the cross” the successor of the local practi-
cal ecumenism remembered above, through meetings between the heads of
the religious denominations and interdenominational theological confer-
ences between the Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant institutes,
with the participation of bishops and teachers of the religious denomina-
tions. Externally, it must be said that the Romanian Orthodox Church had
representatives to the various ecumenical organizations of the time, such as
the Christian Peace Conference, WCC and CEC. Some representatives of
the two Theological Institutes from Bucharest and Sibiu played a significant
role in the activity of these organisms (Milan Pavel Şesan in the CPC, Ion
Bria in the WCC, and Dumitru Popescu in the CEC). In addition it should
be noted that most teachers, especially those in the Bible, historical and
systematic sections have been engaged in various bilateral and multilateral
ecumenical dialogues in which the Romanian Orthodox Church took part.
For example, we can mention in this sense Fr. Prof. loan Ică senior, Fr. Prof.
Ilie Moldovan and lecturer Dorin Oancea, members of the ROC Com
mission of dialogue with the Evangelical Churches in Germany who took
part in its committees – Faith and Order, Life and Work and Mission and
Evangelism. Also, the Romanian Orthodox Church attended, through its
representatives, to all the general meetings of the Conference of European
Churches. In this context it should be noted that the outstanding graduates
28
of the Theological Institute from Bucharest and Sibiu were sent to study
trainings abroad, which contributed decisively to their ecumenical profil-
ing. We may mention in this context Dumitru Popescu, Dumitru Radu,
Ion Bria, Remus Rus, Dumitru Abrudan, Constantin Voicu, Daniel Cio-
botea, the current Patriarch of Romania, Nifon Mihăiţă, Casian Crăciun,
Viorel Ioniţă, and Aurel Jivi, to mention only those who have left their
mark on the ecumenical profile of the theological education of ROC. Dur-
ing this period it was important, in particular, the theological substantiation
of the new ecumenical orientation provided by the professors from the two
Theological Institutes. It has also resulted in new approaches of the entire
problem within each discipline separately, allowing the assimilation of the
ecumenical idea by the graduates that represent today the vast majority of
priests in Romania. Were significant in this regard the efforts of the profes-
sors from Bucharest Liviu Stan, Emilian Vasilescu, Dumitru Stăniloae and
those of their disciples.
Unfortunately, this intensification of the ecumenical contacts and
of the theological grounding of ecumenism did not have a correspond-
ing curriculum and did not reflect enough within the two Theological
Institutes from Bucharest and Sibiu who have functioned. Here prevails,
along with the sectology - a method that continues the style of the com-
munist era - the method of doctrine-confessional teaching. References on
the ecumenical activity of the Orthodox churches, in general, and of the
Romanian Orthodox Church, particularly, were made in the Department
of Missionary guidance. In Bucharest it should be mentioned, particularly,
the name of Arch. Prof. Ph.D Peter David (1938-2003)7.
The major difficulty that has beena problem for the world ecumenical
efforts, including our country, is the actual reception of the ecumenical
dialogue results at the level of hierarchy and of the believers. In our case,
7
Bio-bibliography for Mircea Păcurariu, Dicţionarul teologilor români (Dictionary
of the Romanian Theologians), 2nd Edition, (Bucharest, 2002), pp. 151-152. P.I. David
followed in the period before 1989 the sectarian line. See the work Călăuză creştină
pentru cunoaşterea şi apărarea dreptei credinţe în faţa prozelitismului sectar (Guide for Un-
derstanding and Defending the Christian Orthodox Faith against Sectarian Proselytism),
Arad, 1987. Over the time he was even more opened to other Christian denominations.
We mention in this regard the work: Ecumenismul, factor de stabilitate în lumea de astăzi
(Ecumenical Movement, Stabilizing Factor in Today’s World), (Bucharest, 1998).
29
even if in the magazines - the ones that had not been destroyed by the
communists - were presented the results of the Orthodox participation to
the international ecumenical meetings, they were not received at the level
of the hierarchy and of the believers. And mostly, not even at the level of
the theologians who used to teach in Bucharest and Sibiu. In this respect
it should be mentioned here the manual of “Missionary Guidelines” con-
ducted by a group of professors from the University Theological Institute
in Bucharest, coordinated by Fr. Prof. Ph.D Dumitru Radu. This manual
is written as though the Romanian Orthodox Church would have been
totally cut off from the other churches and Christian denominations.
The Years after 1989
The fall of communism led by Nicolae Ceauşescu in December 1989
led to significant changes in the life of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
These changes had repercussions in the ecumenical relations both internally
and externally. Thus, after 1990, our country’s ecumenical relations have
been driven through the creation of the Ecumenical Association of Churches
in Romania (AIDRom), which includes the Romanian Orthodox Church,
the Evangelical Church - Sibiu, the Lutheran Church CA, the Reformed
Church, and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Another manifestation of
the local ecumenism in Romania is the Interdenominational Bible Society.
It was established in May 1992 and it consists of twelve church-confessions.
The main activity of this society is spreading the word of God in schools,
prisons, homes for the elderly or orphans, and implementation of a transla-
tion of the Bible accepted by all members.
Externally this local ecumenism was doubled by the further participa-
tion in the existing ecumenical dialogues and meetings organized by the
World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches.
Thus, at pan-Orthodox level, Prof. Ph.D Viorel Ioniţă became a perma-
nent member of the Commission for dialogue with the Lutheran Churches,
Arch. Prof. Ph.D Ioan Ică jr. with the Catholic Church and Arch. Prof.
Ph.D Dorin Oancea of the World Reformed Alliance, including as Ortho-
dox secretary of the Joint Commission. We mention here a simple exam-
ple: the important contribution of Romanian Orthodoxy to the document
Charta Oecumenica. A particularly significant expression, of the share that
the ecumenical concerns of the Romanian theological education have, rep-
resents the organizing of the Third General Assembly of European Church-
30
es in 2007 in Sibiu, with the active support of the Theological Faculty from
this town, known internationally for its ecumenical commitment.
After 1990 increased the number of Orthodox Theology Faculties
and the discipline Misiology and Ecumenism is being taught also. Here are
the professors that are currently teching at the most important Orthodox
theological faculties in Romania and their main works, with ecumenical
character, published: Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Patriarch Justinian”,
from the University of Bucharest: Fr. Lect. Ph.D David Pestroiu8 and Fr.
Lect. Radu Petre Mureşan9; Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Dumitru
Stăniloae”, from the “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi: Fr. Prof. Ph.D Petraru
Gheorghe10; Faculty of Orthodox Theology from “Babeş Bolyai” Univer-
sity of Cluj-Napoca: Fr. Prof. Ph.D Valer Bel11 and Fr. Asist. Ph.D Cristian
Sonea12; Faculty of Orthodox Theology from “Aurel Vlaicu” University of
8
Martorii lui lehova - sunt ei creştini? (Jehovah’s Witnesses - Are They Christians?),
in the collection Călăuză ortodoxă (Orthodox Guide) (România creştină Publishing,
Bucharest, 1999); Ortodoxia în faţa prozelitismului Martorilor lui lehova (Orthodoxy
against Proselytism of Jehovah’s Witnesses), (Insei Print Publishing: Bucharest, 2005).
9
Alternative spirituale în România (Spiritual Alternatives in Romania), (Agnos
Publishing: Sibiu, 2011); Stilismul în România (Old Style Church in Romania), (Agnos
Publishing: Sibiu, 2012); Atitudinea Bisericilor Tradiţionale Europene faţă de prozelitis-
mul advent (The Attitude of the Traditional European Churches towards the Advent Prosely-
tism), (Cartea Ortodoxă Publishing: Alexandria, 2012).
10
Ortodoxie şi prozelitism (Orthodoxy and Proselytism), (Trinitas Publishing: Iaşi,
2000); Lumea, creaţia lui Dumnezeu. Perspective biblice, teologico-patristice şi ştiinţifice
(World, God ’s Creation. Biblical, Theological-Patristic and Scientific Perspectives), (Trini-
tas Publishing: Iaşi, 2002); Misiologie ortodoxă. I. Revelaţia lui Dumnezeu şi misiunea
Bisericii (Orthodox Missiology. I. Revelation of God and the Church’s Mission), (Panfilius
Publishing: Iaşi, 2002); Teologie Fundamentală şi Misionară. Ecumenism (Fundamental
and Missionary Theology. Ecumenism), (Performantica Publishing: Iaşi, 2006); Secte neo-
protestante şi noi mişcări religioase în România (Evangelical Sects and New Religious Move-
ments in Romania), (Vasiliana Publishing: Iaşi, 2006); „Mergând, învăţaţi toate naţiile”.
Aspecte din istoria misiunii creştine (“Going, teach all nations”. Aspects of the History of the
Christian Mission), (St. Mina Publishing: Iaşi, 2012).
11
Misiune, parohie, pastoraţie (Mission, Parish, Ministry), Bartolomeu Anania (ed.)
(Renaşterea Publishing: Cluj-Napoca, 2006); Iisus Hristos, Fiul lui Dumnezeu şi Mân-
tuitorul lumii (Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior of the World), (Renaşterea Publishing:
Cluj-Napoca, 2007); Teologie şi biserică (Theology and Church), Andrei Marga (ed.) (Cluj
Universitarian Press Publishing: Cluj-Napoca, 2008).
12
Sonea Cristian-Sebastian (in collaboration with Chirilă Ioan and Iloaie Ştefan),
Omul în perspectiva întâlnirii cruciforme dintre verticala transcendentului şi orizontala
31
Arad: Fr. Prof. Ph.D Tulcan loan13 and Conf. Ph.D Cristinel loja14; Faculty
of Orthodox Theology “Bishop Ph.D Vasile Coman” from the University
of Oradea: Fr. Prof. Ph.D Nicu Dumitraşcu15; Faculty of Orthodox Theol-
ogy from the University of Craiova: Lect. Ph.D Gelu Călin16; Faculty of
Orthodox Theology from the “Ovidius” University of Constanţa: Fr. Prof.
Ph.D Gheorghe Istodor17 and Fr. Asist. Ph.D Cosmin Ciocan; Faculty of
imanentului. Repere de antropologie creştin-ortodoxă (Man in the Perspec- tive of the Cruci-
form Meeting between the Vertical of the Transcendence and Horizontal of the Immanence.
Highlights of Orthodox Christian Anthropology), in Repere patristice în raportul dintre şti-
inţă şi teologie (Patristic Highlights in the Relationship between Science and Theology), (Ba-
silica Publishing: Bucharest, 2009) (chapter pp. 331-391).
13
Teologia. Ştiinţa mărturisitoare despre Dumnezeu (Theology. The Science Confessing
About God), (Oastea Domnului Publishing: Sibiu, 2009).
14
Elemente de istorie, doctrină şi practică misionară: o perspectivă ecumenică (Elements
ofMissionary History, Doctrine and Practice: an Ecumenical Perspective) (co-author), “Lu-
cian Blaga” (University Publishing, Sibiu, 2006); Raţiune şi mistică în Teologia Ortodoxă
(Rationality and Mystical Orthodox Theology) (doctoral thesis), (“Aurel Vlaicu” University
Publishing: Arad, 2008); Homo adorans. Intre lisus Hristos şipoliteismul lumii contemporane
(Homo adorans. Between Jesus Christ and the Polytheism of the Contemporary World), (“Aurel
Vlaicu” University Publishing: Arad, 2008); Cosmologie şi soteriologie în gândirea Părinţilor
Răsăriteni (Cosmology and Soteriology in the Thought of the Eastern Fathers), (“Aurel Vlaicu”
University Publishing: Arad, 2008); Dogmatică şi dogmatişti. Prolegomena privind apro-
fundarea Teologiei Dogmatice Ortodoxe Române în a doua jumătate a secolului al XX-lea şi
începutul secolului al XXI-lea (Dogmatics and Dogmatists. Prolegomena on the the Deepening
Romanian Orthodox Dogmatic Theology in the Second half of the Twentieth Century and Early
Twenty-First Century), (Marineasa Publishing: Timişoara).
15
The Mission of the Romanian Orthodox Church and its Challenges, (Napoca-Star
Publishing: Cluj-Napoca, 2002); Cele Şapte Personalităţi de la Niceea (325), rolul lor în
cadrul primelor frămîntări ecumenice majore ale lumii creştine (The Seven Celebrities of
Nicaea (325), Their Role in the First Major Ecumenical Unrests of the Christian World),
Napoca Star Publishing, Cluj-Napoca, 2001, 239 pages, reprinted in 2004; Hristologia
Sfântului Atanasie cel Mare, în contextul controverselor ariene şi post-ariene (Christology of
Saint Athanasius the Great, in the Context of Arian and Post-Arian Controversies), (Napoca
Star Publishing: Cluj-Napoca, 1999).
16
Teologie şi ştiinţe naturale (Theology and Natural Sciences), (co-author), (Metro-
politan of Oltenia Publishing: Craiova,; Science and Theology in dialogue, (co-author),
(Universitaria Publishing: Craiova, 2006) Relaţia dintre Biserică şi stat privită intercon-
fesional (The Relationship between Church and State from an Interreligious Point of
View), (Univer- sitaria Publishing: Craiova, 2008) (doctoral thesis).
17
M.I.S.A. şi Yoga în lumina Ortodoxiei (M.I.S.A. and Yoga in the Light of Ortho-
doxy), 1st Edition, (Archdiocese of Tomis Publishing: Constanţa, 2005); M.I.S.A. si Yoga
32
Orthodox Theology from “1 decembrie 1918” Universităţii of Alba Iulia:

Fr. Prof. Ph.D Mihai Himcinschi18; Faculty of Orthodox Theology from
the “Valahia” University of Târgovişte: H.E. Nifon Mihăiţă19.
Information with ecumenical character are transmitted to students
are not only in the Department of Misiology and Ecumenism. As in the
previous period, professors from other academic disciplines (Universal
Church History, Dogmatics etc.), especially those involved in the bilateral
dialogues or in the World Council of Churches’ committees write ecu-
menical books and studies. Sometimes there may be a discrepancy between
how professors of Misiology that keep the “traditional” line of presenta-
tion and control of certain sects, even if some of them are members of the
în lumina Ortodoxiei (M.I.S.A. and Yoga in the Light of Orthodoxy), 2nd Edition, (Sigma
Publishing: Bucureşti, 2006); Iubirea creştină şi provocările contemporane - perspective
misionare (Christian Love and Contemporary Challenges - Missionary Perspectives), 1st Edi-
tion, (Sigma Publishing: Bucureşti, 2006); Iubirea creştină şi provocările contemporane
(Christian Love and Contemporary Challenges - Missionary Perspectives), 2nd Edition, (Sig-
ma Publishing: Bucureşti, 2006); Misiunea creştină ca activitate permanentă şi practică
a Bisericii (Christian Mission as Permanent and Practical Activity of the Church), (Sigma
Publishing: Bucureşti, 2006).
18
Misiune şi dialog. Ontologia misionară a Bisericii din perspectiva dialogului inter-
religios (Mission and Dialogue. The Missionary Ontology of the Church from the Perspective
of Interreligious Dialogue), (Reîntregirea Publishing: Alba Iulia); Doctrina trinitară ca
fundament misionar. Relaţia Duhului Sfânt cu Tatăl şi cu Fiul în teologia răsăriteană şi
apuseană. Implicaţiile doctrinare şi spirituale ale acesteia (Trinitarian Doctrine as mission-
ary basis. The Relationship of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son in the Eastern and
Western Theology. Its Doctrinal and Spiritual Implications), (Reîntregirea Publishing: Alba
Iulia, 2004); Biserica în societate. Aspecte misionare ale Bisericii în societatea contemporană
(Church in Society. Missionary Aspects of the Church in the Contemporary Society), (Reîn-
tregirea Publishing: Alba Iulia, 2006); Misionarismul vieţii ecleziale (The Missionarism
of EcclesialLife), (Reîntregirea: Alba Iulia, 2008); Testimony and Dialogue. Missionary
Aspects in Today’s Society, (Reîntregirea Publishing: Alba Iulia, 2008); Violenţa – o analiză
misionară şi teologică (Violence – A Missionary and Theological Analysis), (Reîntregirea
Publishing: Alba Iulia, 2010).
19
Ortodoxie şi Ecumenism (Orthodoxy and Ecumenism), (Agora Publishing: Bu-
charest, 2000); Misiune şi Viaţă (Mission and Life), (ASA Publishing: Bucharest, 2001);
Misiologie Creştină (Christian Misiology), (ASA Publishing: Bucharest, 2005); Profetul
Miheia: Introducere, traducere şi comentariu (Prophet Micah: Introduction, Translation and
Commentary), (ASA Publishing: Bucharest, 2000); The Orthodox Church and Ecumenical
Movement, (in English), (ASA Publishing: Bucharest, 2002) (includes studies, confer-
ences and theological meditations).
33
Council, and the more tolerant position adopted by the professors of other
theological disciplines. We can not reproduce here an exhaustive list of
works and studies with ecumenical character published by the professors
working at the Faculties of Orthodox Theology in Romania. Therefore, in
the last part of our study we will use as a case study the “Andrei Saguna”
Faculty of Theology from Sibiu. We mention that the above statements are
illustrated by the specificity of this Romanian superior traditional theo-
logical institution.
Case Study: “Andrei Şaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology
from Sibiu
Established as a “clerical school” in 1786, “Andrei Saguna” Faculty of
Theology from Sibiu has functioned ever since then under different names
and with different degrees of outstanding academic (Institute, Academy
or Faculty). It has a long ecumenical tradition, situated in a Transylva-
nian town in which have coexisted always a wide variety of ethnic and
religious groups. This has left its mark also on the training of teachers
and students in the Faculty of Orthodox Theology. The rapprochement
between the Christian denominations was also possible due to the ecu-
menical partnerships which the Faculty has had. An eloquent example is
the close cooperation with the Faculty of Lutheran Theology from Sibiu
(now a Department of the “Lucian Blaga” University from Sibiu). In this
context it should be noted the important organizational role played dur-
ing the Third General Assembly of Christians in Europe, action that took
place with the hierarchical blessing of H.E. Laurenţiu Streza20, both as
Metropolitan of Transylvania and as Professor of Theology. Here should
be also mentioned the 2004 General Assembly of Societas Oecumenica or-
20
Thus continues a tradition of active involvement of the Transylvanian hierarchs
from Sibiu in the interchristian dialogue. We mention here especially the Metropolitan
Nicolae Bălan, whose ecumenical considerations - see the works Regarding the Unifica-
tion of the Churches (1909) or Regarding the Reunification of the Churches (1912) - re-
main valid to this day. See Dorin Oancea, Ecumenismul în gândirea teologică transilvănea-
nă (The Ecumenical Movement in the Theological Transylvanian Thinking), in Contribuţii
transilvănene la teologia ortodoxă (Transylvanian Contributions to the Orthodox Theology),
(Sibiu, 1988), p. 344. Also Metropolitan Antonie Plămădeală was a prominent member
of the World Council of Churches.
34
ganization, an ecumenical reflection organization of theologians from all

around the world. With regard to the ecumenical work of the teaching
staff, one can say that it continued the previous ecumenical orientation,
given a new freedom of expression and exercise. We highlight first of all
that one of the professors of the faculty, Aurel Jivi, was elected in the Cen-
tral Committee of WCC, where he served precisely while defining a new
profile of Orthodox participation in the ecumenical movement. He was,
until his premature death, the representative of ROC in the pan-Orthodox
commission with the Reformed World Alliance, including as Orthodox
secretary of the commission, the two functions were taken over later by
Arch. Prof. Dorin Oancea. Also, other faculty members are involved in the
work of international ecumenical organizations. Thus Fr. Ass. Prof. Ph.D
Nicolae Moşoiu is a member of the commission for mission of WCC and
lecturer Alina Pătru is part of the the Central Committee of CEC.
Regarding ecumenical dialogues, we mention especially fathers pro-
fessors Dorin Oancea and Ioan Ică jr. The first has worked for a long time
as a member of the dialogue commission of ROC with the Evangelical
Churches in Germany, and continues to be the Orthodox secretary of
the commission of dialogue between the Orthodox Churches and the Re-
formed World Alliance (now World Communion of Reformed Churches).
After 1990, a milestone in strengthening the ecumenical dimension
of theological study from Sibiu was the appointment of Fr. Professor Ion
Bria on the position of associate professor of the Faculty. He had benefited
from a large experience in the ecumenical movement (remember that in
July 1968 he is elected member in The Board of the Bossey Ecumenical
Institute, and from 7 April 1973 he is appointed executive secretary of the
committee “Mission and Evangelism”). To the numerous papers and stud-
ies with ecumenical character published that far21, Fr. Bria has added a spe-
21
Among his works we mention the volume Martyria Mission. The withness of the
orthodox churches today, Geneve, 1980, Destinul ortodoxiei (The Destiny of Orthodoxy),
Bucharest, 1989, Ortodoxia în Europa. Locul spiritualităţii române (Orthodoxy in Eu-
rope. The Place of Romanian Spirituality), Iaşi, 1995 or Liturghia după Liturghie (The
Liturgy after Liturgy), Bucharest, 1996. For bio-bibliographical data see Nicolae Moşoiu
(coord.), Relevanţa operei părintelui profesor Ion Bria pentru viaţa bisericească şi socială
actuală (The Relevance of the Work of Fr. Prof. Ion Bria for the Today ’s Religious and Social
Life), (“Lucian Blaga” University Publishing: Sibiu, 2010), pp. 9-30.
35
cial course of Dogmatics with declared ecumenical valences22. For the first
time the students of a Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Romania had the
opportunity to study not only the main dogmas of the Orthodox Church,
but also to make an overview of the history and place of Orthodoxy in the
ecumenical movement. In the last part of the Treaty was a presentation
of the religious configuration of Christianity: Roman Catholicism, Old
Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, evangelical movement, Pentecostalism,
Unitarianism and sectarian organizations. Then it was shown the place
of Orthodoxy in the ecumenical community: una sancta Catolica, then it
was gave a history of the ecumenical movement and the Orthodox partici-
pation within it. Perhaps the most interesting aspects aimed at the seven
ecclesiological thesis with ecumenical implications 23, that need to be taken
into account in order to achieve full unity (Eucharistic) from an Orthodox
point of view. Finally, the last part of the ecumenical Section of the Treaty
presents ecumenism in the Romanian Theology, focusing on the ecumeni-
cal relevance of the most important Romanian theologian of the twentieth
century, Father Dumitru Stăniloae (1903-1993).
In our opinion, we can talk about a Stăniloae-Bria “legacy” at the Fac-
ulty of Orthodox Theology from Sibiu. This was taken over and assumed
by the current teaching staff of this Faculty. I the undersigned I became
Head of the Department of Misiology and ecumenism in 2001. I set out
in the curriculum for students from the fourth year, last semester, certain
topics pertaining to ecumenism. The course structure is as follows:
• Ecumenical Theology. Introduction;
• Origin and Development of the Ecumenical Movement;
• World Council of Churches: Structure and Organization;
• The General Assemblies of the World Council;
• Conference of European Churches: Structure and Organization;
• Nowadays Religious Configuration of Christianity;
22
We are talking about a Curs de Teologie Dogmatică şi Ecumenică (Dogmatic and
Ecumenical Theology Course), (Sibiu, 1996), reprinted as Tratat de Teologie Dogmatică şi
Ecumenică (Treaty of Dogmatic and Ecumenical Theology), (Bucharest, 1999), respectively
(Sibiu, 2009), in two volumes.
23
These are: the vision of visible, historical unity; vestigia ecclesiae; “the limits” of
the Church; the economy as ecumenical typology; reception of the theological conver-
gences resulting from the ecumenical dialogue; the Uniatism; use of “Byzantine Rite”.
36
• The Place of Orthodoxy in the Ecumenical Community;

• Dogmatic Aspects of the Union of the Churches;
• Coordinates of Ecumenism from an Orthodox Point of View;
• The Romanian Orthodox Church and Nowadays Ecumenism;
• Coordinates of Ecumenical Theology in the Context of Postmo-
dernity;
• Theological and Ecumenical Interfaith Dialogue;
• The Ecumenical Movement in the Twenty-first Century: Disa-
ppointments and New Opportunities;
• Anti-Ecumenical Positions;
• Interfaith Dialogue.
Also for the students to form their critical opinion on the pro- and
anti-ecumenical Orthodox perspective I wrote together with the assistant
at the Systematic section, Cyprian Julian Toroczkai, a book24 in which we
illustrate the two positions: on the one hand, the involvement in the ecu-
menical dialogue and supporting this involvement on a theological basis,
in the works of two of the most important theologians of the twentieth
century, Georges Florovsky and Dumitru Stăniloae and, on the other hand,
the critical voices who have declared ecumenism as the “pan-heresy of the
twentieth century” and repeatedly called out for the Orthodox churches
from the World Council of Churches: Justin Popovich and Mount Athos.
The traditional collaboration of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology
with the Institute (now Department) of Protestant Theology was strength-
ened by establishing within the “Lucian Blaga” University of an Ecumeni-
cal Research Center (in 2005). Acesta editează Revista Ecumenică Sibiu, în
care sunt publicate studii, anunţuri şi recenzii cu caracter ecumenic. Also,
within the Ecumenical Research Center there is a series of works of the
same nature 25.
24
Aurel Pavel, Ciprian Iulian Toroczkai, Adevăratul şi falsul ecumenism. Perspective
ortodoxe privind dialogul dintre creştini (True and False Ecumenism. Orthodox Perspectives
on the Dialogue Between Christians), (“Lucian Blaga” University Publishing: Sibiu, 2010).
25
Under the name of Documenta Oecumenica, ERC began publishing a collec-
tion of translations. The first volume of this collection opens the series of documents
of theological dialogue between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Evangelical
Church in Germany; Sfânta Scriptură şi Tradiţia Apostolică în mărturisirea Bisericii (Holy
Scripture and the Apostolic Tradition in the Confession of the Church), (“Lucian Blaga”
37
The teaching staff from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of Sibiu,

as well as those from other Orthodox Faculties of Theology in Romania,
together with the students get the chance to study and deepen the main
ecumenical documents as well as the possibilities of developing an ecumen-
ical ethos in educational institutions through meetings organized in Sibiu.
Amintim ultima astfel de manifestare, ţinută în zilele de 19 şi 20 septembrie
201126. Finally, the same collaboration is evident in printing of some papers
presenting elements of missionary history, doctrine and practice27. Finally,
University Publishing: Sibiu, 2007) and Sfintele Taine ale Bisericii în Confessio Augustana
si Mărturisirile de credinţă ortodoxe din secolele XVI-XVII (Holy Sacraments of the Church
in Confessio Augustana and the Orthodox Confessions of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Cen-
turies), (“Lucian Blaga” University Publishing: Sibiu, 2009).
The series Studia Oecumenica contains studies on different ecumenical themes. So
far six volumes have appeared in this series. These are: Ciprian Burlăcioiu, Consens şi
disensiune în teologia protestantă contemporană. Concordia de la Leuenberg şi Acordul bise-
ricesc Meissen (Consensus and Dissent in the Contemporary Protestant Theology. Concordia
from Leuenberg and the Meissen Ecclesiastical Agreement), (“Lucian Blaga” University Pub-
lishing: Sibiu, 2008); Ion Bria, Sensul tradiţiei ecumenice. Mărturia si viziunea ecumenică
a Bisericii Ortodoxe (The Meaning of the Ecumenical Tradition. The Ecumenical Testimony
and Vision of the Orthodox Church), (“Lucian Blaga” University Publishing: Sibiu, 2008);
Daniel Benga, Identităţi creştine europene în dialog. De la mişcarea husită la ecumenismul
contemporan (European Christian Identities in Dialogue. From the Hussite Movement to
the Contemporary Ecumenism), (“Lucian Blaga” University Publishing: Hermannstadt);
Christoph Klein, Spovedania in Biserica Evanghelica Saseasca din Transilvania (Confession
in the Saxon Evangelical Church from Transylvania), (“Lucian Blaga” University Publish-
ing, Sibiu); Cosmin D. Pricop, Dialogul Bisericilor Ortodoxe cu Federatia Luterana Mon-
diala, vol. I (The Dialogue of the Orthodox Churches with the Lutheran World Federation,
Is Volume), “Lucian Blaga” University Publishing, Sibiu; Cosmin D. Pricop, Dialogul
Bisericilor Ortodoxe cu Federatia Luterana Mondiala, vol. II (The Dialogue of the Orthodox
Churches with the Lutheran World Federation, IInd Volume), (“Lucian Blaga” University
Publishing: Sibiu); I. A. Tudorie, De la Reformă la unitatea vizibilă deplină: dialogul teo-
logic dintre anglicani şi luterani (From the Reform to the Full Visible Unity: Theological Dia-
logue between Anglicans and Lutherans), (“Lucian Blaga” University Publishing, Sibiu).
26
“Ethosul ecumenic în învăţământul teologic din România, Sibiu, 19-20 septem-
brie 2011” (The Ecumenical Ethos in the Theological Educational System from Roma-
nia, Sibiu, September 19 to 20, 2011), in Revista Ecumenică (The Ecumenical Review),
Sibiu, no. 1 (2012), pp. 105-108.
27
Nicolae Moşoiu (coord.), Elemente de istorie, doctrină şi practică misionară: o per-
spectivă ecumenică (Elements of History, Doctrine and Missionary Practice: An Ecumenical
Perspective), (“Lucian Blaga” University Publishing: Sibiu 2006).
38
it should be noted that the most deserving students of the Faculty benefit
each year from study scholarships abroad: Germany, Switzerland, France etc.
Final Considerations
Romanian Orthodox Church, in general, and the Faculty of Ortho-
dox Theology from Sibiu, in particular, are heavily involved in the ecu-
menical movement. The Transylvanian Theological Educational system
through the very historical, social, cultural and religious context had, since
its beginnings, a strong ecumenical character. We can thus speak of a genu-
ine “Ecumenical tradition” of the Faculty, which not only the undersigned
– responsible for teaching the discipline Misiology and Ecumenism – but
its entire teaching staff want to continue to inspire the students being
aware of the words spoken by Jesus Christ “that all may be one”.28
28
For the related rich bibliography one could take into consideration the footnotes
of the present article.
39
The Teaching on Ecumenism and on other
Christian Traditions in Orthodox Churches*
Introduction
This article tries to articulate a few ideas about how ecumenism and
aspects related with other Christian confessions should be taught in Ortho-
dox theological institutions in order to facilitate a proper understanding of
the ecumenical movement and to nurture an “ecumenical spirit” among
all constituencies of the Orthodox Churches. These thoughts are based on
guideline documents issued by different meetings concerned with theolog-
ical-ecumenical education in Orthodox theological institutions, on ideas
of experienced ecumenists expressed in different studies, as well as on the
experience of the authors in teaching ecumenism or other theological speci-
alities. The first part is an attempt to articulate the importance of phrasing
the “ecumenical message” in terms that will speak to and inspire Orthodox
theologians, while the second one tries to identify which are the other theo-
logical disciplines which in their context imply extensive references to other
Christian traditions and might influence the way how they are perceived
within Orthodox circles. It will also propose certain approaches which can
contribute to improving an ecumenical understanding.
Teaching of Ecumenism
Some of the Orthodox theological institutions have established the
teaching of Ecumenism as a separate and independent discipline, being
part of their curriculum1, while others have elements of teaching ecumen-
*
Written with Revd. Daniel Buda. Published in Orthodox Handbook on Ecumen-
ism. Resources for Theological Education, edited by Pantelis Kalaitzidis et alii, Regnum
Books International / World Council of Churches, 2013, p. 350-358.
1
Already the consultation on Orthodox Theological Education for the Life and Wit-
ness of the Church (Basel, Switzerland, 4-7 July 1978), which was “the very first consul-
40
The Teaching on Ecumenism and on other Christian Traditions in Orthodox Churches
ism only as part of their teaching of Church History, Missiology, System-

atic or even Practical theology. Ideally it would be appropriate to have
Ecumenism as an independent discipline taught for at least one semester.
Teaching of ecumenism as part of another theological discipline hinders an
authentic and balanced approach. Special aspects of ecumenical theology
could be approached in additional optional courses proposed to students.
Too often the teaching of ecumenism means only a dry and boring
presentation of an endless list of assemblies and meetings organized by dif-
ferent ecumenical organizations or details about structures and programs
of several ecumenical organizations which are anyway under continue re-
structuring, without any logic and sense, which make the discipline of
ecumenism being unattractive for students. In other cases, teaching of
ecumenism is reduced to a history of the modern ecumenical movement
or to a handful of information of different kind to which the students are
supposed to provide standard responses in order to pass the exam.
A coherent curriculum of teaching ecumenism in Orthodox theologi-
cal schools shall include:
• A clear notional and terminological definition of the terms used
in ecumenical theology;
• A coherent presentation of the biblical, historical, patristic and
ecclesiological foundations of the ecumenical movement;
• A clear emphasis on the basic idea “that the participation of the
Orthodox in the ecumenical movement of today is not, in prin-
ciple, a revolution in the history of Orthodoxy, but it is a natural
consequence of the constant prayer of the Church “for the unity
tation organized by in that time the newly established WCC “Program on Theological
Education” (the predecessor of the actual “Ecumenical Theological Education” Program)
and enjoyed a large participation of the leadership of several Orthodox theological insti-
tutions, welcomed “a widening of curricula to include ecumenical concerns.” In several
Orthodox schools, this meeting was the starting point for developing independent cours-
es on ecumenism. For the text of the communique of the Basel consultation see Georges
Tsetsis (ed.), Orthodox Thought, (WCC Publications: Geneva, 1983) 29-34; here p. 30.
A German translation was published in Athanasios Basdekis (ed.), Orthodoxe Kirche und
ökumenische Bewegung. Dokumente - Erklärungen -Berichte, Verlag Otto Lembeck Frank-
furt am Main, (Bonifacius Verlag Paderborn, 2006), document 39, pp.249-257. For a
detailed report of the meeting see Paul Lazor, “Consultation on Orthodox Theological
Education”, in St. Vladimir ’s Theological Quarterly, 22:4 (1978), pp. 213-225.
41
of all.” It constitutes another attempt, like those made in Patristic

period, to apply the apostolic faith to new historical situation and
existential demands. What is in a sense new today, is the fact that
this attempt is being made together with other Christian bodies
with whom there is no full unity. It is here that the difficulties
arise, but it is precisely here that there also are many signs of
real hope for growing fellowship and cooperation.”2 With other
works, it is important to underline that the ecumenical move-
ment is not a result of modernity, but the desire for Christian
unity existed always within the Church and was expressed in di-
fferent forms since Apostolic times;
• A brief presentation of the types of ecumenical institutions with
their history, mandates and achievements: global, regional, natio-
nal etc. with their scopes and specifics;
• An objective presentation of the positive impact of the participa-
tion of Orthodox churches in the modern ecumenical movement;
• Aspects related to the importance of ecumenism for the daily life
of Orthodox communities;
• Specific local, regional or national opportunities and challenges
related with ecumenism, making the teaching of ecumenism rele-
vant for the immediate context in which the students are living in.
Part of the objectivity in teaching ecumenism is to avoid cheap propa-
ganda for ecumenical engagement or an idealistic presentation of the ec-
umenical movement without any basis on reality. Such a non-objective
approach can create damages to an authentic ecumenical approach and
erect unrealistic expectations or even to deliver argumentation to funda-
mentalists or anti-ecumenists. As Orthodox fundamentalism within some
Orthodox groups is becoming a significant problem – being caused by sev-
eral reasons like narrow reading of church history, a legalistic approach to
the canons, failure to appreciate the spirit of Scripture, liturgy and patristic
literature – the teaching of ecumenism in Orthodox theological schools
shall include the following:
2
See Report of an Inter-Orthodox Consultation „The Ecumenical Nature of Or-
thodox Witness”, New Valamo, Finland, 24-20 September 1977 in Gennadios Limouris
(ed.), Orthodox Visions of Ecumenism. Statements, Messages and Reports on the Ecu-
menical Movement 1902-1992, (WCC Publications: Geneva, 1994), pp. 66-69.
42
• Well articulated presentations of Orthodox positions on major

ecumenical themes like Orthodox understanding of unity, Ort-
hodox understanding of the role of ecclesiology and Eucharist in
struggling for a genuine unity of the Church of Jesus Christ.3
• Extensive presentations of the Orthodox positions on critical
issues related with ecumenism like proselytism, women ordi-
nation, inclusive language etc. or on last developments within
other Christian traditions which discount Orthodox engagement
in ecumenical work, like acceptance of same sex marriages or of
abortion (see chapter 18 On the Critical Role of Orthodox Churches
in the Ecumenical Movement of this Handbook);
• Emphasis of the ecumenical priorities for the Orthodox, like the
theological dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox Churches. A
consultation on Orthodox Theological Education and Ecumeni-
cal Themes hold in Penteli monastery (2-9 February 2000) stated
that: “At this moment in the history of the universal Church,
the task of theological schools is to convey the positive results of
these bilateral dialogues (i.e. the one with the Oriental Orthodox
Churches) in order to convince the Churches to take the final
steps in restoring full sacramental communion.”4
• Emphasis on the fact that leadership of the Orthodox Churches
as well as widely-recognized personalities, including saints, were
and are involved in the modern ecumenical movement;
• Formulation of clear responses to the main accusations formu-
lated by Orthodox anti-ecumenists to the ecumenical movement
and especially to Orthodox involvement in it.
Teaching about other Christian traditions
First of all, it should be underlined that a positive ecumenical approach
is needed in teaching all theological disciplines in order to make the teach-
ing of ecumenism meaningful. If the main theological disciplines like the
3
The Basel consultation (see footnote 1) discussed “the affirmation that the real
Orthodox understanding of the church is basically ecumenical in that all humanity is
called to share in the same Eucharist” (p. 31).
4
See “Report of the consultation of Orthodox Theological Education and ecumeni-
cal themes” in St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, 44:2 (2000), p. 181-194, here p. 185.
43
biblical, historical, systematic and practical ones are taught in a polemic

way, without coherence with what are presented in the curriculum of teach-
ing ecumenism, students will get confused. In some Orthodox theological
institutions, the teaching of different theological disciplines is still deter-
mined by confessionalism5 which is a late development and a contradiction
to the genuine Orthodox way of theological education.6 The remains of
confessionalism determined a polemical approach regarding other Chris-
tian traditions in the context of teaching other theological specialities.
For a few ideas of how Church history (Historical theology in gen-
eral) could be thought, see chapter 11 Foundations for ecumenism in Pa-
tristic Theology and Church History of this Handbook. Additional valu-
able recommendations were formulated by the consultation on Orthodox
Theological Education hold in Penteli Monastery: “The time is ripe for
Orthodox educators at all levels to review how we understand and speak
about our past. Our Orthodox Christian history is a rich tapestry of vary-
ing colours and textures. Perhaps forgotten champions of the faith need to
be remembered. Inspiring women should be help up for all to know. Holy
people from marginalized groups can serve to comfort and instruct today’s
faithful. Christ showed indescribable courage in the course of his passion
and death. Modern Orthodox are in a position where they must display a
5
According to John Zizioulas who presented in the Basel consultation a paper
on “The Ecumenical Dimension in Orthodox Theological Education”, “Confessional-
ism was seen as an external imposition on Orthodox theology arising from conflicts
between Roman Catholics and Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. This spirit of
confessionalism tended to make faith into a merely intellectual pursuit characterized by
a propositional understanding of the faith. As a result, theology derived its content from
the confessional statement and promoted this as a criterion of faith and the condition
of ecclesial existence. The Church as a whole then acquired its identity by creedal asser-
tion. This view must be rejected if one considers ancient Church practice, which did not
define the Church in creedal terms, but rather maintained that the Church was and is
constituted by the local Eucharistic celebration, based on the mystery of the divine real-
ity manifested in the ecclesial community. Such a view is open to ecumenical potential,
while the confessional approach merely separates and will forever divide.” (See footnote
1, here p. 33). (The paper of Metropolitan John Zizioulas is re-published in this section).
6
For the lessons that the Orthodox theological education of modern times could
learn from the Patristic and Byzantine past see John Meyendorff, “Theological Education
in the Patristic and Byzantine Eras and its Lessons for Today” in St. Vladimir’s Theological
Quarterly, 31:3 (1987), p. 197-213.
44
similar humility and courage in speaking honesty and forthrightly about

their own histories. Not every historical figure was perfect and heroic; not
every decision was inspired by the Spirit of God, yet the saving Spirit of
God is best seen in the context of fallen humanity struggling to grow into
God’s likeness. Good and holy people existed on both sides - even in the
most painful of theological disputes - we owe it to them and to Jesus Christ
who died for all to honour their faith and commitment. Responsible stew-
ardship of our historical memory is integral in the task of moving from
frozen traditionalism to a living tradition.”7
It is crucial to have Systematic Theology and especially the teaching
of dogmatics done in a non-polemic way, focusing primarily on presenting
the Orthodox doctrine. Doctrinal differences between different Christian
confessions should be clearly underlined, but presented in an irenic way
and explained historically. There two good examples of this kind of ap-
proach: Ion Bria’s Dogmatic and Ecumenical Theology8 and Karl Christian
Felmy’s Introduction in the contemporary Orthodox theology9.
Pastoral theology shall include lectures on how to relate with “our
pluralistic and secularized world.”10 Part of this approach should be also an
honest treatment of ecumenical challenges in the practical life and pastoral
praxis of Orthodox Churches like mixed marriages, common prayer, par-
ticipation in funeral worship or other services provided by other churches
etc. Liturgical studies shall emphasize that the Orthodox Liturgy contents
“ecumenical invocation for the peace and unity of all,”11 without excluding
anyone. It should be also underlined that some Christian traditions kept
genuine elements of the liturgies and worship orders of the Early Church.
7
See footnote 4, p. 187.
8
Ion Bria, Tratat de Teologie dogmatică şi ecumenică, (România creştină: Bucharest,
1999) (available only in Romanian).
9
Karl Christian Felmy, Die orthodoxe Theologie der Gegenwart. Eine Einführung,
(Wissentschaftliche Buchgesellschft: Darmstadt, 1990). In the introduction, the author
mentions that he „presents the Orthodox theology with the eyes of love ... but without
idealization.” (p. XII).
10
Thomas Hopko, “The Legacy of Fr. Alexander Schmemann: Theological Educa-
tion for Pastoral Ministry” in St. Vladimir ’s Theological Quarterly, 53:2-3 (2009), pp.
331-339, here p. 331.
11
Dan-Ilie Ciobotea, “The Role of liturgy in Orthodox theological education” in
St. Vladimir ’s Theological Quarterly, 31:2 (1987), pp. 101-122, here p. 115.
45
Missiological studies can contribute significantly for a better under-

standing of the role of ecumenism in developing a common understanding
of Christian mission. According to a final statement of a meeting on The
Ecumenical Movement in the Twenty Century: The role of Theology in Ec-
umenical Thought and Life, one of the reasons for the foundation of WCC
was “missionary”. The WCC founders realized “that only a common witness
could give credibility to the proclamation of the Good News.”12 Along with
the two-thousand years of experience of Orthodox tradition in mission, the
work on mission and evangelism developed by several ecumenical organi-
zations, with significant contribution of Orthodox participants, should be
presented to Orthodox students for their misiological formation.
Most of the curricula of Orthodox theological institutions do not in-
clude introduction in different Christian confessions (germ. Konfessionskun-
de) where students can learn, in a non-polemical way the history, doctrine
and actual situation of main-line churches, but also of newly established
Christian traditions developed after the Reformation. Traditional theologi-
cal disciplines can provide only a very limited knowledge about the actual
situation of Christianity with its confessional diversity. Traditionally, Ortho-
dox students are taught about Roman-Catholicism, churches of the Refor-
mation (Lutheran and Reformed) and probably about the existence of Old-
Catholics. There is presently almost no information provided to Orthodox
students about Methodism, Presbyterianism, Congregationalism, Pentecos-
talism, African Instituted Churches (AICs) etc. The necessity of teaching
about these Christian traditions is at least twofold: Orthodox are, together
with churches of this tradition, part of the fellowship of the ecumenical
movement; because of migration and globalization, Orthodox Christians
live more and more together with Christians of all Christian traditions.
Last but not least, it should be added here also a line about the teach-
ing of the history or philosophy of religions which is part of the curriculum
of some Orthodox theological schools. The way how the other religions
are presented to students influences directly the approach of inter-religious
dialogue, which is a very actual issue and a priority for some ecumenical
12
“The Ecumenical Movement in the Twentieth Century: The Role of Theology
in Ecumenical Thought and Life in Romania” in Thomas fitzGerard and Peter Bouteneff
(eds.), Turn to God Rejoice in Hope. Orthodox Reflections on the Way to Harare, (WCC
Publications: Geneva, 1998), pp. 130-135.
46
organizations and the way how the daily life with people of other faith
is understood. Archbishop Anastasios mentions two fundamental dimen-
sions of the Orthodox approach regarding other religions: respect and
love for everyone, independently of the individual belief and the fact that
Christians’ contact and dialogue with other religions is as old as Christi-
anity itself.13 In academic settings, first of all, the history and teaching of
other religions need to be taught in a non-polemic way, highlighting the
common elements and values with Christianity and objectively presenting
the differences (if any), especially in terms of world understanding and
salvation. An important dimension of Orthodox understanding of other
religions seems to be their role in preparing the way to Christ’s salvation.
Such an emphasis, if done in a non-polemic way and following a certain
Patristic understanding in this matter, might be helpful and meaningful.
Especially careful those religions should be presented with whom Chris-
tianity shares many common values (especially monotheism) and which
have a long history of living together with Christianity, unfortunately not
always peaceful, i. e. Judaism and Islam. Historical objectivity is absolutely
needed, approaching in balanced way positive and negative experiences of
the past, but highlighting especially future potentials for improving inter-
religious dialogue between the three Abrahamitic religions.
As the landscapes in which the Orthodox Churches are living in is
going through radical changes, a lot of wisdom14 is needed for shaping
the Orthodox theological education in a way that can be in line with our
authentic tradition and at the same time responding to the needs and chal-
lenges of the present time and especially of those of the future.
Bibliography
Archbishop Anastasios, Mission in Christ’s Way. An Orthodox Under-
standing of Mission, (Holy Cross Orthodox Press, Brookline, Massa-
chusetts, WCC Publications: Geneva, 2010), especially pp. 225-228.
13
Archbishop Anastasios, Mission in Christ’s Way. An Orthodox Understanding of
Mission, (Holy Cross Orthodox Press, Brookline, Massachusetts, WCC Publications:
Geneva, 2010), p. 225.
14
See John A. McGuckin, “Seeking Learning, and the Grace of Insightfulness:
The Issue of Wisdom in Orthodox Tradition” in St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, 51:4
(2007), pp. 423-434.
47
Dan-Ilie Ciobotea, “The Role of liturgy in Orthodox theological educa-

tion” St. Vladimir ’s Theological Quarterly, 31:2 (1987), pp. 101-122.
“The Ecumenical Movement in the Twentieth Century: The Role of Theo-
logy in Ecumenical Thought and
Life in Romania” in Thomas fitzGerard and Peter Bouteneff (eds.), Turn
to God Rejoice in Hope. Orthodox Reflections on the Way to Harare,
(WCC Publications: Geneva, 1998), pp. 130-135.
Karl Christian Felmy, Die orthodoxe Theologie der Gegenwart. Eine
Einführung, (Wissentschaftliche Buch- gesellschft, Darmstadt, 1990).
Thomas Hopko, “The Legacy of Fr. Alexander Schmemann: theological
education for pastoral Ministry” St.
Vladimir ’s Theological Quarterly, 53:2-3 (2009), pp. 331-339.
Meinhold, P.,Okumenische Kirchenkunde. Lebensformen d. Christenheit
heute. Stuttgart, Kreuz, 1962, 652 S. (as an example of a protestant in-
troduction into ‘Christian confessions’).
Nikos Nissiotis, “Orthodox principles in the service of an ecumenical theo-
logical education” in Orthodox Theology and Diakonia, (Brookline,
Massachusetts, 1981), pp. 319-338.
“Orthodox Theological Education for the Life and witness of the Church”
in Georges Tsetsis (ed.), Orthodox
Thought, (WCC Publications: Geneva, 1983), pp. 29-34.
“Report of the consultation of Orthodox Theological Education and ecu-
menical themes” St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, 44:2 (2000), p.
181-194.
John A. McGuckin, “Seeking Learning, and the Grace of Insightfulness:
The Issue of Wisdom in Orthodox Tradition” St. Vladimir ’s Theologi-
cal Quarterly, 51:4 (2007), pp. 423-434.
Report of an Inter-Orthodox Consultation “The Ecumenical Nature of
Orthodox Witness”, New Valamo, Finland, 24-20 September 1977 in
Gennadios Limouris (ed.), Orthodox Visions of Ecumenism. State-
ments, Messages and Reports on the Ecumenical Movement 1902-
1992, (WCC Publications: Geneva, 1994), pp. 66-69.
48
Mission and Ministry – the vision of Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae
In 1978 Father Dumitru Stăniloae published in Orthodox Youth and

the Ecumenical Movement a study of relatively small size, but of great im-
portance for Orthodox theological literature, as not only exposes the main
features of Orthodox mission, but, also, its failures so far, adding the main
contributions which Orthodoxy can bring in the future to the contempo-
rary world1.
Orthodox Mission in the Contemporary World
The well-known Romanian theologian is concerned, above all, to de-
scribe the missionary range of the Orthodox Church in the contemporary
world. Thus, he speaks of two dimensions of the mission, one internal and
one external. Internal mission is to subject those who formally belong to
the Church, but who in reality are out of its life. Father is also concerned
about the members of other Christian denominations, who, unlike those
related to the Orthodox Church, were estranged from the tradition of the
first Christian millennium.
Internal mission is to issue a wide range of human society, contain-
ing those who are separated from the Church and lack any understanding
of Christian faith. The spectrum they fall within extends from a state of
indifference – called innocent misunderstanding – to an open hospitality.
The author points out that we must ask ourselves whether this tragic con-
dition does not have a cause in a certain past behaviour of the Church.
We are dealing with a lesson of history from which to draw reliable conclu-
sions to rediscover the Christian message with relevance to nowadays man;
1
Dumitru Stăniloae, „Witness Trugh Holiness of Life”, in Martyria Mission. The
withness of the orthodox churches today, (ed.) Ion Bria, Geneva, 1980, pp. 45-51. The
study had been innitially published in Orthodox Youth and the Ecumenical Movement,
WSCF Books, Nr. 4, Geneve, 1978.
49
this implies the identification of the wrong means used by the Church in
preaching faith – act committed by Father Stăniloae himself, as we will see
in the next section of this study – and the reflection on new means through
which the alienation of church members should not be repeated2.
Regarding the external mission of the Church, it is the subject of
those who never lived a Christian way of life. The Church must ask herself
why in the second millennium has not been able to win their hearts, except in
a fragmented way and for short periods of time. And there remains the open
question of the relationship between the Church and the first Christian
millennium that followed it; why the early Church experienced a huge
missionary success among non-Christians, while in the second Christian
millennium, it has not been able to thaw the hardened hearts of non-
Christians? Is it really – asks Father Stăniloae – the way that the Church
presented herself during the second Christian millennium?
The answers offered by Dumitru Stăniloae, in an attempt to unravel
the cause of the missionary failure of the Church, both from an internal
and external point of view, return to man’s present condition. He came to
know the dominant role of technology in his life, technology which has
satisfied all the needs and material pleasures, which led to the exclusion of
the spiritual nature of any interest. On the other hand, this phenomenon
has led to other two categories of people: people in the first category, just
because of technological dominance in their lives, began to be concerned
with forms of spirituality that answered their spiritual thirst and hunger
(impossible to satisfy by means of a material nature); they are covered by a
fairly small category, those who have seen the rebirth of religious feeling. An-
other group, much larger, has even attempted to satisfy the spiritual needs,
using a series depaliative such as drug, alcohol or sex. It is a long-term
destructive way, but which, at least for that moment, had to remove the
boredom of apparently satisfactory technological and material existence.
The members of the two categories mentioned above were removed
to superficial religious issues: astrology, witchcraft, Eastern religions, Pen-
tecostal glosolalie. According to theologian Dumitru Stăniloae they can
not constitute a bailout for the man today, because only Eastern Orthodox
Christianity possesses the ways in which men can discover and realize their
2
Regarding this subject Father Dumitru Stăniloae speaks about the need of an
approach between Church an d man.
50
possibilities of its integrated nature and thus enter a internal, mystical and
personal comunion with the Heavenly Father, because Orthodoxy is the one
that states fully the creation of man as God’s image and the restoration of
this image in Christ, the God-Man. Only this spirituality will enable man
rediscover a balanced and profound life, achieved by receiving the necessary
power of God which is reacheable in Christ and the Holy Spirit. Eastern Or-
thodox spiritual superiority in comparison with Western theology lies in
the fact that the divine grace is not just an object of thought, but the real
power of union with God.
In support of its allegations, the Romanian theologian appeals to the
substantial claims made by Frances Colte 3, a member of the Melkite Cath-
olic Church in America, who also postulated the major role that of Ortho-
doxy for the Western man, as an alternative to his loss in the half-truth of
the simplistic philosophies or in the dark pseudo-oriental mysticism. Or-
thodoxy can play a catalytic role in the West because of its person-centered
mystical enlightenment, and it can rediscover the Western forgotten image
of the religious athlete, that is the image of man in search of bodily union
with Christ and not an easy loss of self, an absorption in an impersonal
essence as in Eastern mysticism.
Although he totally subscribes whereas positive evaluations of Mrs.
Colt regarding the huge missionary capacity of the Church, Dumitru St-
aniloae is aware that this ability has not materialized itself yet at its true size
and, again, profoundly realistic, he puts this failure not only on the diffi-
cult conditions of the increasingly secularized world, but also on improper
means which the Church has used in the second Christian millennium.
Therefore, the failure comes as a result of both the external and internal
causes of the ecclesial community. Next, Father Stăniloae tries to identify
the mistakes that led the Western confessions mission to unsatisfactory re-
sults, and to the absence of any missionary activity in Eastern Christianity.
A critical look on Christian Mission
In the opinion of Father Stăniloae, the institutional character of the
Church is the first cause to mission failure. Mission can not be efficient if
3
Frances Colet, „The Mission of the Eastern Christian Education in the West”, in
Diakonia, Fordham University, Nr. 4, 1973, pp. 338-339.
51
the Church aims at enlarging the authoritarian power and is practiced in

an invidualistic spirit (if the mission is the result of pride and originality,
mixed with the interests of a small group that wants to impose their own
beliefs and do not preach faith)4.
In both cases the mission and light of Christ is shadowed by human
sin: to be successful, the mission has to overcome any individual, group or
church interests and have no other Head than the crucified Jesus Christ (I
Co 2, 2). This means that the missionary has to crucify himself, leaving aside
his personal reasons and the arguments of the group which he belongs to, or
thirst for worldly power of his ecclesiastical institution. The mission is efficient
– continues Stăniloae, wanting to compare the true mission with the previously
exposed, a fake or ineffective one – only when the power of the Holy Spirit ir-
radiates from the one who preaches Christ. This power purifies him so that the
Holy Spirit can shine through his words, being pure and full of the power of the
Spirit, that confirms thus His existence. This occurs when the missionary keeps
the truth preached by the Apostoles, because the Spirit is united with the truth,
so with God Who became incarnated in Christ. He was known and preached
by the Apostles as a whole (undiluted), with no changes, as happened in a later
period (in church history, o.n.) by the founders of new Christian groups5.
Author’s belief is that (re)discovery a genuine mission must go be-
yond the innovations produced along Church’s history until early periods.
Then the mission was completely and fully effective because it was made
by saints and martyrs, meaning those who held tight the truth of Christ and,
forgetting about themselves, they have confessed the Holy Spirit. At the begin-
nings of each Church is a saint or a martyr, or more of them, who gave his
entire life, and not just words or talent, to make the fullness of Christ known
to others he knows with certainty. Although he was supported by organizations
and financial resources, in his sermon there were no personal, group or institu-
tional interference6.
To be really efficient, says Father Staniloae, the mission has to find its
coordinates in the early Church, used by the Holy Apostles and then taken over
4
Even without being called directly, here are covered the missionary concepts of
the Roman-Catholic and Protestant Churches – the first one centered on the unitary
vision of papal primacy, and the second one on differentiating the specific needs of indi-
viduals or small congregations.
5
D. Stăniloae, art. cit., p. 47.
6
Ibidem, p. 48.
52
by Christians in the first Christian millennium. The image of an effective

missionary appears in the thinking of Apostle Paul, whom the Romanian
theologian takes as a model for unchristian preachers of all times. Several
pauline texts are quoted as being very relevat for what the mission should
be, such as:: “And my word and my preaching were not with persuasive
words of human wisdom, but in the certainties of the Spirit and power”
(1 Cor 2, 4); “for weapons of our warfare are not carnal ... we collapsed
iscodirile mind” (2 Cor 10, 4); That was not our gospel unto you in word
only but in power and the Holy Spirit and Mo custody ... (I Thes 1, 5),
a power which has animated all of its work and mission of preaching the
Apostles; ... but Christ speaks in me, which is weak compared to you ...
(2 Co 13, 3).
The personal example of St. Paul has as a foundation his death as a
martyr, the proof that he was ready to preach Christ even at the cost of his
life and not just in theory (see 1 Cor 9, 15), but also in practice. By this
Paul becomes a model to follow not only in external missions, but inter-
nal mission of the Church, not only for those who preach the truth must
be – even if they never knew Christ, or because they were away from Him
and wanted to come back to Christ – but for those who preach Him, all
the preachers need to keep intact the faith even at the cost of their lives, as
the Apostle did, being aware that many souls have been alienated by the
Church because of the unworthiness of Her pastors. Before starting his
exposure regarding the value that Orthodoxy can and should have today,
Father Staniloae recalls that one of the causes related to the bad condi-
tion of contemporary man is his loneliness. This plague represented by
the temptations of individualism may be cured by the Church - the true
communion of those who believe in Jesus Christ and more importantly, of
those who have the unifying power of the Holy Spirit Himself7.
7
Before talking about the last section of the study to which we referred before,
we believe it is relevant to summarize Fr Staniloae’s vision about holiness and Church as
communion of saints, as it appears in the first volume of his work The Romanian Ortho-
dox Dogmatic Theology, Third Edition, Ed. IBMBOR, 2003, p. 265 a.s.o. Here we find
vibrant pages about the presence of Saints in people’s lives, starting from the premise
that God’s holiness is a relevant and participated characteristic of human beings, it is the
attribute of transcendence as a person. The light radiating from the saint is a transparen-
cy of communication with God and men, communion with the uncreated divine grace.
The manifestation of holiness is therefore a profound inter-personal character which
53
Value of Orthodoxy today

The main concern of the Church in the modern world is to restore
communion among men, believes Stăniloae, especially as they know, para-
doxically, increasingly more loneliness: the communion of life was lost in
the big cities, which is nothing else but desert, now filled with great tumult.
The fact that Orthodoxy wakes up the Western world is not just because it
preaches a message of a personal and loving God, Who alone can save man
forever by sharing that love - in a manner so different from the false mys-
teries of impersonal essence of Eastern religions; the attraction comes from
the fact that it shows living people, here and now, that gentle presence of
love, of the communion of faith, who are also the power of holiness8.
Orthodox Mission therefore owes its superiority over all other, not on the
superiority of a particular type of message, but on the very life of the preachers,
saints and martyrs. Only they can truly awaken in people a thirst for holiness and
immortality, but also give them confidence that this possibility can be realized, as
their power comes not from certain cultural-siprituale human qualities, but from
the divine grace that dwells in them. Only saints and martyrs – Staniloae wrote
in this sense – can lead people to Christ, drawing their souls with the divine that
shines within them. This is a strength and capacity for love that makes them go up
to total self-sacrifice. People are covinsed the saints and martyrs are the result of
divine power and that they can obtain this power, causing them to become saints
and also to devote himself entirely to God and neighbor9.
The most important value of Orthodoxy consists in the possibility
of holiness that she offers, combined with understanding the Church as a
goes to self-sacrifice in the service or others (see the meaning of the word ieron, which in
Greek means both sacrifice and sacred). Saints’ power is not about their personal quali-
ties, but it has as a permanent source The Holy Trinity and the divine-human Person of
Jesus Christ, the One Who transmits it to those who believe in Him, according to their
availability to union with the Father in Christ and the Holy Spirit (hence the different
stages of holiness). Holiness is the ultimate fulfillment of human nature and this makes
the presence of the saint in the world to be antinomic – “In Saint’s delicacy God’s autho-
rity is very clear”. We understand now why in the second volume of his Dogmatic Father
Dumitru Staniloae calls Church „the laboratory in which the Spirit of Christ makes us
holy, or even more, faces full of Christ, which has in itself the holiness and love of Holy
Trinity (p. 129).
8
Idem, „Witness Trough Holiness o Life”, p. 49.
9
Ibidem, p. 49.
54
communion with Christ (not as a mere human institution). Of course, Fa-

ther Stăniloae is forced to admit with regret that, although fully present in
the Orthodox Church, the Orthodox values have appeared in recent cen-
turies rarely, except a few monks, and above all, a few hermits. At the same
time, values have ceased to be present in the Church, even larger masses of
faithful attending them, especially in this real experimentation of Savior
Jesus Christ to celebrate the Liturgy and the Sacraments. To prove its qual-
ity mission, the Orthodox Church should not do anything but work on
the real power of the said values; it must: a) to be opened to God’s uncre-
ated power that comes from us; b) to believe that, aided by that power, it
is possible for us to live a life of holiness and sacrifice; and c) to update the
position of the Church community.
This line, stresses Father Stăniloae, was followed by the predecessors,
the great hesychasts and saints or charismatic people of Orthodoxy. Without
wishing it explicitly, they did mission through their life and work; as St.
Gregory Palamas testified in the fourteenth century, the hesychasts had
the same grace manifested in the early Church by the Apostles and their
immediate missionaries successors. Father speaks about the only way of
doing efficient mission; if we do not look for experience, the uncreated
divine power, the holiness and the total abnegation, there is no point in or-
ganizing conferences about mission and developing bureaucratic plans for
mission – we will continue to lose the souls who are now in the Church10.
The final ideas of the study come back to human condition today,
as well as to the way Orthodoxy chooses to answer man’s needs. Thus,
whether he has or not a Christian heritage, the modern man has an acute
self-consciousness – says Father Stăniloae. This is an aspect to be taken into
account, but we have to be aware that this acute awareness of himself can
make man realize his helplessness.
Consequently, the very tangled maze of modern human conscious-
ness can arise the desire to find a meaning, an answer to his spiritual needs,
and hence the need to be found in communion with others. Orthodoxy
must not lose sight of the fact that the modern man wants simplicity and
purity from his neighbour, meaning honesty; so, it must abandon its theolog-
ical anthropology, and be able to concern itself with the inter-specific (and
10
Ibidem, pp. 49-50.
55
complicated) nowadays human relationships – as did the Apostle Paul, as

did the saints and were described by FM Dostoevsky11.
Another aspect that points to the value of Orthodoxy for the man of
today concerns the separation from the authoritarian-universalist appear-
ance of the Church, which can become an obstacle for non-Christians to
adhere to it (feeling probably oppressed, if not at least lost, in an environ-
ment which does not recognize their values – but even tends to erase their
cultural and religious heritage). The advantage lies in its organization in
Orthodox autocephalous churches – the ideal for preserving the various
ethnic characteristics. It is a model (pattern) which is found even in early
Christianity – and Father Stăniloae draws our attention upon that – re-
minding about God’s gotten people (I Pt 2, 9-10), and about the fact that
most often we forget that the expression God’ people is preceded by another
formula – Christians are holy people/nation.
It is important that Apostle Paul speaks about the holiness of the
Christians as being an actual condition of preaching to the world; and
you are chosen people, royal priesthood, holy nation, gotten people to God,
asked to proclaim in the world the goodness of He Who called you out of
darkness into His wonderful light. You, who once were not a people, now you
are God’s people12.
Conclusion
The importance of Father Stăniloae’s work remains relevant because
it offers in nuce the main features that should define the core of mission
from an Orthodox viewpoint. Step by step, the great Romanian theologian
proved that Orthodox mission is characterized by:
1. Sacrificial character, for if we accept the words of the Apostle Paul
who says to live means Christ (Filipeni 1, 21), then we must accept that
Christ is not only victory, and resurrection, but also suffering, Crucifixion
and the Cross, so sacrifice. Each of those who preach Christ has to be ready
to put in practice the words which are spoken, meaning that he has to be
ready for self sacrifice.
2. Liturgical character. Only remembered by Father Staniloae, this does
not lose the significance in the success of the mission. The real Presence
11
See Ibidem, p. 50.
12
Cf. Ibidem, pp. 50-51.
56
of Jesus Christ during Liturgy and Holy Sacraments constitute a means to

increase communion with the Holy Trinity, but also the establishment of
the ecclesial community between members of the Church (a theme much
praised and cited by Father Stăniloae in his study).
3. Ethnic character. At the end of the study is challenged - indirectly -
the idea that the mission must have a supra-national, universalist character
(dominant in the Roman-Catholic mentality). Using as a starting point
the words of Saint Apostle Paul, Father Stăniloae insists that belonging to
Christianity is not similar to developing the self; this is kept in Christian-
ity, but receives very different valences.
4. Spiritual nature, which summarizes up all the reflections presented
by us in this study. His message is: back to the martyrs and saints, back
to Christ carrying ascetics! Only then the Church may find sap, only this
way the message to the world can become true and verifiable, for the man
today does not lack beautiful words and thoughtful messages, but a life
of holiness. The conclusion we can draw is that, on one hand, one should
never give up mission (see I Cor 9, 16: Woe to me if I preach not), and on
the other, this task involves a heavy responsibility on our part. It is also the
alarm signal which completed the study: How can non-Christians receive
the faith if they do not see us better than them?13
Pr. Prof. Ion Bria, Ortodoxy in Europe, a place for Romanian Spirituality, Ed.
13
MMB, Iasy, p. 51.
57
to the Development of Orthodox Missionary Theology*
Introduction
Referring to Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos’ contribution to the
development of the Orthodox mission, we must consider two levels: pri-
marily the personal experience in the field of missionary service and sec-
ondly, the intense journalistic activity designed to stretch the lethargy of
the Orthodox missiology in the first half of the twentieth century, both
“internaly” and “externaly”.
Anastasios Yannoulatos’ missionary activity includes several key ele-
ments including: as lay theologian (1954-1960), he worked as a preacher
and catechist at St. Constantine of Omonia Catechetical High School; was
responsible for the leading student circles, Bible study groups, the semi-
nars concerning the education “young churches’” leaders. As a presbyter,
during post-doctoral studies in Germany (1965-1969), he dealt with the
Greek students and immigrants from here. He worked as General Secre-
tary of the Executive Committee for Mission Abroad within Syndesmos
(1958-1961) and was founder and president of Porefthendes Inter-Ortho-
dox Missionary Centre (since 1961).
As Archbishop of Albania (since 1992), under extremely difficult con-
ditions, had a decisive contribution to the reconstruction and revival of the
Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, which was disbanded more
than 23 years earlier. After the Communists took power in 1944, and the
state leader became the Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha, the Orthodox
Church in Albania has become a target for repression. Church buildings
were closed by the communist authorities, and worship services and the
*
Published in International Journal of Orthodox Theology, 6: 1 (2015), p. 63-86.
58
opportunity to celebrate the sacraments, restricted; the priests were impris-

oned. It all culminated with the the declaration of Albania as an atheist
state in 1967 (church institutions had already been destroyed by the com-
munist persecution).
The Albanian Orthodox Church revival began with the arrival of
Anastasios Yannoulatos, the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Nairobi, in July
1991. Among his achievements we mention: over 400 parishes organ-
ized, establishment of the “Resurrection of Christ” Orthodox Theologi-
cal Academy, education and ordination of over 150 clerics, establish-
ment of an orphanage, a center for helping adolescents, 3 elementary
schools and 17 schools of medical assistants. To these are added two
church high schools, a technical high school, two institutes for training
and Logos University, as well as 50 youth centers in different cities. He
encouraged the publication of newspapers and books; he organized a
printing company, a candle factory, a iconography studio for painting
and restoration icons. Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos published an
impressive number of papers in the field of missiology – his books, stud-
ies and articles were translated into different languages. The studies and
articles written by Archbishop A. Yannoulatos are combined into two
volumes – one was even translated into Romanian: Facing the World: Or-
thodox Christian Essays on Global Concerns1 and Mission in Christ’s Way.
An Orthodox Understanding of Mission2.
In what follows we intend to expose the main theological themes,
some of great interest, which were approached by Archbishop Anastasios
Yannoulatos (especially using his two collective books that we have cited
just above): the relationship between Christianity and the other religions
(especially with Islam), globalization and ecclesial-communautaire univer-
sality, Orthodoxy and Human Rights, Gospel and culture, respectively the
characteristics of the Orthodox mission.
1
A. Yannoulatos, Ortodoxia şi problemele lumii contemporane (Orthodoxy and the
Contemporary World Issues), translated by Gabriel Mândrilă and Constantin Coman,
Bizantină Publishing, Bucharest, 2003.
2
Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way. An Orthodox Understanding of Mission (vezi supra
nota 1). In here, at page 293, it is announced as presently being translated and published,
at the Bizantină Publishing from Bucharest, the book on Islam.
59
The Relationship between Christianity and the Other Religions

(especially with Islam)
Archbishop Yannoulatos acknowledges that the missionary work of
the Orthodox Church in non-Christian areas remains very limited. The
main cause of this fact is constituted by the low awareness of the Catholic
and apostolic dimension of the Church at the expense of local churches
excessive nationalism.
In order to regularize the situation, it is appropriate “to stop gen-
eralize, to simplify and beautify facts. It is necessary the sobriety and a
balanced study of the past. Certainly not in order to judge or condemn
anyone, but with the desire to find the right way of planning the future,
with a sense of responsibility, seriously in defining the purpose and accord-
ing to our possibilities”3. The mission aims mainly the unification “of the
non-believers” with the Church; then it takes on our part of an effort to
understand the language, issues, reservations, temptations, doubts, their
sins and even hostility. All these barriers can be finally overcome by the
power of truth, prayer and love4.
Anastasios Yannoulatos points out, however, the difficulty of the en-
counter between Christianity and other religions. He denounces the exces-
sive optimism that “religions themselves should now convert to Christ”,
but also the perspective that these religions would be closed systems, es-
tablished in certain permanent frames. The great religions of the world
are complex systems with structures and conditions that make the hope
of “discovering” Christ in themselves very difficult. Hence the need for
Orthodox Christians to do everything possible to reveal the liturgical and
ascetic ethos, which in some ways, fits the experience of Eastern Asian
world5. “The dialogue belongs to the tradition of the Church and served
as a motivating factor in the development of Christian theology. Much
3
Ibidem, p. 209.
4
Ibidem, p. 210.
5
Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way, pp. 109-110. Anastasios Yannoulatos states that:
“When I traveled to Thailand, Ceylon, Korea and Japan, I felt that many of the external
elements of popular Buddhism were very close to our own devotional expression, even
if their theoretical basis was totally different”. Even more complex is the case of China,
where atheistic communism destroyed the sacred patriarchal structure of family and
society. Here, the message “Kingdom of Heaven” would be vital for this huge population
60
of the patristic theology is the fruit of direct or indirect dialogue with the
ancient Hellenistic world, with its religious currents...”6. Even in today’s
world, increasingly more apparent non-Christian, it is absolutely necessary
the Christian understanding of the human rights and his achievements on
scientific, economic and cultural levels. In their direct testimony to the
world, Christians must have the model on St. Ap. Paul who held a dia-
logue with the Athenians in the Areopagus (Acts 17). In the center of his
preaching was the Gospel, the special significance of the person and work
of Christ. Clearly, the Christian worldview represented a radical overhaul
and a scandal for the Hellenic philosophy, and it is likely that the Christian
witness is regarded the same by Christians today.
From the perspective of the history of religions, the Christian mis-
sionary must always bear in mind the following three aspects: 1) avoiding
the temptation to generalize and of the extremisms. To better understand
other religions, it is necessary first of all to know them better7, 2) the dou-
ble evolution of religions, downward and upward, 3) the proper perspec-
tive of religions as organic units, constantly evolving.
Cooperation between the Orthodox Christianity with other Christian
denominations and other religions is an urgent necessity today, especially
by overcoming prejudices and tensions. A specific case of dialogue with
other religions had in mind Archbishop Yannoulatos with Islam – a very
difficult relationship, which requires a nuanced attitude. The difficulty of
this dialogue occurs also due to a paradoxical fact: Islam together with the
communism are two systems radically “heretical” of Eastern Orthodoxy:
“Islam adopted, fragmentarily, elements of the Orthodox Christianity, al-
tering and distorting them, while the socialist ideology of Lenin took over
other characteristics of the Russian Orthodox mentality like the heroic
ideal of struggle and the eschatological vision of human brotherhood”8.
In the report of the Byzantine world with the Islam are identified
three distinct phases: 1) the first phase (middle eighth – middle ninth
that has always lived with the vision of a cosmic harmony where man is the mediator
between heaven and earth.
6
Ibidem, p. 225.
7
Idem, Ortodoxia şi problemele lumii contemporane (Orthodoxy and the Contempo-
rary World Issues), p. 166.
8
See Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way, p. 200.
61
centuries) is a “taunting and under-estimated” one, Islam being viewed ex-

clusively as a “Christian heresy” (see St. John of Damascus); 2) the second
phase (middle ninth – middle fourteenth centuries) is one more offensive,
various texts relating to Islam trying to demonstrate its “incoherence” (see
Samona of Gaza, Efthimie Zigaben, Nicetas Choniates, Bartholomew of
Edessa and especially Nicetas the Byzantine); 3) the third phase (middle
fourteenth – middle fifteenth centuries) is distinguished by its “calm and
objectivity”. Now, personalities such as Gregory Palamas, Joseph Vrien-
nios, John VI Kantakouzenos or Manuel II Palaeologus take part in a dia-
logue increasingly more open9. This is the phase that could be considered
an exemplary one even for today’s relationship of Christians with Muslims:
for example, St. Gregory Palamas contradict some teachings that are in
opposition to Christian dogmas, but, throughout the dialogue, he makes
an effort “not to injure his interlocutors’ religious sensibility”. Thus, “al-
though it is not reached an agreement, is preserved an atmosphere of mu-
tual respect and appreciation”10.
Especially taking into account the fourth phase (middle fifteenth –
middle nineteenth centuries), that of Islamic monologue and of silence
and resistance from Christians – a phase not only marked by isolation and
non-opening, but even by harsh experiences11 – in today’s world should
be rediscovered and promoted this atmosphere of mutual respect and ap-
preciation, promoter of an objective and honest dialogue. “It is obvious
that the tradition and the cultural heritage of the Eastern Christians bring
them closer to the Muslim world, with whom they had coexisted through-
out the centuries. Despite the profound theological differences and of the
dramatic clashes of the past, we’re moving in many respects on a common
cultural ground”12.
Perhaps the most important legacy that can be harnessed by the Or-
thodox in dialogue with the Muslims is overcoming the spirit of the Cru-
sades, of the violent demonstrations, by highlighting the martyric testi-
mony offered in the common historical past13. This is a “dialogue of life” to
9
See idem, Ortodoxia şi problemele lumii contemporane (Orthodoxy and the Contem-
porary World Issues), pp. 127-129.
10
Ibidem, p. 133.
11
Ibidem, p. 137.
12
Ibidem, p. 144.
13
Ibidem, p. 147.
62
which gives Archbishop A. Yannoulatos rightly, great value, as it experien-

tially expresses certain Christian beliefs and values: the embracing love of
the heavenly Father, a very wide space left for the work of the Holy Spirit,
the importance and validity of other “testaments” than that established by
God with His Son, the appreciation of every human being, the global love
that involves respect for the freedom of the other 14.
Globalization and Ecclesial-Communautaire Universality
The relationship between universality and particularity is an issue
to which Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos gave a great deal of atten-
tion. From the urgent need for real union between people to be achieved,
“an indiscriminate acceptance of the leveling movement of all in an uni-
form internationalism, or, more accurately, amorphous, only because it is
fashionable, ignoring heritage and national character, would be equally
unacceptable”15.
There are two interrelated ideas: 1) equality does not mean identity
and 2) equality implies authenticity: “Emphasizing the universal, we ought
to emphasize equally the importance of the particular”16. By sending to the
theme of “communion” of free and equal in love persons, following the
example of the Holy Trinity, Archbishop Yannoulatos emphasizes the value
of the Christian vision of the person and human nature; this vision has as
characteristic the balance of the relationship between these two elements:
just as Jesus Christ gave a “therapeutic interest” to the tangible people, so
the Church saw in every believer a living cell of its body, not a particle in a
mass. The Church stressed the organic unity of believers, and the supreme
model is the Holy Trinity: “The central dogma of the Holy Trinity reflects
the harmonious coexistence between the unitary and the individual, the
relationship between one and many”17.
The cornerstone of Christian anthropology is the belief that “when
God created man (Adam), made him in His own image”. Any subsequent
biblical view of mankind is built on this foundation. The New Testament
insists that human beings are God’s creation (Matthew 19:4; Acts 17:28),
14
See ibidem, pp. 149-150.
15
Ibidem, pp. 44-45.
16
Ibidem, p. 45.
17
Ibidem, p. 45 note 22.
63
made in His image (Colossians 3:10) and likeness (James 3:9). Human-
kind, in its entirety, descends from the human couple created by God
and, draws attention Yannoulatos, while Western thought emphasized the
mind, intelligence and will, as the most prominent features of the divinity,
the Eastern theology has placed greater emphasis on freedom and love, us-
ing as a reference point the love and communion in freedom and harmony
of the Persons of the Holy Trinity18.
A second fundamental principle of Christian anthropology, closely
related to the first, is the belief that God is not only Creator, but the Father
of all mankind19. This idea is frequently emphasized in the New Testament
(for example, Matthew 6:9, 23:9, or Romans 1:7) and is directly linked
to the belief that all people without exception are children of God, and
therefore they are siblings.
Not only the fact of a common origin binds human beings in a fam-
ily, but also their mission. The purpose of their existence – according to
orthodox faith and conscience – is to activate, by God’s grace, the endow-
ment given by God and progress towards achieving likeness with God,
an authentic communion of persons, in harmony with all creatures and
all creation in selfless love, on the model of the Holy Trinity, which is the
supreme koinonia agapes20.
As a complement to the origin and common purpose, there is a third
element common to all humanity: all people share the same adventure and
same fault. The human being, instead moving towards the Triune God and
fulfill its purpose of existence through participation in koinonia agapes of
the divine Persons, chose to retain the individual self, rejecting God’s love
and starting the search of “deification” by its own criteria and in accordance
with the instigations of the devil (“and you will be like God”, Genesis 3:5).
This adventure is related to the essential human freedom. We were
free to refuse even the selfless love; we refused it, only to accept the
chains of the selfish love to ourselves21. But despite this exile, humanity
18
Idem, Ortodoxia Răsăriteană și drepturile omului (Eastern Orthodoxy and Human
Rights), in Nicolae Răzvan Stan (editor), Biserica Ortodoxă și drepturile omului: Para-
digme, fundamente, implicații (The Orthodox Church and the Human Rights: Paradigms,
Foundations, Implications), Univers Juridic Publishing, Bucharest, 2010, pp. 69-70.
19
Ibidem, p. 70.
20
Ibidem, p. 70.
21
Ibidem, pp. 70-71.
64
retains its identity and the inheritance of the divine origin and also the
nostalgia of the divine beginnings22. Moreover, after the Incarnation, the
presence of Logos in history and among humanity brings a new power
to purify the image of God and restore the koinonia agapes, for the ascen-
sion of homogeneous human nature to the blessed existence in love of
the Triune God23.
The Christian mission in the world can therefore be understood
only starting from the reality of the presence and work of the Persons
of the Trinity in the world, and this necessarily involves the Church.
The much coveted human unity, opposed to, as we shall see, the outer
globalization prevailing today’s world, can only be achieved at an inner
level, in the depths of human nature. Here Christ works through the
Holy Spirit, here the unit becomes truly alive in a “communion of love”.
This is the meaning of catholicity – a quality of the Church that empha-
sizes the quality of each member of the Church as being a “living cell” of
the Body of Christ. Each individual, as the whole assembly is called to
realize his own ego, to develop its powers in harmony with others, in a
love that constitutes the fundamental feature of the “divine image”24. The
liturgical celebration and the ministry are connected like the two phases
of respiration: inspiration and exhalation. They are turning to the world
in the sense of Holy Liturgy: “After the Divine Liturgy in the church, a
new liturgy begins on the altar of stone of everyday reality, a liturgy that
must preoccupy every believer individually”25. This is the meaning of the
phrase with such relevance in the ecumenical movement “Liturgy after
the Liturgy”26.
22
Ibidem, p. 71.
23
Ibidem, p. 71.
24
Ibidem, pp. 33-34.
25
Ibidem, p. 151.
26
Anastasios Yannoulatos brings some clarifications regarding the “definition-co-
de” – “Liturgy after the Liturgy”. This statement knew a wide circulation in the ecu-
menical circle, being related mostly to the name of the Romanian theologian Ion Bria.
However, Anastasios Yannoulatos points out that the idea was originally launched by
him in 1963 in Athens, in a sermon to the members of the Christian Union of Scientists,
where among other things said: “This event (the Divine Liturgy, our note) does not have
to becme an instantaneous emotion, but the Liturgy must be extended to everyday life.
And all our life should be transfigured into a liturgy”. See Ibidem, pp. 94-96.
65
Orthodoxy and Human Rights

Regarding the Orthodox perspective on “human rights”, we are
shown the intrinsic ambiguity of this phrase that prevails in modern and
postmodern world. The declarations of human rights in general and the
Universal Declaration, in particular, refers to the “human personality”
(preamble), the “free and full development of personality” (art. 29). The
recognition of the idea of personality as a fundamental principle in the
creation of political institutions and social manifestations of individual life
required a long and complicated process to become stable in human con-
sciousness. The starting point was the statement of the French Revolution
– a tool by which the radical individualism of the bourgeoisie sought to
determine the form of all sectors of social life. “However, the result was not
the expected liberation of the individual, but the increase to nightmarish
proportions of the police state apparatus and the suppression of people’s
demands and claims. This kind of radical individualism was encouraged
by the philosophical liberalism, which resulted in a borderless formalism,
separating law from morality and the society from the state. The moral
principle of autonomy seemed to ignore the depths of human beings and
the essential problems of human existence”27.
Humankind found itself in the first half of the twentieth century “har-
assed and dominated by two forms of social organization: the capitalist men-
tality of the West, which has cultivated egocentristic individualism, and the
different types of totalitarian regimes which involve the risk of leveling of
the masses as a kind of dictatorship, either visible or hidden under the guise
of various slogans or naive Messianism”28. The effort made by the Western
European humanism to develop a theory of humanity that would disperse
and replace the Christian idea led to the linking of the concept of person
to the autonomous morality or simply to a humanistic philosophy. But the
person, as concept and experience of life, was born and took shape through
Christian theological thought, especially that of the Greek Fathers29.
27
Rights), in Nicolae Răzvan Stan (ed.), Biserica Ortodoxă și drepturile omului: Paradigme,
fundamente, implicații (The Orthodox Church and the Human Rights: Paradigms, Founda-
tions, Implications), Univers Juridic Publishing, Bucharest, 2010, p. 79.
28
Ibidem, p. 80.
29
See the reviewing, along several historical segments, from Ibidem, pp. 74-79.
Are identified four distinct periods: the early period, marked by persecution, when even
66
The concept of person is a key concept in Eastern Orthodoxy regard-

ing any anthropological matter and it is directly linked to the orthodox
Trinitarian theology. According to the orthodox interpretation, the text of
Genesis 1:26 refers to human beings as persons, not as individuals. This
anthropology differs radically from the concept of humanity from other re-
ligious systems. Generally speaking, many religious and philosophical sys-
tems stop at the achievement of human beings, while Christianity brings
the novelty of God’s action in history, an action continued in the life of
the world and in the life of every human being through the Holy Spirit30.
The idea of “communion” underlines that the rights of every man
and of every woman are inextricably linked to those of others. The inter-
dependence of rights and obligations is obvious and harmony should be
established between individual and socio-political rights. Especially in a
period of social pluralism, the respect for human dignity involves much
more than simply recognizing the rights of other people. Only love is able
to transform society from a lot of threads of sand, where each is introverted
and indifferent to the other, into an organic group of cells, where each
contributes to the development of the other31.
Various human rights declarations are certainly very important in
the organization of society, as it is also the regulatory role of the state.
But in our complex society, draws attention A. Yannoulatos, there are
with their lives Christians stressed the value of human persons and the inalienable rights
to equality, liberty, fraternity and dignity; fourth century – of second half of the fifte-
enth century, when Christianity became state religion and, sometimes, some Byzantine
emperors had forgotten to respect religious freedom and the rights of all subjects in
the empire; 1453-middle of the middle of the nineteenth century, when under Otto-
man occupation, the Orthodox Christians have experienced abuse and their rights was
synonymous with physical and spiritual integrity; Finally, the nineteenth century resul-
ted in the liberation from the Turkish yoke and the establishment of independent states
governed through national constitutions that have as model the proclamation of 1821,
which guaranteed respect for human rights and proclaimed the adherence to the princi-
ples of equality and freedom.
30
Here can be made one of the greatest contributions of Christianity to the men-
tality of modern man: his rediscovery of a genuine community of love, the image of the
Trinity intercommunion. See Idem, Ortodoxia şi problemele lumii contemporane (Ortho-
doxy and the Contemporary World Issues), p. 24.
31
Rights), in Nicolae Răzvan Stan (ed.), op. cit., p. 81.
67
too many loopholes, too many possibilities to violate human rights –

with guile or cynicism32.
The root of evil is in human selfishness. Selfishness will always find
a way to break the law in favor of its own interests. This is why personal
integrity and conscience are of paramount importance in ensuring respect
for the rights of others. To ensure that reason and will are used properly,
it is necessary the purity of heart. In the Orthodox tradition, the desire of
freedom of the human person is therefore oriented towards a higher level:
gaining inner freedom, which is a prerequisite for gaining fulfillment and
peace and enabling human personality to develop to its full extent33.
Abstinence and asceticism are associated to the consciousness that
each person is an organic part of a great whole, that of the animal and
vegetable world, and that it has no right to waste natural resources for its
exclusive comfort. When we talk about human rights, we often think only
to the people living in the same piece of time as us. But this is a mistake:
we should also remember that history is still ongoing and that our genera-
tion will be followed by others. Generations to come must also have rights
to nature, health, life; urgent problems of air, food, sea, pollution, lack of
energy, and many more must be seen in light of the human rights of future
generations.
Predominantly, in the orthodox thinking and belief exists the unwa-
vering certainty that everyone has the right to become that someone for
which he/she was created: the ultimate right of each is to complete his/her
true nature, become a child of God by grace. The most important human
right is the right to overcome the tyranny of death, the cruelest of mas-
ters who ever dominated human existence. Any partial given which ignores
these existential rights, may result in disorientation of the human being and
can make it indifferent to what is essential – the divine origin and trajectory
of each. Christian faith will never cease to emphasize the fact that everyone
has the right and duty to use the possibilities offered by the grace of God
to overcome the sinful nature, to defeat death and approach deification34.
In addition to the wide horizons of existential rights, which it opens,
the Orthodox Christian vision protects humanity from extreme pessimism
32
Ibidem, p. 82.
33
Ibidem, p. 83.
34
Ibidem, pp. 84-85.
68
and mindless optimism. The Christian always remains skeptical to the his-
torical achievements; he enjoys some achievements but continues to seek
more, knowing that “no statement of human rights can ever be complete
or final. The declarations will always reflect the state of moral and cultural
insight from a time in history” (J. Maritain)35. Therefore, the Christian
must be vigilant, to reform and to review and, consequently, improve the
legal and political framework of the society. Regarding Christian churches
they should try to be what they were appointed to be: moral and spiritual
inspiration centers, established and sanctified nurseries of personalities,
“laboratories of selfless love”.
Gospel and Culture
Perhaps the hardest fight for the contemporary Orthodox theology is
constituted precisely by the phenomenon of secularization, by the human
absorption in the contingency of the “world” and of “this world”. We are
dealing with a new type of “heresy” with the egocentric anthropocentrism
as central point, which leads to ignoring all transcendental values. The
fight must be pursued continually having in consciousness the Christian
duties, their testimony “to all nations” that: mission is an essential part of
the nature of the Church, the Gospel is addressed to all people, the mis-
sion is a duty for the Christians of all times, not just for a certain genera-
tion (such as the apostolic period), marking the vitality and capacity for
renewal of the Church, that the missionary work is not just a charismatic
category of the Church, but remains a duty to fulfill by all its members,
that the purpose of the mission is not to conquer the world and impose
a Christian state which would exercise control over all, but spreading the
word and grace of God, the revelation of His glory which in Christ, “is
and is to come”, that the mission constitutes the basic function of the his-
torical evidence and simultaneously the manifestation of the eschatological
dimension of the the Gospel36. Orthodoxy must have a dynamic presence
and witness in the world. The Christian message (kerygma) should be a joy-
ous proclamation, “a good news” for each person in the circumstances of
his life, a message that meets immediate experiences and existential needs.
35
See Ibidem, p. 85.
36
Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way, pp. 72-73.
69
Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos precisely defines culture based on

its positive aspect in human life: “Culture – we are told – is the victory
of man over dark parts of the self and society, a transcending of his mere
biological existence”. Through culture man traces his own destiny alone –
of course, within his creatural limits – and fulfills his existential vocation.
This results in the so-called “intercultural constants”: the formation of a
communication system, a code of understanding, ie a language; solutions
given to the basic needs of survival (see the house), leading to the develop-
ment of techniques and a initially rudimentary economy; regulations on
coexistence man-woman to perpetuate the species; the social organization
of human existence: community, tribe, nation; the establishment of social
norms that determine what is good from what is evil; different artistic ex-
pressions; finally, living “the Sacred” as religiosity37.
Between culture and the Gospel there is no total separation or antago-
nism. The Gospel means the receipt by the human being of a new “logos”,
of a new reasons of existence and, at the same time, a new vital center of
cultural creation. The main difference from the culture it is that we are no
longer dealing with something strictly human, with a creation of the hu-
man spirit; the reality of the Gospel is a double one, taking to the revela-
tion of the theandric, divine-human person of Jesus Christ. He is the “the
core of the Gospel”, which causes from the Incarnation until the Eschaton
“a new secret code of evolution”: from man to God-Man, from reason to
Reason. We are talking about the transfiguration of the entire human na-
ture, and the perception of the Gospel requires, in turn, not only a certain
part of man (in this case the mind or heart). “God’s Glory gospel percep-
tion is achieved only with the help of the mind, a system of ideas, but by
opening all of the human receptors. Therefore, the most representative
space of the perception is the liturgical space, the doxological invocation of
the Holy Spirit for the turning of the seen realities and of the final union
with the Living Christ; in order to cater the entire life to the rhythm of the
37
Idem, Ortodoxia şi problemele lumii contemporane (Orthodoxy and the Contem-
porary World Issues), p. 97 a.s.o. Yannoulatos rejects the distinction between civilization
and culture - the first concerning the technical, material culture, while the second, the
spiritual one – whereas in the Orthodox conception, the substance and the spirit are not
separate but inseparable in man, being mutually influenced. See Ibidem, p. 99. In this
sense they are “two sides of the same human creative spirit”. Ibidem, p. 100.
70
Holy Spirit to transform the universe through the irradiation of the divine
energies of the Holy Trinity”38.
Characteristic Features of Orthodox Mission
The Orthodox theological thinking about mission has never been de-
veloped in a systematic way, recognizes boldly A. Yannoulatos. This is dif-
ferent from the Western thinking, more preocupied by the purpose and
the reason of the mission. To speak in terms of Orthodox mission entails
a double danger: either limiting ourselves to repeating the ideas of others,
after studying the Catholic and Protestant conceptions, or complementing
these two, in the sense of creating something totally distinct from them.
A third way, more serious, more modest, is correct: to avoid the tactics of
controversy and to meditate on Orthodox soteriology, ecclesiology and
eschatology from a missionary perspective39.
The eschatological perspective makes it easy to understand which is
the ultimate goal of mission. It’s exactly the fulfillment of the divine will
that all creation to take part in the glory of God (Isaiah 66:18, Romans
8:17, 9:23, I Peter 5:10, I Corinthians 2:7), to grow “from glory to glory”
(II Corinthians 3:18). To note is that this process of sanctification begins
in this life – we live between “already” and “not yet”. In other words, the
eschatological dimension defines all creation, for God must be “all in all”
(I Corinthians 15:28).
38
Ibidem, pp. 101-102. From here comes the importance of culture in the pro-
clamation of the Gospel. Even preaching the Christian message was done in parallel
with the transmission of new creations and cultural structures: “Spreading the Gospel,
the Byzantines were interested to immediately transmit along with it the creations and
cultural structures they have developed by then due to evangelical inspiration. They gave
all their best in art, painting, music, architecture. They sent over all the best artists, they
helped to the construction of churches unsurpassed in beauty, as symbols of God’s glory.
They cultivated artistic sensitivity, the sense of beauty, which transfigures the world”.
However, there has not been a substitution of one culture to another, supposed superior.
When Church missionaries met a new culture, they not only offered their own culture,
but also made a selection: they accepted the elements that were in harmony with the
message of the Gospel, they rejected those that were incompatible with it and, finally,
only after that they made “the transfusion with a new blood, a new spirit, making it bring
forth all that is positive”. See Ibidem, pp. 108-112.
39
Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way, p. 41.
71
The final goal of the mission necessarily implies the existence of im-
mediate purposes, forerunner, but which are not in contradiction with
the ultimate goal. Taking into account the fact that the participation in
the divine glory is taking place now, the following steps are due to be
fulfilled: 1) preaching the gospel, as beginning of the transfiguration in-
augurated by the “light of Christ’ glory gospel” (II Corinthians 4:4). It is
a synergetic work between the grace of the Holy Spirit and the personal
participation in this rescue40. 2) Establishing “local Churches”. According
to Orthodox tradition and theology, the Church is called to glorify God in
every country with its own voice: “In the unity of the Church is diversity
in the Holy Spirit. This is the ecclesiological meaning of the Pentecost”41.
3) Incorporation into Christ must be understood as a starting point of an
active participation in the work of God: “the doxology of the redeemed
must echo beyond our own community and fill the whole universe”42. Liv-
ing in the transition period of “not yet” (I John 3:2) means to anticipate
the eschatological times (I Peter 4:13 and 5:4); is an anticipation that has
nothing to do with social passivity that characterizes certain Pietist trends;
on the contrary, it is a dynamic foresight, for the eschatological fullness of
time requires our participation: “Our anticipation is thus full of courage
and peace before any actual problem”43. It is the same cooperation “in the
Holy Spirit” for the sanctification of all creatures, for their recapitulation
in Christ and “the access” to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). We are “co-
workers” of God in the development of unity, peace and love that charac-
terizes His plan. All our work in the world is the development of virtual-
ity planted in the divine plan; they must become visible in education, in
the work of civilization and social progress. In the text in Acts 17:30 the
adverb “now” suggests the stringency of the missionary work, the need to
open to the world, because it is a “mission field”44.
40
If you have access to this new reality by Baptism (see Mark 16:16), The Sacra-
ment of the Holy Eucharist remains the center, the peak of union in Christ “until His
coming” (I Corinthians 11:26), which creates the visible unity of the Church. This is
why the ecclesial reality is a divine-human reality (theandric). See Ibidem, p. 52.
41
Ibidem, p. 53.
42
Ibidem, p. 54.
43
Ibidem, p. 55.
44
Ibidem, pp. 58-59. And between present and future there is no antagonism, but
complementarity: “... When the missionary contemplates the end, the goal of history,
72
For every Christian attending mission is an existential command that

extends over the entire ecclesial community, for the Church is the “Body
of Christ” (Ephesians 1:23). A Church without mission is a contradiction
in terms. Church was sent, as Christ (Luke 4:18, John 17:18), to continue
His work. The manifestation of the missionary dimension is linked to the
catholic dimension of the Church, as the attribute of apostolicity rejects
any definition of a static Church. All sacramental life of the Church aims
to constantly extend the doxology of God. The ecclesial community shares
in the rays of the Resurrection, therefore the liturgical life of the Church
seeks the transmission to the world of the word and divine grace45.
In an interview published under the title Understanding Orthodoxy:
How to Distinguish True Mission from Proselytism46, Anastasios Yannoulatos
attempts to answer from an Orthodox perspective to this difficult but ex-
tremely current issue. He shows that proselytizing uses all possible means
(gifts, food, money and other privileges) to achieve its purpose, ie to re-
cruit members for a certain community. This is contrary to human dignity
and the Gospel, not being something sincere. “And what is not honest,
both in purpose and means used, can not be Orthodox”. Making proselyt-
ism is to use means other than the Gospel to win followers. The Orthodox
Martyria must be a free testimony of what we are and have. We share the
gift we possess: if others accept it, it’s great, if not, it’s their responsibility.
Then another question arises: Is our mission to convert anyone to
Orthodoxy? Archbishop A. Yannoulatos responds that the Orthodox mis-
sion is to give the treasure that we have, while leaving the other to decide
whether receives it or not. If the other decides to come to Orthodoxy, we
must never say: “No”. Our goal is to transmit the evangelical tradition in
all its fullness. On the other hand, we can not impose on anyone over his/
her freedom. “We are here, giving our testimony; we are the candle, illu-
the recapitulation of all things in Christ, to the glory of God the Father, he feels an
internal necessity, spontaneous, to coincide the plan of his life with the divine plan, to
turn to Him, praising the Lord and being a living doxology to Him. With the eyes fixed
on the eschaton, Orthodoxy maintains its vigor and demonstrates its particular power to
mission”. See Ibidem, p. 61.
45
Cf. Ibidem, pp. 61-64.
46
See Idem, Understanding Orthodoxy: How to distinguish true mission from prosely-
tism, in Syndesmos News 15 (Winter 2001-Spring 2002), no. 2, pp. 11-13.
73
minating with the happiness of Easter, and if another wants to take light
from us, then of course we will not deny this”.
After showing that the difficulty of the mission is not about the wealth
or poverty status of the country in which operates the missionary, as well
as the fact that the mission in Africa seemed easier than the one held in
Albania, the interviewee also emphasizes two aspects: firstly, he rejects the
opinion that the missionary work would be reserved exclusively for the
clergy or monks – in his own way, each member of the Church is respon-
sible for the whole community and the whole church work, and therefore
each member must not evade the missionary effort. Then he mentions
who is our “enemy” and “neighbor”. For the mission to be successful the
missionary has to have respect for the culture and traditions of those to
whom he addresses the Gospel. Example Africa is suggestive: there are no
“primitives” and Orthodoxy is not just about what we mean by that, it is
not limited to how we, the Europeans, received the Christian message.
Being open to others means to respect and love them – and then another
difficult question arises: “Loving the enemy” refers to love the one who is
the enemy of the other’s faith?
Again the answer provided by A. Yannoulatos is disarming: when
Christ speaks of enemies, He talks about people. This does not mean of
course that we must accept the theory or the lifestyle of our enemies – and
that does not mean we do not love them. We respect the person; we respect
all ideas or beliefs. When we talk about love, we talk about love for people,
not for other religious systems. Therefore we must respect our enemy, as he
or she is, but we must not accept or copy his/ her ideas or behavior.
Finally, in the interview recalled a final delicate issue is addressed:
those who did not know Christ, but they are true believers of their own
beliefs, can be saved, (like pious Muslims)? Or, in other words, are these
“believers” in authentic relationship with God? The answer takes to the
divine providential work that takes into account the whole world and all
people. To what degree is present, however, we do not know, just as we
do not know who is going to be redeemed on the Last Judgement. In
any case, Christians should abstain from judging themselves before the
Second Coming; this is not the purpose of their presence in the world.
Their responsibility aims the prayer and witness of the true God that can
be authentic only if they are committed in a state of humility. The Ortho-
74
dox vision must be thus ubiquitous47, not “partial” or sectarian. Christians

have the mission to give testimony to other religions; human history shows
that religions, in their capacity as socio-spiritual realities, were the factors
of unity for humanity, but also of separation.
Conclusions
Summarizing the main contributions made by Archbishop Anastasios
Yannoulatos to relaunching the missionary theology today, we find a vigor-
ous vision on pastoral and missionary work of the Orthodox Church with
the main following points:
In relation to other religions, Orthodoxy must promote the dialogue
and not fanaticism or isolation. This opening does not mean syncretism or
relativism – abandoning fundamental teachings of faith or mixing them
with other.
The tendency of today’s world is a global one. Apparently the unity of
humanity is greater than ever, but we are dealing with a temptation: this
unit is more an external one. That is why Orthodoxy’s mission is to pro-
mote its universal, ecclesial-communautaire dimension, as Body of Christ
and icon of the Holy Trinity.
From the same perspective should be seen the extremely topical issue
of human rights. A fundamental question for everyone is how to not be re-
stricted only to the development and perfection of his/ her personality, but
to create a communion with other human beings and with the supreme
Reality. Only within this movement, it is conceivable the real fulfillment
of human personality (fulfillment that requires personal asceticism and
appropriate action to the outside, to God, others and the environment).
The Gospel and culture are not presented in a relationship of op-
position. The main task of theology is how to express eternity in the new
conditions of existence, how to create a dialogue between the message of
revelation and the new modern sciences: medicine, anthropology, sociol-
ogy, psychology and psychotherapy.
47
In the prologue of the book Ortodoxia şi problemele lumii contemporane (Ortho-
doxy and the Contemporary World Issues), pp. 11 and 13, A. Yannoulatos stresses that the
problems we are facing today aim the entire humanity. The importance of the Church in
today’s world comes from the fact that “the universality of our Church is the diachronic
response towards the new global circumstances that are in progress”.
75
The characteristic features of the Orthodox mission are exposed tak-

ing into account two aspects: 1) the Orthodox mission is not proselytism
and 2) It extracts the attributes from the very ethos of the Church. The
external mission is as necessary as the internal mission. Its goals remain
valid for the Church today as well as for the apostolic and patristic era:
preaching the gospel, as beginning of the transfiguration inaugurated by
“the light of Christ’s glory Gospel” (II Corinthians 4:4); establishing “lo-
cal churches” with sincere respect for the identity of each people: language
and habits; finally incorporation into Christ as the starting point for active
participation in the work of God.
As we mentioned in our review published in Theological Magazine
XXI (2011), no. 3, pp. 208-211, to the book Mission in Christ’s Way, in the
case of Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos we deal, in our opinion, with
the most representative missionary Orthodox theologian of the second
half of the twentieth century and early twenty-first century. The value of
his work can not be understood apart from what Yannoulatos even himself
emphasized: that “the mission is inseparable from the true nature of the
Church” – and all its practical and didactic achievements were made in the
service of this goal, to promote unceasingly mission as witness (martyria)
of the Church (see Acts 1:8) “until the end of the world” – and that there
is an inextricable link between witness-liturgical service-theology as a trip-
tych of true Orthodox mission to the world. The characterization made
by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is therefore entirely accurate;
he talks about the vital role that Anastasios Yannoulatos had and has in
“reviving and regenerating, during our times, of the missionary service and
practice, as the most essential act and the most obligatory expression of the
self-awareness of the Church towards those created by God, brothers and
sisters outside faith, living on all continents of our planet”48.
48
Introductory Letter of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartolomew, in A.
Yannoulatos, Mission in Christ’s Way, p. xiii.
76
La contribution de làrchevêque Anastasios Yannoulatos
au développement de la théologie missionnaire orthodoxe
Introduction
Concernant la contribution de làrchevêque Anastasios Yannoulatos
au développement de la mission orthodoxe, nous devons avoir en vue deux
paliers: dàbord, lèxpérience personnelle dans le domaine du service mis-
sionnaire et ensuite son activité intense comme publiciste, activité destinée
Jésus à éveiller de la léthargie dans laquelle se trouvait la missiologie or-
thodoxe de la première moitié du XX-e siècle tant du point de vue interne
qu’externe.
Làctivité missionnaire de Anastasios Yannoulatos comprend plu-
sieurs éléments essentiels dont nous énumérons::
• comme théologien laïque, (1954-1960), il a travaillé comme
prêcheur et catéchiste à la Haute Ecole de catéchistes Saint
Constantin d` Omonia; comme leader responsable pour les
cercles estudiantins, les groupes d`études bibliques, les sémi-
naires pour la formation des dirigeants des „jeunes églises”,
comme leader des étudiants et des jeunes du mouvement chré-
tien „Zoe” . Comme presbytère, pendant ses études doctorales
en Allemagne (1965-1969), il sèst occupé des étudiants et des
immigrants grecs de là -bas.
• il a joué un rôle de pionnier dans la relance de lìntérêt pour
la Mission étrangère orthodoxe (à partir de 1958). Il a travail-
lé comme secrétaire général du centre missionnaire inter-or-
thodoxe Porefthendes (à partir de 1961). Il a été membre du
comité international pour les Etudes missionnaires de CEB (
de 1963 à 1969), Secrétaire pour relations et recherches mis-
sionnaires des Eglises orthodoxes de CEB (Génève, de 1969
77
a 1971), Modérateur du Comité Mondial pour Mission et

Evangélisation de San Antonio, Texas (à partir de 1989). Il
est membre de la Société Allemande pour la Mission et de
la Société Internationale pour les Etudes Missionnaires. Il a
organisé et dirigé le Centre pour les Etudes Missionnaires de
lÙniversité dÀthènes ( de 1971 à 1976) et le Centre Inter
orthodoxe dÀthènes pour lÈglise grecque ( de 1971 à 1975).
Comme directeur général de lÀssociation Apostoliki Diaco-
nia , il a promu plusieurs projets éducationnels et journalis-
tiques au sein de lÈglise, surtout dans le secteur pour mis-
sion à l`étranger avec soutien pour les régions missionnaires
dÀfrique, de la Corée et de lÌnde et dans lòrganisation de la
Semaine pour la Mission à l`étranger.
• après avoir été ordonné prêtre, Anastasios Yannoulatos a voyagé
en Afrique de lÈst (mai 1964). Une attaque sérieuse de malaria
là obligé dèn retourner en Europe. Malgré les conseils des
médecins, il a visité plusieurs fois lÀfrique (en 1967, 1968,
1974 et 1978) et dans sa qualité de Locum Tenens (1981-
1990) de la métropolie d’Eirenoupoleos (à lèst de l` Afrique:
au Kenya, en Ouganda, en Tanzanie) a dirigé lòrganisation
missionnaire orthodoxe. Entre autres, il a aussi fondé lÈ-
cole éparchiale « LÀrchevêque Macarie III de Chypre » quìl
a conduite pendant 10 ans. Il a ordonné 62 prêtres africains,
dont le premier en Tanzanie, et il a béni 42 catéchistes pour 8
tribus africaines. En même temps, il a soutenu la traduction de
la Sainte Liturgie en quatre langues africaines; il a travaillé pour
l`établissement de 150 paroisses orthodoxes et il sèst impliqué
dans la construction de quelques dizaines d`églises; il a dressé
sept points missionnaires et a contribué à créer des écoles et des
cliniques médicales.
• comme Archevêque de lÀlbanie (à partir de 1992 et jusqu` à
présent), dans des conditions extrêmement difficiles, il a eu une
contribution décisive dans la reconstruction et la renaissance
de lÈglise Orthodoxe Autocéphale de lÀlbanie qui avait été
supprimée 23 ans avant. Après làvènement des communistes
78
en 1944 et lìnstallation au pouvoir du dictateur Enver Hox-

ha, lÈglise Orthodoxe dÀlbanie est devenue la victime des
répressions: en 1949 làrchevêque Kristofor Kisis a été arrêté, et
à partir de 1945 la pression politique contre l`église orthodoxe
sèst intensifiée. Les bâtiments des églises ont été fermés par les
autorités communistes, qui ont également interdit les services
divins et la célébration de la sainte messe; les prêtres ont été
emprisonnés. Le comble en a été la proclamation de lÀlbanie
comme Etat athée en 1967 ( les institutions ecclésiales avaient
déjà été détruites par la poursuite communiste.). Alors certaines
églises furent fermées, et les derniers prêtres qui nàvaient pas
encore été arrêtés ont été mis en prison, la plupart dans la pri-
son de Borshussur au bord de la Mer Ionienne. Toute activité
religieuse a été déclarée illégale. Les persécutions nònt pris fin
qu` à lèffondrement du régime communiste dÀlbanie en au-
tomne 1990.
Le renouveau de lÈglise Orthodoxe dÀlbanie-une vraie renaissance
matérielle et spirituelle- a commencé par làvènement d’Anastasios Yan-
noulatos, làrchevêque orthodoxe grec de Nairobi, en juillet 1991. ( A la
même année, l`évêque a été nommé et installé archevêque dÀlbanie par
le Synode du Patriarcat oecuménique de Constantinople, avec làccord du
clergé albanais. Parmi ses réalisations, on pourrait rappeler: les plus de 400
paroisses organisées, la création de l’Académie de théologie orthodoxe”La
Résurrection de Jésus”, la formation et lòrdination en tant que prêtres de
150 clercs, la création dùn orphelinat, dùn centre de soutien des ado-
lescents, la fondation de 3 écoles élémentaires et de 17 écoles dàssistants
médicaux. A ceci, on ajoute encore deux lycées confessionnaux, un lycée
technique, 2 instituts de formation professionnelle et lÙniversité Logos,
tout comme une cinquantaine de centres de jeunesse dans de différentes
villes. Il a dirigé les efforts de traduction de livres liturgiques en albanais.
Il a construit 150 de nouvelles églises, a restauré 60 églises anciennes qui
avaient été détruites pendant le régime communiste athée. De même, il a
dressé 45 centres ecclésiaux, en promouvant aussi la construction de routes,
dàqueducs, de ponts, de cliniques ou d’écoles. Il a intensément développé
làctivité de charité de lÈglise par la distribution de centaines de tonnes
de nourriture, vêtements et médicaments. Il a aidé à la publication de re-
79
vues et de journaux; il a organisé une typographie, une fabrique de cierges,

un studio iconographique de peinture et de restauration d’icônes. En fin
de compte, lùne des contributions les plus importantes de lÀrchevêque
Yannoulatos a été làpaisement des tensions inter-ethniques et inter-reli-
gieuses de ce „tonneau de poudre” représenté par les Balkans. Dans cette
qualité, sur la proposition de 33 membres de lÀcadémie dÀthènes et de
plusieurs personnalités dÀlbanie, il a été nominalisé pour le Prix Nobel
pour la paix.
LÀrchevêque Anastasios Yannoulatos a publié un nombre impres-
sionnant de travaux de spécialité dans le domaine de la missiologie, ses
livres, études et articles étant traduits dans plusieurs langues étrangères:
lànglais, le français, làllemand, le suédois, le finlandais, làlbanais, le
russe, le serbe, le bulgare, lèspagnol, etc. Parmi ses livres, nous rappelons:
Les Esprits M’ban’dua et leur culte (1970), Le Seigneur de lumière, le Dieu
des tribus de la montagne Kenya (1971), Various Christian Approaches to the
Other Religions (1971) et lÌslam. Approche dans la perspective de l`histoire
des religions. (1975). Répandus dans plusieurs ouvrages collectifs et revues,
les études et les articles écrits par làrchevêque Yannoulatos seraient diffi-
cile à trouver sìls nàvaient pas été réunis en deux volumes, dont lùn a
même été traduit en roumain. Nous souhaiterions aussi en voir paraître
bientôt le deuxième volume: Facing the the World: Orthodox Christian Es-
says on Global Concerns1 și Mission in Christ’s Way. An Orthodox Understan-
ding of Mission2.
Nous nous proposons par la suite dèxposer, de manière synthé-
tique, les principaux thèmes théologiques quìl a abordés (dont certains
de grande actualité) : en se référant surtout aux deux livres collectifs (que
nous avons citées ci-dessus): le rapport du christianisme avec les autres
religions (spécialement lÌslam), la globalisation et l’universalité ecclésiale,
lÒrthodoxie et les droits de l`homme, lÈvangile et la culture et les traits
caractéristiques de la mission orthodoxe.
1
A. Yannoulatos, Ortodoxia şi problemele lumii contemporane, LÒrthodoxie et les
problemes du monde contemporain trad. par Gabriel Mândrilă et Constantin Coman, Ed.
Bizantină, Bucureşti, 2003.
2
Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way. An Orthodox Understanding of Mission (a voir la
supranote 1). Ici, a la p. 293, est annonce aussi comme etant en cours de traduction et
de publication a la maison dèdition Editura Bizantină de București, le livre sur l` Islam.
80
Le rapport du christianisme avec les autres religions (spéciale-

ment lÌslam)
LÀrchevêque Yannoulatos reconnaît que làction missionnaire de
lÈglise Orthodoxe dans les régions non chrétiennes reste très limitée. La
cause principale en est la faible prise de conscience de la dimension ca-
tholique et apostolique de lÈglise au détriment du nationalisme excessif
des églises locales. Cèst un syndrome qui inhibe la mission orthodoxe:
oubliant que nulle unité sociale ne peut vivre en isolement, les Eglises or-
thodoxes pratiquent la mission plutôt comme exception et non pas comme
règle générale.
Pour réglementer cette situation, il convient que „nous arrêtions de
généraliser, de simplifier et dèmbellir les faits. Il sìmpose une sobriété et
une étude équilibrée du passé. Sûrement, cela non pour juger ou condam-
ner quelquùn, mais pour trouver la voie juste de projeter làvenir avec
un sens du devoir, de la responsabilité, avec sérieux dans la définition du
but et en accord avec nos propres possibilités.”3. Si la mission a pour but
principal lùnion des incroyants avec l`église- cèst à dire de ceux qui sont
devenus indifférents ou hostiles par rapport à la foi, de ceux qui nient, en
théorie ou en pratique, les enseignements ou les principes de la foi- il sìm-
pose de notre part non pas une attitude dàntipathie ou de conflit, mais
un effort de compréhension de la langue, des problèmes, des réserves, des
tentations, des doutes, des péchés et même de l’hostilité de ceux-ci. Toutes
ces barrières peuvent finalement être dépassées par la force de la vérité, de
la prière et de làmour.4.
Mais Anastasios Yannoulatos attire làttention sur la difficulté de la
rencontre du christianisme avec les autres religions. De la sorte, il dénonce
lòptimisme exagéré conformément auquel les religions elles-mêmes de-
vraient se convertir maintenant en Christ”, tout comme la perspective que
ces religions seraient des systèmes fermés, définitivement établis dans cer-
tains cadres. Mais les grandes religions du monde sont des systèmes com-
plexes présentant des structures et des conditions qui rendent très difficile
lèspoir de la „découverte” du Christ en elles-mêmes. Dòù la nécessité
pour les Roumains orthodoxes de faire de leur mieux pour relever leur
3
Ibidem, p. 209.
4
Ibidem, p. 210.
81
ethos liturgique et ascétique qui, sur certains points, se plie sur lèxpé-
rience du monde asiatique5.
On ne peut pratiquer la mission que respectueusement et en promou-
vant le dialogue du christianisme avec les autres religions : „ Le dialogue
appartient à la tradition de lÈglise et a servi comme facteur de motiva-
tion dans l`épanouissement de la théologie chrétienne. Une grande partie
de la théologie patristique est le fruit du dialogue direct ou indirect avec
làncien monde hellénistique, avec ses courants religieux.”6. Même dans
le monde actuel, de plus en plus apparemment non-chretien, il sìmpose
de comprendre de manière chrétienne les droits de l`homme et ses réali-
sations sur le plan scientifique, économique et culturel. Il est hors de tout
doute que lÒrthodoxie est ouverte au dialogue. Mais cette ouverture ne
devrait point être superficielle, cèst à dire conduire à la relativisation ou à
làbandon des enseignements chrétiens essentiels. Dans le témoignage di-
rect envers le monde, les chrétiens doivent avoir comme modèle Saint Paul
qui a eu un dialogue avec les athéniens dans lÀréopage. (F. Ap. Chap. 17.)
Mais au centre de son sermon a été lÈvangile, la signification particulière
de la personne et de làction du Christ. Certainement, la vision chrétienne
a représenté une révision radicale et un scandale pour la philosophie hel-
lénique et il est également possible quèlle soit envisagée de la même ma-
nière par les chrétiens de nos jours. Mais il ne faut cependant pas que ce
fait devienne une raison pour que lÈglise renonce à sa mission.
Dans la perspective de l`histoire des religions, le missionnarisme chré-
tien doit avoir toujours en vue trois aspects: 1) d`éviter la tentation de la
généralisation et des extrémismes. Autrement, on peut arriver à ces deux
extrêmes et ce nèst pas par hasard quòn a abouti dans le passé soit à
croire que toutes les religions sont absolument mauvaises, démoniaques,
5
Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way, p. 109-110. Anastasios Yannoulatos affirme:
„Quand jài voyage en Thailande, au Ceylon, en Corree et au Japon, jài senti que pas
mal des elements de la religion boudhiste populaire etaient tres proches de notre expres-
sion devotionnelle, meme si leur base theorique soit totalement differente.” Encore plus
complexe est le cas de la Chine, ou le communisme athe a detruit la structure patriar-
chale sacree dans la famille et dans la societe.Ici le message du „Royaume” sera dùne im-
portance vitale pour cette immense population qui a toujours vecu avec la vision dùne
harmonie cosmique ou l`homme est mediateur entre la terre et le ciel.
6
Ibidem, p. 225.
82
soit quèlles sont toutes semblables, soit quòn pouvait généraliser ce

quòn savait sur lùne dèlles à toutes les autres. La position actuelle doit
être beaucoup plus équilibrée7. 2) l`évolution double des religions, descen-
dante et ascendante à la fois. Dòù le rapport dual du christianisme avec
les autres religions: dùne part, dàcceptation et de réception positive des
bons éléments, dàutre part, de rejet critique des éléments mauvais, nocifs
même pour l`homme contemporain. 3) La perception correcte des reli-
gions comme unités organiques, en évolution continue. Elles contiennent
un dynamisme intrinsèque, et le missionnaire chrétien doit éviter les cli-
chés idéologiques ou les „estimations erronées”.
Làpport essentiel des religions est un aspect qui découle de manière
logique de trois autres aspects. Les religions sont importantes pour la bonne
raison quèlles révèlent à l`homme contemporain, marqué par lìdéologie
séculaire, lèxistence de l`élément transcendental de lèxistence: malgré la
réponse différente aux grands problèmes de la douleur, de la mort ou du
sens de la vie, les différentes religions font que plus de 70% de la popula-
tion du monde adopte encore une certaine conviction religieuse, acceptant
donc la possibilité dùne existence extramundane, dans le sens dàu delà
du quotidien et du monde sensible.
La collaboration du christianisme orthodoxe avec les autres confes-
sions chrétiennes et avec dàutres religions est donc une nécessité urgente
de nos jours, spécialement par le fait de dépasser certains préjugés et ten-
sions. Un cas concret de dialogue avec dàutres religions a été celui de
làrch. Yannoulatos avec lÌslam– une relation extrêmement difficile et qui
impose une attitude nuancée. La difficulté de ce dialogue est donnée aussi
par un fait paradoxal: lÌslam et le communisme constituent deux systèmes
en essence radicalement hérétiques de lÒrthodoxie de lÈst: „l’Islam a
adopté, de manière fragmentaire, des éléments du christianisme ortho-
doxe, en les altérant et les distordant, tandis que lìdéologie socialiste de
Lénine a repris quelques autres caractéristiques de la mentalité orthodoxe
russe, telles que lìdéal héroïque de la lutte et la vision eschatologique de
la fraternité humaine.”8.
Dans le rapport du monde byzantin avec lÌslam on identifie trois
phases distinctes: 1) Une première phase (du milieu du VIII-e siècle au mi-
7
Idem, Ortodoxia şi problemele lumii contemporane, p. 166.
8
Vezi Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way, p. 200.
83
lieu du IX-e siècle) est l’une „persiflante et sousestimative”, l’Islam étant vu

exclusivement comme „hérésie chrétienne” (à voir Saint Jean Damascène);
2) la deuxième phase (du milieu du IX-e siècle au milieu du XIV-e) est une
phase plus offensive, de différents textes sur lÌslam essayant de démontrer
le caractère „incohérent” de celle-ci (à voir Samona de Gaza, Eftimie Ziga-
ben, Nichita Choniate, Bartholomeu de Edessa et surtout Nichita le By-
zantin); 3) la troisième phase (du milieu du XIV-e siècle au milieu du XV-
e) se distingue par le „calme et lòbjectivité”. Maintenant prennent part
à un dialogue de plus en plus ouvert des personnalités comme Grégoire
Palama, Josèphe Vriennios, Jean VI Cantacuzène ou Emmanuel II le Pa-
léologue9. Cèst une étape quòn pourrait considérer exemplaire aussi pour
la relation actuelle des chrétiens avec les musulmans: par exemple, Saint
Grégoire Palama contredit certains enseignements qui sont en contradic-
tion avec les dogmes chrétiens, mais, à la durée de tout le dialogue, il fait
un effort spécial de „ne pas blesser la sensibilité religieuse de ses interlo-
cuteurs”. Ainsi, „ bien quòn nàboutisse pas à un accord, on garde une
atmosphère de respect et dàppréciation réciproque”10.
En tenant compte surtout de la quatrième phase (du milieu du XV-e
siècle au milieu du XIX-e), celle du monopole islamique, du silence et de la
résistance des chrétiens, une phase marquée non seulement par lìsolement
et le manque dòuverture, mais aussi par de dures expériences– on devrait
redécouvrir et promouvoir cette atmosphère de respect et dàppréciation
réciproque, promotrice du dialogue objectif et sincère. Par conséquent, on
doit saluer lìntensification du dialogue chrétieno-musulman, car actuelle-
ment lèxpérience orthodoxe dans le dialogue avec lÌslam – est une preuve
que ce dernier ne constitue pas un système culturel et religieux démo-
niaque, funeste, caractérisé uniquement par des facteurs négatifs pour le
monde actuel en général et pour les chrétiens en particulier. Au contraire,
„il est évident que la tradition et l`héritage musulman rapprochent les
chrétiens de lÈst du monde musulman, avec lequel ils ont vécu ensemble
au long de tant de siècles. Malgré les profondes différences théologiques et
les heurts dramatiques passés nous évoluons dans pas mal dàspects sur un
terrain culturel commun”11.
9
Vezi Idem, Ortodoxia şi problemele lumii contemporane, p. 127-129.
10
Ibidem, p. 133.
11
Ibidem, p. 144.
84
Il semble que le plus important héritage que les orthodoxes pour-

raient valoriser dans le dialogue avec les Musulmans serait représenté par le
dépassement de lèsprit des croisades, des manifestations violentes, par la
mise en évidence de la grandeur martyrique quìls ont prouvée dans leur
passé commun12. Cèst un „dialogue de vie ” auquel lÀrch. A. Yannoula-
tos offre, à juste titre, une grande valeur, parce quìl exprime expérimenta-
lement certaines convictions et valeurs chrétiennes: làmour tout-puissant
de Dieu Père, lìmportance et la validité dàutres „testaments” à part celui
de Dieu-Père fait à Dieu-Fils, làppréciation de tout être humain, làmour
global qui implique le respect de la liberté de làutre13.
Globalisation et universalité ecclésiale
Le rapport entre universalité et particularité représente un sujet au-
quel lÀrch. Anastasios Yannoulatos a accordé une très grande attention,
comme réponse véritable, du point de vue chrétien orthodoxe, à la ten-
dance croissante du monde actuel vers la mondialisation-sans que celle-
ci soit quand même pas synonyme de lùnion réelle entre les humains.
Cèst justement par besoin urgent que cette union réelle entre les gens doit
être réalisée,”une acceptation, dépourvue de discernement, de la tendance
au nivellement de tous dans un internationalisme uniforme, ou plutôt
amorphe, pour la seule raison quìl est à la mode, ignorant l`héritage et le
spécifique national, sera tout aussi inacceptable”14.
Il y a deux idées interdépendantes: 1) légalité ne signifie pas identité
2) l`égalité nànnule pas, mais suppose làuthenticité. „Tout en accentuant
lùniversel, nous sommes obligés à souligner également lìmportance du
particulier.”15. Se référant au thème de la communion en l’amour des per-
sonnes libres et égales, dàprès le modèle de la Trinité, làrch.. Yannoulatos
remarque la valeur de la vision chrétienne sur la personne et sur la nature
humaine ; cette vision a pour caractéristique l`équilibre du rapport entre
les deux éléments : tout comme Jésus Christ a accordé un „intérêt thé-
rapeutique” aux gens concrets, l`Église a vu dans tout fidèle une cellule
vivante de son corps, et non pas une particule dùne masse. Insistant donc
12
Ibidem, p. 147.
13
Vezi Ibidem, p. 149-150.
14
Ibidem, p. 44-45.
15
Ibidem, p. 45.
85
sur la distinction entre la nature humaine unitaire et les hypostases hu-

maines concrètes (les personnes), lÈglise a souligné lùnité organique des
croyants. Et de nouveau le modèle suprême en est la Trinité: „Le dogme
central de la Trinité reflète la coexistence harmonieuse de lùnitaire et du
particulier, la relation entre lùn et le multiple”16.
La contribution décisive du Christianisme consiste donc justement
dans la découverte de la personne et de lìmpératif de lìntégration de
celle-ci dans une communauté de làmour.17. Même si ces principes chré-
tiens comme la Croix, la Résurrection, la Trinité peuvent scandaliser les
gens qui partagent dàutres religions, ils „représentent la puissance secrète
(s.n.) par laquelle nous vainquons notre égoïsme et nous réussissons dans
l`épreuve laborieuse de réalisation dùne communauté dàmour”18.
Le fondement de lànthropologie chrétienne est la conviction confor-
mément à laquelle „quand Dieu a créé l`homme (Adam), il là fait dàprès
Son image”. Toute vision biblique ultérieure de l`humanité est construite
sur ce fondement. Le Nouveau Testament insiste que les êtres humains
représentent la création de Dieu (Mt. 19, 4; F. Ap. 17, 28), faits dàprès
son image (Col. 3, 10) et sa ressemblance (Iac. 3, 9). Dieu se découvre non
seulement comme Etre Suprême, mais aussi comme Dieu personnel. Une
existence dùn être unique et une communion des personnes, une unité
en trinité et une trinité en unité; une koinonia agapes parfaite (communion
de làmour). „La Ressemblance est offerte à l`humanité comme une pos-
sibilité, et non comme un fait accompli. Elle sera finalement réalisée par
làction du Saint Esprit.
L`humanité, dans son ensemble, descend du couple humain créé par
Dieu et, soutient Yannoulatos, si la pensée occidentale a mis làccent sur
lèsprit, l’intelligence et la volonté, comme traits proéminents de lìmage
de Dieu, la théologie orientale a mis un plus grand accent sur la liberté et
làmour, utilisant comme point de référence làmour et la communion en
liberté et en harmonie des Personnes de la Trinité19.
16
Ibidem, p. 45 nota 22.
17
Ibidem, p. 25.
18
Ibidem, p. 26-27.
19
Idem, „Ortodoxia Răsăriteană și drepturile omului”LÒrthodoxie Orientale et
les droits de l`homme.Paradigmes, fondements, implications, în Nicolae Răzvan Stan
(editor), Biserica Ortodoxă și drepturile omului: Paradigme, fundamente, implicații, Editu-
ra Universul Juridic, București, 2010, p. 69-70.
86
Un deuxième principe fondamental de lànthropologie chrétienne, en

étroit rapport avec le premier, est la conviction conformément à laquelle
Dieu est non seulement le Créateur, mais aussi le Père de l`humanité en-
tière20. Cette idée est fréquemment soulignée dans le Nouveau Testament
(par exemple, Mt. 6, 9, 23, 9, ou Rom. 1, 7), étant en rapport avec la
conviction que toutes les personnes, sans exception, sont les enfants de
Dieu et, par conséquent, ils sont frères et sœurs.
Ce nèst pas seulement le fait dàvoir une origine commune qui lie
les êtres humains à lìntérieur dùne famille, mais aussi leur destin. Le but
de leur existence, conformément à la foi et à la conscience orthodoxe- est
dàctualiser, par la grâce de Dieu, le don offert par Dieu et de faire des
progrès dans le sens de réaliser la ressemblance avec Dieu, autrement dit,
de s`élever au-dessus de la simple coexistence biologique vers une commu-
nion authentique des personnes, en harmonie avec tous les êtres et avec
toute la création dans làmour altruiste, selon le modèle de la trinité qui
est le suprême koinonia agapes21.
Pour compléter lòrigine et le but commun, il y a encore un troisième
élément commun à toute l`humanité, cèst à dire que toutes les personnes
partagent la même aventure et la même responsabilité. Depuis le début de
l`histoire de l`humanité, les êtres humains, au lieu de choisir de se diriger
vers le Dieu de la Trinité et dàccomplir le but de leur existence par la par-
ticipation à la koinonia agapes des personnes divines, ont choisi de garder
leur moi individualisé, en rejetant làmour de Dieu, et en commençant la
recherche de „l’état divin” selon leurs propres critères et en concordance
avec les instigations du diable („et vous serez comme Dieu”, Fac. 3, 5).
Cette aventure humaine est mise en rapport avec la liberté essentielle,
car l`humanité est douée de cette liberté. Nous avons été libres même de
refuser cet amour altruiste, nous làvons même refusé pour la seule raison
dàvoir accepté les chaînes de làmour égoïste de nous-mêmes.22. Mais, en
dépit de cet exil, l`humanité maintient son identité et l`héritage de lòri-
gine divine, tout comme la nostalgie des commencements divins.23.Plus
encore, après lÌncarnation de Dieu, la présence du Logos dans l`histoire
20
Ibidem, p. 70.
21
Ibidem, p. 70.
22
Ibidem, p. 70-71.
23
Ibidem, p. 71.
87
et dans l`humanité instaure un nouveau pouvoir pour la purification du

visage de Dieu et pour la restauration de la koinonia agapes, pour le rehaus-
sement de la nature humaine homogène à lèxistence bénite en l’amour de
Dieu de la Trinité24.
Par conséquent, la mission chrétienne dans le monde ne peut pas être
comprise quèn partant de la réalité de la présence et de làction dans le
monde des Personnes de la Trinité, et cette présence suppose tout dàbord
lÈglise. Elle est lòrgane mystique, le Corps du Christ où la „commu-
nion” humaine acquiert un autre ordre et une autre qualité, selon lìmage
iconique de son modèle par excellence, la Trinité. Lùnité humaine tant
désirée, contreposée, comme nous allons voir, à la globalisation extérieure
qui prédomine dans le monde actuel, ne pourra se réaliser qu` à un niveau
intérieur, dans la profondeur de la nature humaine. Cèst ici que Christ
travaille par le Saint-Esprit,cèst ici que lùnité devient vraiment vivante
par la „communion dans làmour”. Cèst en cela que réside le sens de la
synodalité –une qualité de lÈglise qui souligne làttribut de tout membre
de lÈglise d`être une „cellule vivante” du Corps du Christ. Tous les êtres,
comme lènsemble entier, sont appelés à réaliser le propre moi, à dévelop-
per leurs pouvoirs en harmonie avec les autres, dans un amour qui consti-
tue le trait fondamental de l’image de Dieu”25.
La célébration liturgique représente aussi la base de làction générale
de lÈglise. Les chrétiens doivent élargir lÈpiclèse eucharistique à toute
la création et, dans ce sens, la Pentecôte est vécue toujours dans lÈglise
non dans un sens exclusif, mais comme mission pour le monde entier. „La
Pentecôte est le dépassement de la confusion de Babel, elle inaugure une
nouvelle relation de confiance et dàmour entre Dieu et les êtres humains;
une nouvelle possibilité décisive de communion entre Dieu et l`humani-
té.”26. La célébration liturgique et la messe sont connectées à la manière
des phases du procès de respiration: lìnspiration et lèxpiration. Elles
sòrientent vers le monde dans le sens même dùne Sainte Liturgie: „A la
Liturgie officiée dans lÈglise, une nouvelle liturgie commence sur làutel
de pierre de la réalité quotidienne, une liturgie qui doit préoccuper tout
24
Ibidem, p. 71.
25
Ibidem, p. 33-34.
26
Ibidem, p. 149.
88
fidèle.”27. Voilà le sens de la phrase qui a tant de relevance dans làction

oecuménique: la Liturgie après la Liturgie”28.
L’Orthodoxie et les droits de l`homme
Quant à la perspective orthodoxe sur les „droits de l`homme”, nous
voulons souligner làmbiguïté intrinsèque de ce syntagme qui domine le
monde moderne et postmoderne. Les Déclarations des droits de l`homme
en général et la Déclaration Universelle en particulier se réfèrent à la valeur
de la „ personnalité humaine” (préambule), à l`„épanouissement libre et
plénier de la personnalité” (art. 29.). La reconnaissance de lìdée de per-
sonnalité comme principe fondamental dans la création des institutions
politiques et des manifestations sociales de la vie de lìndividu a occasion-
né un long et compliqué processus pour finalement devenir stable dans
lèsprit des gens. Le point de départ a été constitué par la Déclaration de
la Révolution française-instrument par lequel lìndividualisme radical de
la bourgeoisie a essayé de déterminer la forme de tous les secteurs de la vie
sociale : „Cependant, le résultat nèn a pas été la libération si attendue de
lìndividu, mais l’augmentation jusquà des proportions de cauchemar de
làppareil de police de lÈtat et la suppression des demandes et des reven-
dications du peuple. Ce type dìndividualisme radical a été encouragé par
le libéralisme philosophique, qui a engendré un formalisme sans bornes,
séparant la loi de la moralité et de lÈtat. Le principe moral de làutonomie
semblait ignorer les profondeurs de l`être humain et les problèmes essen-
tiels de lèxistence humaine”29.
27
Ibidem, p. 151.
28
Anastasios Yannoulatos apporte quelques eclaircissements en ce qui concerne
„ la definition code” – „Liturghia după Liturghie”. „La Liturgie dàpres la Liturgie”
Cette phrase a connu une large circulation dans le milieu ecuminique, etant liee sourto-
ut au nom du thelogien roumain Ion Bria. Cependant, , Anastasios Yannoulatos attire
làttention que lìdee a ete dàbord lancee par lui a Athenes, dans un sermon adresse aux
membres de lÙnion Chretienne des Hommes de Science, entre autres, il affirmait: „Cet
evenement Acest eveniment (la Sainte Liturgie, n.n.) ne doit pas choire au niveau dùne
emotion instantanee, mais la Liturgie doit etre elargie a la vie de tous les jours.Et toute
notre vie doit etre tranfiguree en liturgie”. A Voir i Ibidem, p. 94-96.
29
Idem, „Ortodoxia Răsăriteană și drepturile omului”, în Nicolae Răzvan Stan
(ed.), Biserica Ortodoxă și drepturile omului: Paradigme, fundamente, implicații, Editura
Universul Juridic, București, 2010, p. 79.
89
Le XX-e siècle, par sa structure pluraliste, en croissance continue de la

société moderne et par la recherche de nouvelles bases de soutien de lÈtat,
de la loi et de l`économie, tend progressivement à percevoir de nouveau
l`être humain comme une existence qui agit par elle-même, comme „ une
personnalité”. Lìdée fondamentale de làutonomie a été dàbord identi-
fiée par l`humanisme avec la notion dìndépendance morale et spirituelle.
Le même fondement a été utilisé aussi par le libéralisme socio-écono-
mique afin de limiter làction et lìntervention de lÈtat. Mais les évène-
ments ont prouvé que celui-ci a été tant incapable de comprendre les vrais
besoins humains que désintéressé totalement là-dessus. Les luttes de classe
du XX-e siècle, tout comme les évènements politiques ont envisagé de
plus en plus la liberté totale de l`humanité, non pas comme idée logique,
mais comme exigence morale. De la sorte, dans les crises multiples de
l`humanité du XX-e siècle, le concept de personnalité sàvère être encore
une fois, le principe central par lequel se réalise l`évolution harmonieuse
de tous les principes individuels de la politique, de l`économie, de la mo-
ralité et de la loi30.
L`humanité sèst retrouvée pendant la première moitié du XX-e siècle
„harcelée et dominée par les deux formes de lòrganisation sociale: la men-
talité capitaliste de lòccident, qui a cultivé lìndividualisme égoïste, et les
différents types de régimes totalitaires, qui impliquent le risque du nivelle-
ment des masses sous la forme dùne dictature (soit de manière visible, soit
de manière cachée) sous le masque de slogans variés ou du messianisme
naïf ”31. Lèffort fait par l`humanisme occidental pour développer une
théorie de l`humanité qui disperserait et remplacerait lìdée chrétienne
a mené à la constitution dùn concept de personne, de morale autonome
ou simplement dùne philosophie humaniste. Mais la personne comme
concept et comme expérience de vie est née et a pris contour à travers la
pensée théologique chrétienne, spécialement celle des parents grecs32.
30
31
Ibidem, p. 80.
32
A voir la maniere de passer en revue, au long de plusieur etapes historiques de
Ibidem, p. 74-79. On identifie quatre periodes distinctes:la periode primaire, marquee
par les persecutions, quand, au prix meme de leur vie, les chretiens ont souligne la va-
leur des personnes humaines et les droits inlienables a la liberte, a la fraternite et a la
dignite, du IV- a la seconde moitie du XV-e siecle, quand le christianisme est devenue
90
Le concept de personne est une notion-clé dans lÒrthodoxie Orien-

tale en ce qui concerne tout problème anthropologique, étant directement
lié à la théologie orthodoxe trinitaire. Conformément à lìnterprétation
orthodoxe, le texte de Genèse I, 26 se réfère aux êtres humains comme
personnes et non pas comme individus. Cette anthropologie diffère radi-
calement du concept d`humanité dàutres systèmes religieux. En général,
beaucoup de systèmes religieux et philosophiques sàrrêtent à l`épanouis-
sement des êtres humains, tandis que le Christianisme apporte la nouveau-
té de làction de Dieu dans l`Histoire, une action continuée dans la vie du
monde et dans la vie de tout être humain par le Saint Esprit33.
Lìdée de „communion” souligne que les droits de tout homme ou de
toute femme sont inséparablement liés à ceux de leurs semblables. Lìn-
terdépendance entre les droits et les obligations est évidente et l`harmonie
devrait s`établir entre les droits individuels et ceux socio-politiques. Cèst
surtout dans une période de pluralisme social, que le respect de la dignité
humaine implique beaucoup plus que la reconnaissance simple des droits
dàutrui. Seul làmour est capable de transformer la société dùne immen-
sité de grains de sable où chacun est introverti et indifférent aux autres, en
un groupe organique de cellules où chacun contribue au développement
de làutre34. Ce ne sont pas que les enfants qui ont le droit d`être aimés
par leurs parents. Toute personne a le „droit” d`être aimée par les autres,
puisque Dieu a donné à chacun le droit à Son amour. Aucune personne ne
peut être véritablement libre sans aimer, car làmour est làccomplissement
religion dÈtatet quand certains empereurs latins ont oublie de respecter la liberte reli-
gieuse et les droits de tous les fideles de l`; de 1453-au milieu du XIX-e siecle, quand,
sous lòccupation musulmane, les chretiens orthodoxes ont subi des abus et le respect de
leurs droits etait synonyme avec lìntegrite phisyque et spirituelle, enfin le XIX-e siecle
a amene la liberation du joug turc et la constitution dÈtats independants, regis par des
Constitutions nationales qui ont pour modele la Proclamation 1821, qui garantissait le
respect des droits de l`homme et proclamait làdhesion aux principes de lègalite et de
la liberte.
33
Et la on peut souligner lùne des plus importantes contributions du christianis-
me a la mentalite de l`homme moderne: la redecouverte par celui-ci dùne communaute
authentique de làmour, dàpres la facon de lìntercommunion trinitaire. A voir Idem,
Ortodoxia și problemele lumii contemporane, p. 24.
34
Idem, „Ortodoxia Răsăriteană și drepturile omului”, in Nicolae Răzvan Stan
(ed.), op. cit., p. 81.
91
de la liberté. ( Comme nous làvons déjà montré, dans lènseignement

orthodoxe de la Trinité, la personne et la société sont harmonieusement
liées– la personne est parfaitement intégrée sans pourtant perdre sa perfec-
tion personnelle ).
Les différentes déclarations des droits de l’homme sont, assurément,
très importants dans lòrganisation de la société, tout comme le rôle
réglementaire de lÈtat. Mais, dans notre société complexe, soutient A.
Yannoulatos, il y a trop de fuites, trop de possibilités de violer les droits
de l`homme – avec ruse ou cynisme.35. Le grand problème cèst la façon
dont les structures légalement intellectuelles des déclarations des droits
de l`homme peuvent devenir des réalités vivantes. Le maximum que peut
faire une „loi” c’est de définir l’infraction, de révéler – dévoiler, confor-
mément à notre terminologie – la nature du péché, sans cependant l`éli-
miner vraiment.
La racine du mal se trouve dans l`égoïsme humain. L` égoïsme trou-
vera toujours une solution dènfreindre la loi au profit de ses intérêts. Cèst
la raison pour laquelle lìntégrité et la conscience personnelle ont une im-
portance cruciale dans la garantie du respect envers les droits d’autrui.
Pour nous assurer que la raison et la volonté sont utilisées de manière cor-
recte, il est nécessaire de purifier nos cœurs. Dans la tradition orthodoxe, le
désidératum de la liberté de la personne humaine est donc orienté vers un
niveau supérieur: làcquisition de la liberté intérieure, qui est une condi-
tion nécessaire pour làcquisition de l`épanouissement et de la paix afin
de permettre à la personnalité humaine de se développer au maximum36.
La quête de ce type de liberté est une caractéristique centrale de la pensée
et de lèxpérience du Christianisme oriental. Cèst ainsi quòn explique
làccent mis sur làscèse, le jeûne, la limitation des besoins. etc.
Làutocontrôle et làscèse sont associés à la conscience que toute per-
sonne est une partie organique du grand tout, celui du monde végétal et
animal, et quèlle nà aucun droit de gaspiller les ressources naturelles à
son confort exclusif . Quand nous parlons des droits de l`homme, nous
pensons uniquement aux gens qui vivent en même temps que nous. Mais
en réalité cèst une erreur, nous devrions nous rappeler également que
l`histoire est toujours en cours de déroulement et que notre génération
35
Ibidem, p. 82.
36
Ibidem, p. 83.
92
sera remplacée par dàutres. Les générations à venir doivent également

avoir le droit de jouir de la nature (de l’environnement), de la santé, de la
vie. Les problèmes urgents dàir, de nourriture, de la mer, de la pollution,
la pénurie d`énergie et tant dàutres encore, tout cela doit être envisagé à
la lumière des générations futures.
Il y a, de façon prédominante, dans la pensée et la foi orthodoxe,
la certitude ferme que chacun a le droit de devenir ce qu’il a été destiné
par sa naissance, que le droit ultime de chacun est dàccomplir sa vraie
nature, de devenir fils de Dieu par la grâce. Le droit le plus important est
celui de dépasser la tyrannie de la mort, le plus cruel des maîtres qui aient
jamais dominé lèxistence humaine. Toute donnée partielle qui ignore ces
droits existentiels peut avoir comme résultat l`égarement de l`être humain
et peut le rendre indifférent à ce qui est essentiel: lòrigine et la trajectoire
divine de chacun. La foi chrétienne ne cessera jamais de soutenir que toute
personne a le droit et le devoir dùtiliser les possibilités offertes par la grâce
de Dieu pour dépasser sa nature pêcheuse, pour vaincre la mort et pour
s’approcher de l’état divin37.
Au-delà des horizons larges des droits existentiels quèlle ouvre, la
vision chrétienne orthodoxe protège l`humanité contre les extrêmes du
pessimisme et de lòptimisme dépourvus de raison. Le chrétien reste tou-
jours sceptique devant les réalisations historiques, il jouit de certaines réa-
lisations, mais il continue de chercher sachant qu’„aucune déclaration des
droits de l`homme ne saurait jamais être complète ou définitive. Les dé-
clarations refléteront toujours l`état dìntrospection morale et de culture
dùn certain moment de l`histoire..” (J. Maritain)38. Par conséquent, le
chrétien doit être vigilent, doit reformer et réviser et par cela améliorer le
cadre légal et politique de la société. Quant aux églises chrétiennes, si elles
veulent vraiment réaliser une contribution significative à la cause grave
des droits de l`homme, elles ne devraient pas se limiter aux analyses et aux
recommandations, mais elles devraient essayer d`être ce quèlles ont été
vouées être: des centres dìnspiration morale et spirituelle, des pépinières
de personnalités consacrées et sanctifiées, „des ateliers dàmour altruiste”.
Elles devraient devenir des endroits où le Royaume de Dieu se manifeste
37
Ibidem, p. 84-85.
38
Vezi Ibidem, p. 85.
93
envers le monde et où la vie humaine est élevée du niveau biologique de

la coexistence des individus au niveau de la „communion des personnes”,
dàprès le modèle de la Réalité suprême que la Trinité valorise.
L’Evangile et la culture
Mais il est possible que la lutte la plus dure pour la théologie ortho-
doxe contemporaine soit constituée justement par le phénomène de la sé-
cularisation, par làbsorption de l`homme dans la contingence du „monde
immédiat” et du „siècle”. Nous avons à faire à un nouveau type d`”hérésie”
ayant comme point central lànthropocentrisme égocentrique qui conduit
au fait dìgnorer toutes les valeurs transcendantales. La lutte doit être don-
née ayant à tout instant dans la conscience les devoirs des chrétiens, leur
témoignage envers „tous les peuples” que la mission est une part essen-
tielle de la nature de lÈglise, que lÈvangile est adressée à tous les gens,
que la mission est un devoir pour les chrétiens de tous les temps, et non
pas pour une seule génération ( comme serait la période apostolique), en
marquant la vitalité et la capacité de renouvellement de lÈglise, que làc-
tion missionnaire ne tient pas compte seulement dùne certaine catégorie
charismatique de lÈglise, mais reste un devoir à accomplir par tous ses
membres, que le but de la mission nèst pas de conquérir le monde ou
dìmposer un Etat chrétien qui exerce son contrôle sur les autres, mais la
diffusion de la parole et de la grâce de Dieu, la révélation de sa gloire, qui,
en Christ „est et va venir, que la mission constitue la fonction de base de
la réalité historique et en même temps la manifestation de la dimension
eschatologique de lÈvangile”39.
En contrecarrant les effets nocifs de la sécularisation, lÒrthodoxie
doit avoir une présence et un témoignage dynamique dans le monde.
Le message chrétien (kerygma) doit être une proclamation joyeuse, une
”bonne nouvelle” pour toute personne dans les circonstances spécifiques
de sa vie, un message qui vient à la rencontre des expériences et des besoins
immédiats. La tâche principale de la théologie est dèxprimer l`éternité
dans les nouvelles conditions dèxistence, de créer un dialogue entre le
message de la révélation et les nouvelles sciences modernes: la médecine,
lànthropologie, la sociologie, la psychologie et la psychothérapie.
39
Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way, p. 72-73.
94
Malgré les tares identifiées dans le monde moderne, marquée par la

sécularisation, nous devons dire que la vision de làrch. Anastasios Yan-
noulatos nèst pas une vision pessimiste ou manichéiste. Par exemple, il
définit la culture tout à fait à partir de son aspect positif par rapport à la
vie humaine. „La culture – affirme-t-il– est la victoire de l`homme sur les
côtés obscurs du moi et de la société, une sublimation de son existence
biologique.”. Par lìntermédiaire de la culture, l`homme trace à lui seul
son destin (bien sûr, entre les limites du monde créé), et accomplit sa voca-
tion existentielle. Cèst ainsi que prennent corps les soi-disant „constantes
interculturelles”, la création dùn système de communication, dùn code
de compréhension (cèst à dire dùne langue); solutions données aux be-
soins primaires de survie (à voir le logement), qui mènent à développer
une technique et une économie initialement rudimentaires; des réglemen-
tations concernant l’union homme-femme en vue de la perpétuation de
lèspèce, lòrganisation de lèxistence humaine au niveau social: tribu, na-
tion, peuple, institution des normes sociales, cèst à dire la distinction de
ce qui est bon par rapport à ce qui est mauvais, de différentes expressions
artistiques et finalement la religiosité40.
Entre la culture et lÈvangile il n`y a point de séparation totale ou
dàntagonisme. L`évangile fait que l`être humain reçoive un nouveau lo-
gos, une nouvelle raison dèxistence, et un nouveau centre vital de création
culturelle.
La différence principale entre celle-ci et la culture consiste en ce que
nous nàvons pas affaire à quelque chose d’humain stricto sensu, à une créa-
tion de lèsprit humain, la réalité de lÈvangile étant une réalité double,
qui tient de la révélation de la personne téandrique, divine et humaine de
Jésus Christ. C’est Jésus qui est le ”noyau de lÈvangile”, ce qui détermine,
depuis lÌncarnation et jusqu`à l` Eschaton, „un nouveau code mystérieux
de l`évolution de l`homme envers le Dieu-Homme, de la raison envers la
40
Idem, Ortodoxia și problemele lumii contemporane, p. 97 ș.a. Yannoulatos rejette
la distinction qu’on fait d’habitude entre civilisation et culture – la première envisageant
la culture technique, materielle, tandis que la seconde envisage la culture spirituelle – vue
que, dans l’acception orthodoxe, la matière et l’esprit ne sont pas separés, mais forment
ensemble dans l’homme une unité inséparable, étant réciproquement influençables. À
voir Ibidem, p. 99. Dans ce sens, elles sont „les deux facettes du même esprit humain
créateur”. Ibidem, p. 100.
95
Raison. On parle de la transfiguration de la nature humaine entière, et la

réception de lÈvangile demande à son tour non seulement l’emploi d’une
certaine partie de l`homme (lèsprit ou le cœur) : «LÀperçu de lÈvangile
de la gloire de Dieu ne se réalise pas seulement à làide de lèsprit, dùn
système dìdées, mais aussi par lòuverture de tous les récepteurs de la
personne humaine. Cèst pourquoi lèspace le plus représentatif de la per-
ception est lèspace liturgique, lìnvocation doxologique du Saint Esprit,
en vue de la transfiguration des réalités visibles et de lùnion finale avec
le Christ Vivant, en vue dàccommoder la vie entière au rythme du Saint
Esprit, et de transformer lùnivers par lìntermédiaire de lìrradiation des
énergies divines de la Trinité”41.
Les traits caractéristiques de la mission orthodoxe
La pensée théologique orthodoxe sur la mission nà jamais été appro-
fondie de manière systématique, reconnaît ouvertement A. Yannoulatos.
Ce fait se distingue par rapport à la pensée occidentale, préoccupée pen-
dant longtemps de lèxposition du but et de la raison de la mission. Parler
de mission du point de vue orthodoxe suppose un double danger, soit de
se limiter à la répétition des idées des autres, après avoir étudié les concep-
tions catholiques et protestantes, soit de les compléter, dans le sens de créer
quelque chose de distinct par rapport à celles-ci. La troisième voie, plus
sérieuse, plus modeste, est celle correcte: éviter la tactique de la controverse
41
Ibidem, p. 101-102. Cèst de la que decoule aussi lìmportance de la culture dans
lànnonciation de lÈvangile.Le fait meme de precher le message chretien se faisait avec
la transmission de nouvelles creations et structures culturelles: „En diffusant lÈvangile,
les bysantins sìnteressaient tout de suite de diffuser avec elle les creations et les struc-
tures culturelles quìls avaient crees jusque la grace a lìnspiration evangelique. Ils ont
offert tout ce quìls avaient de mieux dans làrt, en peiture, musique, architecture,Ils ont
envoye partout les meilleurs artistes , ils ont aidea la construction de tres belles eglises,
commme symboles de la gloire de Dieu. Ils ont cultive la sensibilite artistiqu le sentiment
de la beaute qui transfigure le monde”Cependant, on nà pas remplace une culture par
une autre, supposee superieure. Quand les missionaires de lÈglise rencontraient une
nouvelle culture, ils nòffraient pas seulement leur propre culture, mais ils en realisaient
aussi une selection:ils acceptaient les elements qui etaient en harmonie avec le message
de lÈvangile, rejetaient ceux qui en etaient incompatibleset realisaient finalement la
„transfusion dùn sang nouveau,dùn nouvel esprit, portant ses fruits dans tout ce qui
est positif. ,”. Vezi Ibidem, p. 108-112.
96
et méditer sur la sotériologie, sur lècclésiologie et sur lèschatologie ortho-

doxe à partir d’une perspective missionnaire42.
La perspective eschatologique rend plus compréhensible le but ultime
de la mission. Cèst même làccomplissement de la volonté divine que
tout être sìmprègne de la gloire de Dieu (Is. 66,18, Rom. 8,17, 9,23, 1
Pt. 5,10, 1 Cor. 2,7), s`élève de ‚gloire en gloire” (2 Cor. 3,18). Il faut re-
tenir que ce processus de béatification commence déjà dans la vie d’ici-bas
–car nous vivons entre „déjà” et ‚pas encore”. Autrement dit, la dimension
eschatologique définit la création entière, car Dieu doit être „tout dans le
tout” (1 Cor. 15, 28).
Mais ce but final de la mission suppose de manière nécessaire lèxis-
tence aussi des buts immédiats, préliminaires, qui ne soient pourtant pas
en contradiction avec le but suprême. Pour la bonne raison que déjà le
processus de participation à la gloire divine a lieu maintenant, il convient
de parcourir les étapes suivantes:
1) prêcher lÈvangile, non pas comme proclamation de principes
ou de vérités éthiques, mais comme commencement de la transfiguration
inaugurée par la „lumière de lÈvangile de la gloire du Christ.” (2 Cor. 4,
4). Cèst une action synergique entre la grâce du Saint Esprit et la parti-
cipation personnelle à ce Salut. Làdjectif „personnel” ne signifie pas une
action strictement individuelle, au contraire, elle implique de manière
nécessaire, la communauté de foi, lÈglise, cèst à dire la présence dùne
nouvelle création de la Grâce qui se constitue par lìntermédiaire des
Mystères43.
2) L`établissement d`”Eglises locales”. En accord avec la théologie
et la tradition orthodoxe, lÈglise est appelée à glorifier Dieu dans tout
pays et de sa propre voix. Cela signifie que dans làctivité missionnaire il
faut quìl y ait du respect sincère par rapport à lìdentité de tout peuple:
langue et coutumes spécifiques. La sanctification des traits caractéris-
tiques de tout peuple équivaut à l`épanouissement de sa propre voie mais
aussi à la réunion de tous ces traits– non pas de façon monolithique,
42
Idem, Mission in Christ’s Way, p. 41.
43
Si a cette nouvelle realite, nous avons acces par le Bapteme (a voir Mc. 16,16), le
Mystere de lèucharistie reste le centre, le point dùnion en Christ „avant Son arrivee”1
Cor. 11,26), ce qui cree lùnion visible de lÈglise.Cèst la raison pour laquelle la realite
ecclesiale est une realite divino-humaine (teandriique). A voir Ibidem, p. 52.
97
uniforme, – mais en un hymne doxologique commun. „Dans lùnité de

lÈglise il y a une diversité dans le Saint Esprit. Cèst le sens ecclésiologie
de la Cinquantaine”44.
3)Lìncarnation du Christ ne doit pas être envisagée comme „aban-
don mystique du monde”, mais comme le point de départ dùne participa-
tion active à làction de Dieu: „la doxologie de celui qui est sauvé doit avoir
écho au-delà des limites de sa communauté et remplir lùnivers entier”45.
Vivre dans la période de transition du „pas encore” (1 In. 3,2) cèst
anticiper les temps eschatologiques (1 Pt. 4,13 şi 5,4); cèst une antici-
pation qui nà rien à faire à la passivité sociale qui caractérise certaines
tendances piétistes ; au contraire, cèst une anticipation dynamique, car
la venue des temps eschatologiques réclame notre participation: „Notre
anticipation est ainsi pleine de courage et de paix face à tout problème
actuel”46. Cèst la même collaboration dans le „Saint Esprit” pour la sanc-
tification de tout être, pour leur récapitulation dans le Christ et làccès au
„Père” (Efes. 2,18). Nous sommes „co-auteurs”de Dieu dans l`épanouis-
sement de lùnité, de la paix et de làmour qui caractérisent son projet”.
Toute notre action dans le monde représente l`épanouissement des vir-
tualités présentes dans le projet divin; elles doivent se rendre visibles dans
l`éducation, dans lòeuvre de civilisation et dans le progrès social. Dans le
texte de F. Ap. 17,30 làdverbe „maintenant” suggère lùrgence de notre
action missionnaire, la nécessite dòuverture vers le monde entier, car tout
constitue un „champ missionnaire”47.
Pour tout chrétien, la participation à la mission est donc un ordre
existentiel, mais qui s`étend par la suite sur toute la communauté ecclé-
siale, car lÈglise nèst pas qu’ „incorporée en”, mais aussi le „Corps du
Christ”(Efes. 1,23). Une église sans mission est une contradiction dans
44
Ibidem, p. 53.
45
Ibidem, p. 54.
46
Ibidem, p. 55.
47
Ibidem, p. 58-59. Et a presentet a làvenir i n`y a pas dàntagonisme, mais com-
plementarite::„ ... quand le missionaire contemple la fin, le bur de l`histoire, la revision
de toute chose en Christ et a la gloire de Dieu-Pere, il ressent une necessite interieure,
spontanee de faire coincider le plan de sa vie avec le plan divin, s`y orienter, en glori-
fiant le Seigneur et etant une doxologie vivante vers Lui.Les yeux fixes sur l` eshaton,
lÒrthodoxie maintient sa vigueur et demontre son pouvoir particulier envers la missi-
on”. A voir Ibidem, p. 61.
98
les termes. LÈglise a été destinée, tout comme le Christ, (Lc. 4,18, In.
17,18), à continuer Son action. Cela tient donc de la dimension catho-
lique de lÈglise de manifester sa dimension missionnaire, tout comme
làttribut de l’apostolicité de l’Église rejette toute définition statique de
lÈglise. Toute la vie sacrementale, spécialement liturgique de lÈglise a
comme but de suivre constamment lèxtension de la doxologie de Dieu.
La communauté ecclésiale sèmpreigne des rayons de la Résurrection, cèst
pourquoi la vie et le service liturgique de lÈglise ne visent que la diffusion
envers le monde de la parole et de la grâce divine48.
Dans une interview publiée sous le titre Înțelegerea Ortodoxiei: cum
să deosebim adevărata misiune de prozelitism49 (La compréhension de lòr-
thodoxie: comment distinguer la vraie mission du prosélytisme), Anastasios
Yannoulatos tâche de répondre, de manière orthodoxe, à cette si difficile
question. Il montre que le prosélytisme emploie tous les moyens possibles
(dons, nourriture, argent ou autres privilèges) pour atteindre à son but,
cèst à dire de recruter des membres pour telle ou telle communauté. Cela
contrevient à la dignité de la personne humaine et à lÈvangile, par défaut
de sincérité, „et ce qui nèst pas sincère, aussi bien dans le but que dans les
moyens utilisés, ne peut pas être orthodoxe”. Faire du prosélytisme cèst
utiliser dàutres moyens que lÈvangile pour attirer des adeptes.
Mais le phénomène du prosélytisme est étranger aux orthodoxes,
parce`quìls nònt pas peur de la statistique, ils ne tiennent pas compte
du nombre des membres. La Martyria orthodoxe doit être un témoignage
libre de ce que nous sommes et de ce que nous avons. Nous devons ré-
pandre le don que nous avons, et si les autres làcceptent, tant mieux ;
sinon, tant pis, cela tombe dans leur responsabilité.
Mais une autre question se pose: est-ce notre mission celle de conver-
tir quelquùn à lòrthodoxie? LÀrch.. A. Yannoulatos répond que la mis-
sion orthodoxe consiste en faire don du trésor que nous avons, en laissant
en même temps làutre décider sìl le reçoit ou non. Si làutre décide quìl
veut venir dans lòrthodoxie, nous ne devons jamais dire ”non”. Notre
but est de transmettre la Tradition évangélique dans toute sa plénitude,
en restant libres par rapport à toute anxiété face à la conversion de tout
48
Cf. Ibidem, p. 61-64.
49
Vezi Idem, „Understanding Orthodoxy: How to distinguish true mission from
proselytism”, în Syndesmos News 15 (Winter 2001-Spring 2002), nr. 2, p. 11-13.
99
homme. Mais dàutre part, nous ne pouvons rien imposer à personne, en

niant sa liberté. „Nous sommes ici, en témoignant ; nous sommes le cierge,
qui éclaire avec la joie pascale, et si quelquùn dàutre veut prendre de la
lumière de chez nous, nous ne pourrons pas le refuser”.
Après avoir montré de nouveau que la difficulté de pratiquer la mis-
sion ne tient pas du niveau de richesse ou de pauvreté du pays où le mis-
sionnaire agit, et soulignant aussi le fait que sa mission en Afrique lui
a semblé plus facile que celle déployée en Albanie, lìnterviewé met en
évidence encore deux aspects: dàbord, il rejette lòpinion conformément
à laquelle làctivité missionnaire serait réservée exclusivement aux clercs
et aux missionnaires,– à sa manière propre, tout membre de lÈglise est
responsable de toute la communauté et de toute làction de lÈglise. Et,
par conséquent, nul membre ne doit se soustraire à làctivité missionnaire.
Ensuite, il éclaircit qui est notre « ennemi » et notre « proche”. Pour que la
mission ait du succès il convient que le missionnaire manifeste du respect
pour la culture et les traditions auxquelles il adresse le message de lÈvan-
gile. Lèxemple de lÀfrique en est suggestif: il n`y a pas de „primitifs”et
surtout lÒrthodoxie ne se résume pas à notre acception, n`étant pas ré-
duite à la façon dont nous, européens, avons reçu le message chrétien. Etre
ouvert envers les autres cèst les respecter et les aimer–et alors une autre
question difficile se pose encore:: „aimer lènnemi” cèst aussi aimer celui
qui est lènnemi de la foi de làutre?
De nouveau, la réponse offerte par A. Yannoulatos est désarmante:
quand le Christ parle des ennemis, il parle de personnes. Cela ne veut pas
dire, naturellement, que nous devrions accepter la théorie ou le style de vie
de nos ennemis. Et cela ne veut pas dire que nous ne les aimions pas. Nous
respectons la personne, nous respectons toutes les idées et les croyances
dùne personne. Quand nous parlons dàmour, nous parlons de làmour
envers des personnes et non pas envers des systèmes religieux. Cèst pour-
quoi nous devons respecter notre ennemi tel quìl/elle est, mais nous ne
devons pas accepter ou copier ses idées ou ses actions.
Finalement, dans lìnterview citée on aborde aussi une dernière ques-
tion délicate: est-ce que ceux qui nònt pas connu le Christ, mais en même
temps sont croyants fidèles à leur propre croyance ( tels les musulmans
pieux) peuvent être sauvés (bénéficier du Salut)? Ou, autrement dit, ces
croyants se trouvent-ils en relation authentique avec Dieu? La réponse tient
100
de làction divine providentielle qui, comme nous l’avons déjà précisé, a

en vue le monde entier et tous les humains. Mais en quel degré nous ne
pourrions pas le dire, tout comme nous ne savons pas dire qui sera sauvé
au Jugement Dernier. En tout cas, les chrétiens doivent sàbstenir de juger
eux-mêmes les autres, avant la Deuxième Arrivée du Christ ; ce nèst pas
celui-ci le but de leur présence dans le monde. Leur responsabilité vise la
prière et le témoignage du vrai Dieu, qui ne sont authentiques que sìls sont
faits en état d`humilité. Cèst aussi l`état que les chrétiens doivent adopter
également quand ils se posent le problème du salut dàutrui: tout laisser à la
libre volonté de Dieu, reconnaissant que Son amour est infini et que le salut
est un mystère qui dépasse notre jugement. La vision orthodoxe doit donc
être lùne universelle, non „partielle” ou sectaire. Les chrétiens ont la mis-
sion de témoigner avant dàutres religions, car, malheureusement, l`histoire
de l`humanité démontre que les religions, dans leur qualité de réalités so-
cio-spirituelles, ont représenté pour l`humanité des facteurs dùnion, mais
aussi de scission. Nombreuses ont été les confrontations violentes entre les
membres de quelques religions et le paradoxe fait quùne religion initiale-
ment opprimée ait réussi à en opprimer une autre, après être sortie de cet
état. Combinées avec des intérêts étrangers à leur nature –politiques, mi-
litaires, économiques, etc. –elles ont prouvé d’avoir été jadis des „facteurs
créateurs de liberté, mais aussi dèntrave des libertés humaines”.
Conclusions
En synthétisant les principales contributions apportées par làrch.
Anastasios Yannoulatos à la relance de la théologie missionnaire actuelle,
nous y retrouvons une vision vigoureuse sur làction pastorale et mission-
naire de lÈglise Orthodoxe qui a comme lignes directrices principales les
aspects suivants:
Dans la relation avec dàutres théologies, lÒrthodoxie doit promou-
voir le dialogue et non pas le fanatisme ou lìsolement. Mais cette ou-
verture ne signifie ni syncrétisme ni relativisation, abandon de tous les
enseignements fondamentaux de foi ou leur mélange à dàutres. La posi-
tion orthodoxe, bien qu’ouverte, doit être critique, tant envers les autres
religions qu’envers les réalisations culturelles et scientifiques de la société
contemporaine (un modèle possible à suivre est celui de l`histoire du rap-
port de lÒrthodoxie avec lÌslam.).
101
Reflecţii critice asupra misiunii creştine
La tendance du monde actuel est globale. Apparemment, lùnité de

l`humanité est plus grande que jamais, mais nous avons à faire à une ten-
tation: cette unité est surtout extérieure. Cèst pourquoi lÒrthodoxie a la
mission de promouvoir sa dimension universelle, ecclésiale-communau-
taire, de Corps du Christ et dìcône de la Trinité.
Cèst de la même perspective quòn doit aussi envisager le problème
extrêmement actuel des droits de l`homme. Un problème fondamental
pour tout homme est comment il pourrait ne pas se réduire seulement au
développement et à l`épanouissement de sa personnalité, mais ,également,
de créer une communauté avec dàutres êtres humains et avec la Réalité
suprême. Ce nèst que dans le cadre de ce mouvement quòn peut conce-
voir le vrai accomplissement de la personnalité humaine (accomplissement
qui suppose dàbord làscèse personnelle,et ensuite une action dirigée vers
lèxtérieur, vers Dieu, les semblables et lènvironnement.)
LÈvangile et la culture ne sont pas présentées en relation dòpposi-
tion. La tâche principale de la théologie est comment exprimer l`éterni-
té dans les nouvelles conditions dèxistence, comment créer un dialogue
entre le message de la révélation et les nouvelles sciences modernes: la mé-
decine, lànthropologie, la sociologie, la psychologie et la psychothérapie.
Il sìmpose absolument de constituer des organisations théologico-scienti-
fiques par lesquelles l`Église reçoive une perspective correcte sur le monde
contemporain et de sélecter les meilleurs moyens qui en augmentent lèf-
ficacité sur le plan social, éducationnel, etc.
Les traits caractéristiques de la mission orthodoxe sont exposés en te-
nant compte de deux aspects: 1) la mission orthodoxe nèst pas du prosé-
lytisme et 2) elle extrait ses attributs de lèthos même de lÈglise. Ainsi, la
mission externe est tout aussi nécessaire que la mission intérieure. Ses des-
seins restent valides pour lÈglise actuelle comme pour celle de l`époque
apostolique et patristique: la diffusion de lÈvangile, non comme une pro-
clamation de principes et de vérités éthiques, mais comme commencement
de la transfiguration inaugurée par „la lumière de lÈvangile de la gloire du
Christ” (2 Cor. 4, 4); l`établissement d`„Eglises locales”, avec du respect
sincère envers lìdentité de chaque peuple: langue et coutumes spécifiques;
enfin, lìncorporation du Christ dans le point de départ dùne participa-
tion active à làction de Dieu.
102
Tout comme nous avons précisé aussi dans notre chronique publiée
dans RT XXI (2011), n. 3, p. 208-211, au livre Mission in Christ’s Way,
dans le cas de làrch. Anastasios Yanoulatos nous avons à faire, dans notre
opinion, au plus représentatif théologien missionnaire orthodoxe de la deu-
xième moitie du XX-e et du début du XXI-e siècle. La valeur de sa contri-
bution ne peut être comprise quèn partant de ce que Yannoulatos même
avait souligné: que „la mission est inséparable de la vraie nature de lÈglise”
– et toutes ses réalisations pratico-didactiques ont été mises au service de
ce but de promouvoir sans cesse la mission comme témoignage (martyria)
de lÈglise (à voir F. Ap.1, 8) „jusqu`à la fin du monde” – et quìl existe un
lien indissoluble entre témoignage - service liturgique - théologie comme
triptyque de la vraie mission orthodoxe envers le monde. La caractérisation
que lui offre le Patriarche Oecumenique Bartolomée I est donc tout exacte;
celui-ci parle du rôle extrêmement important que Anastasios Yannoulatos
a eu et continue dàvoir dans la „làctualisation et le renouveau de nos
jours du service et de la pratique missionnaire, tout comme le plus essen-
tiel acte et la plus obligatoire expression de la conscience de soi de lÈglise
envers ceux créés par Dieu, frères et sœurs au-delà de la foi, vivant sur tous
les continents de notre planète”50.
50
„Introductory Letter of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartolomew”, în
A. Yannoulatos, Mission in Christ’s Way, p. xiii.
103
Ecclésiologie sacramentaire originaire et la crise liturgique moderne
chez Alexander Schmemann*
Un brillant représentant de l’ecclésiologie eucharistique appartenant à

l’émigration russe parisienne, collègue de N. Afanasiev a l’institut St. Serge
(de l’année 1951 professeur au Séminaire St. Vladimir de New York), voilà
la personnalité d’Alexander Schmemann. D’ailleurs il a été considère un
successeur de l’école historique, liturgique russe du 19-ième représentée
par N.F. Krasnoseltev, A.A. Dimitrievski, I.D. Mansvetov, N.N. Skabal-
lanovici, A.I. Karabinov, A.P. Golubtsov ou évêque Porfiri Uspenski –, de
même que celui d’Afanasiev lui-même – «la source principal et fondamen-
tale» de sa pensée théologique1.
La théologie liturgique du Père Schmemann ne voudrait pas être
un simple exercice idéologique, axé autour d’un ensemble des pro-
blèmes théorétiques mais elle souhaite répondre même aux exigences qui
tiennent de l’existence de l’Eglise Orthodoxe, «une Eglise liturgique par
excellence». En plus, les aspirations de cette théologie liturgique visent
aussi à franchir «une crise» dans laquelle se trouve le monde actuel, do-
miné par la révolte contre le Dieu et Son Royaume (une conséquence
naturelle du fait que l’homme est devenu la mesure de toutes les choses)2.
A l’exemple de G. Florovsky, A. Schmemann apprécie comme une
cause de cette crise liturgique qui apparaît aussi dans l’Eglise de l’Orient
«la captivité occidentale de la théologie orthodoxe».3 Autrement dit, sous
*
Published in Ecclesiologia, aproccio Scritturale, Patristica e ala luce dei diaologo
ecumenico, Instituto di Studi Ecumenici S. Bernanrdino, Venezia, 2009, p. 141-153.
1
Cf. Cornel Toma, Lex orandi, lex est credendi sau unitatea dintre dogmă,
spiritualitate şi cultul Bisericii, în Alexander Schmeman, Introducere în teologia liturgică,
traducerea Vasile Bîrzu, Editura Sophia, Bucureşti, 2002, p. 9-12 şi 17-21.
2
Alexander Schmeman, Euharistia – Taina împărăţiei, traducere Boris Răduleanu,
Editura Bonifaciu, Bucureşti, 2003, p. 15.
3
Idem, «Theology and Eucharist», dans SVTQ 4 (1963), p. 14-15.
104
l’influence de la théologie scolastique, le culte a été réduit a un ensemble

de rites avec une double fonction – objet d’adoration on soi-même et la
satisfaction des besoins pratiques des chrétiens. Et tout cela en dépit du
fait que «aujourd’hui la vie de l’Eglise est devenue presque exclusivement
liturgique»4. Mais «le liturgisme» excessif lui-même qui prédomine dans
l’Orthodoxie du présent reflète, en essence, la crise liturgique profonde
caractérisée par une pseudo dévotion envers les cérémonies et les offices
de l’Eglise.
Selon les mots de Schmemann «la crise liturgique consiste, avant tout,
dans le concept erroné de la fonction et de la place du culte dans l’Eglise,
dans la transformation de la compréhension du culte dans la conscience
de l’Eglise»5. Le culte reste, se manifeste dans les mêmes repères qu’aupa-
ravant, mais l’évolution historique a déterminé une perception différente,
fausse de sa signification; le culte est devenu un objet de vénération, on
oublie qu’il doit être compris en tant qu’une fonction de l’Eglise.
Au contraire, aujourd’hui l’Eglise est comprise comme une fonction
du culte. Mais l’Eglise ne peut pas être équivalue ou réduit au culte;
ce n’est pas l’Eglise qui existe par le culte, mais le culte par l’Eglise. Le
Christ a fondé Son Eglise non pas comme une société de culte, mais
comme une voie de salut par laquelle les chrétiens reçoivent une vie nou-
velle, s’élèvent jusqu’à la hauteur «de la stature de Christ» (Efes. 4, 13).
Sans être «le second» dans l’Eglise, le culte a comme but «d’exprimer,
former ou réaliser l’Eglise, d’être la source de cette grâce divine qui fait
toujours de l’Eglise, l’Eglise»6.
La réduction de l’Eglise au culte et la perception du dernier en tant
qu’un mystère sacré, surtemporel et immuable, a généré même une di-
minution du rôle joué par les laïcs dans l’Eglise. La paroisse est devenue
tout d’abord une organisation laïque, strictement humaine, constituée
pour recevoir de la hiérarchie sacramentelle «quelque chose de sacré»,
sans avoir un rôle actif dans le culte. Ce n’est que l’Eglise qui assure a la
paroisse, par le culte, «sa dimension divine et humaine» en vivant non
pas comme une Eglise, mais par ses propres intérêts humains et limités,
«elle reste une communauté humaine limitée et uniquement humaine».
4
Idem, Introducere în teologias liturgică, p.70.
5
Ibidem, p. 71.
6
Ibidem, p. 71-72.
105
«Transformé en quelque chose de sacré – continue Schmemann – à l’in-

térieur de l’Eglise, le culte a <profané>, comme l’on dit, tous les autres
dans l’Eglise: sa direction est devenue pour nous tous juridique et admi-
nistrative, sa vie matérielle est strictement délimitée de son contenue spi-
rituel et la hiérarchie est, c’était â prévoir, sortie du domaine de l’admi-
nistration, des finances et même de la doctrine de l’Eglise parce que tous
ces domaines sont devenus profanes et non sacrés. Maintenant, le culte
comme unique contenu de la vie religieuse a cessé d’être compris dans
son propre sens réel qui devrait être l’expression, la création et l’achève-
ment (accomplissement) de l’Eglise».7
Enfin, il y a encore deux autres conséquences néfastes de toutes ces
transformations: la considération des symboles ecclésiaux et l’atrophie de
la dimension missionnaire du culte de l’Eglise. Les sacrements (mystères)
de l’Eglise ne sont pas des simples images mystiques de quelques réalités
surnaturelles et le culte ne signifie pas seulement l’actualisation et la des-
cription des événements les plus importants de la vie du Sauveur.
Les aspects d’anamnèse et d’eschatologie s’entremêlent dans l’Eglise
et ses symboles sont des «portails» par lesquels, dès le présent, la vie du
Royaume prochain entre dans l’Eglise. En conséquence la Liturgie n’est
pas «une commémoration symbolique», «une illusion», «un théâtre sa-
cré» ou «un spectacle», «film» du Jésus Christ, mais bien exactement la
modalité par laquelle la Personne et l’ouvrage sauveur de Celui-ci se rend
accessible à tous les membres de Son Corps sacré (sacramentel) dans la
Sainte Eucharistie.
La revalorisation de toutes ces vérités nous détermine aussi à réévaluer
l’implication de l’Eglise dans le monde, le rôle du culte d’être «1’expression
de l’Eglise dans ses relations avec le monde». Aujourd’hui le culte a été
conçu plutôt en tant qu’une évasion pour un certain temps «une soupape
ou un arrêt dans l’existence terrestre ouvert pour recevoir la grâce divine».
Mais son but est tout un autre révéler l’Evangile au monde, «la bonne nou-
velle», d’être le levain qui fait lever toute la pâte du monde pour le rendre
capable de recevoir la vie salvatrice du Christ8.
Dans un mot, la crise liturgique de l’Eglise Orthodoxe d’aujourd’hui
consiste dans le fait qu’il y a «une absence de la concordance entre ce qu’on
7
Ibidem, p. 73.
8
Ibidem, p. 73-74.
106
réalise et ce qu’on comprend du Saint Sacrement qui s’y accomplit, respec-

tivement la manière de le vivre». Pour dépasser tout cela, Le Prêtre Schme-
mann fait appel à «une renaissance eucharistique de l’Evangile, ce qui ne
signifie pas «réformes», «accommodements», ou «modernisations», mais
au contraire, il s’agit de retrouver l’essence et le rôle du culte de l’Eglise
primaire (originaire), «un retour à cet aspect-là, à ce sentiment-là vécu par
l’Eglise dès les tout débuts»9.
Un premier pas réalisé par Schmemann vise à accentuer le fait que
l’Eglise se constitue en tant qu’un sacrement (mystère) divin, humain et non
une réalité abstraite et impersonnelle. Entre Christ, Eglise et Eucharistie il y
a un lien indissoluble. Dans l’Eglise ancienne, affirme le liturgiste russe, tous
les Saints Sacrements étaient centrés autour de l’Eucharistie, «Le Sacrement
des Sacrements», parce’que c’est ici qu’on sent pleinement la présence du
Jésus dans l’Eglise. C’est pourquoi elle ne doit pas être vue en tant qu’un
des Sept Sacrements (le troisième le plus souvent), comme dans les livres
«d’école», mais en tant que «Le Sacrement de l’Eglise” par excellence.
Donc, sa richesse ne peut pas être épuisée si on revoit seulement a
un d’entre ses plusieurs aspects, Schmemann la présentant comme une
succession de sacrements: le Sacrement de la réunion, du Royaume, de
l’amour, de la parole, des chrétiens, de «l’offre», de l’unité, du sacrifice,
de la gratitude, du souvenir, du Saint-Ésprit, de la communion.10 Malgré
l’opinion commune que par le Baptême, l’être humain entre dans l’Eglise
et s’accomplit par l’Eucharistie, Schmemann a une toute autre. L’accès des
catéchumènes dans la communauté ecclésiale avait lieu dans l’Eglise pri-
maire non seulement par le Baptême mais aussi par l’Eucharistie. Cette
idée serait soutenue par la pratique du christianisme primaire d’accomplir
le rite du Baptême dans la galerie extérieure (pronaos), ce qui prouverait
un cours ascendant de celui qui était baptise dans l’Eglise, dans et par
Eucharistie. Donc le Baptême nous incorpore dans l’Eglise. Mais si la na-
ture et l’essence dernière de l’Eglise se révèlent dans et par Eucharistie,
si, effectivement, l’Eucharistie est non seulement le sacrement de l’Eglise,
alors, entrer dans l’Eglise signifie entrer dans Eucharistie et l’Eucharistie est
réellement l’accomplissement du Baptême.11
9
Idem, Euharistia – Taina împărăţiei, p. 14-16.
10
Conform titlurilor capitolelor din cartea sa Euharistia – Taina împărăţiei.
11
Idem, Din apă şi din Duh, traducere Ioan Buga, Editura Symbol, Bucureşti,
1992, p. 107.
107
Tout d’abord l’Eglise s’exprime par Eucharistie, la réunion des chré-

tiens n’a d’autre but que la communion avec le Christ eucharistique.12
Pendant l’époque moderne, la présence des laïcs à la Sainte Liturgie a
plutôt un rôle décoratif, leur communion se fait très rarement, quelques
fois par an, ce qui prouve «la rupture» entre les ecclésiastiques et les
laïcs. Ce «cléricalisme» impose le clergé comme celui qui satisfait les né-
cessités et les désirs spirituels des laïcs qui n’ont qu’un rôle passif dans la
vie de l’Eglise. Mais «l’Eglise n’est pas une société religieuse ou le Dieu
s’empare des gens par l’intermédiaire des prêtres, mais elle est le Corps
du Christ13 lui-même, ou chaque chrétien reçoit, par le Sacrement de
l’onction, son propre ministère qu’il doit mettre au service d’autres
«membres» du Corps, même s’il est prêtre ou laïc. Jésus est le Prêtre
et aussi l’intermédiaire devant le Père, l’Eglise elle-même est «prêtrise,
offre, et sacrifice» et le «prêtrise universelle» du christianisme signifie
que «chacun est voué à apporter l’offrande à Jésus pour les péchés du
monde – et en l’apportant – il avoue ce salut». Mais «la prêtrise univer-
selle» ne doit pas mener la relativisation de la prêtrise sacramentelle. Le
dernier est nécessaire pour que l’Eglise puisse être un organisme saint
dans son intégrité, car, si les prêtres sont les serviteurs des Sacrements,
alors par les Sacrements se consacre et se sanctifie toute l’Eglise... » (ce-
pendant les laïcs non plus ne doivent vus, dans l’Eglise en tant que les
«prêtres de la deuxième catégorie»)14.
Dans la hiérarchie sacramentelle de même que dans l’Assemblée ec-
clésiale, formée uniquement des laïcs, l’évêque joue un rôle particulier.
Hormis les influences scolastiques qui ont déterminé l’homme moderne
de remplacer la foi avec le sentiment religieux, et «1’unité d’en haut», de
l’Esprit avec «l’unité du-dessous», humaine15, le théologue doit dépasser
12
Idem, Euharistia – Taina împărăţiei, p. 17-18 : «în această adunare euharistică - ca
o culminare şi ca o împlinire a ei, se săvârşeşte «Cina Domnului”, «frîngerea euharistică
a Pâinii”. Textul din 1 Cor. 11, 20, unde Sf. Ap. Pavel îi ceartă pe corinteni că «se adună
în aşa fel încât nu se poate mânca Cina Domnului”, subliniază că «de la început este cu
totul evidentă şi indiscutabilă această trinitate: Adunarea, Euharistia, Biserica”, şi despre
această trinitate, crede Schmemann, «mărturiseşte întreaga tradiţie a Bisericii primare.”
13
Ibidem, p. 114.
14
Ibidem, p. 116-117.
15
Ceea ce constituie o «ispită eretică a zilelor noastre”, cf. Ibidem, p. 146.
108
cette tentation qui peut mener même à «l’idolâtrie»16 et redécouvrir au-

delà d’autres principes d’unité (fondements linguistiques, nationaux), la
vision de l’unité dans l’Eglise primaire. Ici l’évêque réalisait l’unité entre
Eucharistie et l’Eglise parce que c’était lui le première prêtre (le proestos) de
l’assemblée eucharistique et le symbole de l’unitée ecclésiale: «Dans l’Eglise
primaire l’évêque été le Réalisateur proprement dit de Eucharistie. Avant
tout, parce qu’on accomplissait et on vivait l’Eucharistie en tant que le
sacrement de la réunion de l’Eglise – c’est à dire l’unité du peuple de Dieu
- on considérait son réalisateur celui dont le service refermait en soi-même
la création, l’expression et le maintient de cette unité».17
Aujourd’hui le sacerdoce est compris plutôt par rapport au prêtre que
par rapport à l’évêque, le dernier est perçu comme «chef» et autorité du
clergé, administrateur de l’Eglise. Mais «d’un point de vue très profond
(qui ne se réfère à aucune catégorie administrative et canonique) l’Eucha-
ristie – maintenant, toujours et partout (une allusion explicite à la canon
de Vicente de Lérins) – se réalise selon l’ordre de l’évêque, ou, dans un
langage juridique, sous son pouvoir et par sa délégation18. Le prêtre peut
accomplir le sacrement de Eucharistie seulement par une «délégation» de
la part de l’évêque, symbolisée par la présence de la toile (antimis) sur
l’autel. C’était sa signification iniţiale – «quelque soient les différents sens
des adjonctions donnés à la toile, sa signification initiale a été «délégation»
donnée au presbytère par l’évêque, un droit pour accomplir la Sainte Eu-
charistie».19 Les catégories par lesquelles Schmemann conçoit le service sa-
cramental sont d’ailleurs personnelles- communautaires: l’évêque ou prêtre
n’est pas un substitut de Christ (ainsi comme il est conçu par la théologie
d’influence scolastique) car le Christ lui-même est sacrifice et sacrificateur
à la fois. («Tu es Celui qui offre, qui est offert et qui reçoit»). La relation
entre le réalisateur de Eucharistie et Christ n’est pas formelle, juridique
mais synergico-théandrique. Le premier est le «Christ lui-même» tandis
que l’assemblée des chrétiens est Son Corps.
16
Ibidem, p. 151: «(...) orice unitate de jos, nu numai că în esenţă devine fară
valoare, dar inevitabil devine idol şi, oricât de groaznic ar suna, această unitate de jos
trage chiar religia, chiar creştinismul în jos, în idolatrie».
17
Ibidem, p. 101.
18
Ibidem, p. 100.
19
Ibidem. p. 100.
109
Tout comme dans la conception d’Afanasiev, l’unité de foi de l’as-

semblée ecclésiale, vue dans cette perspective centrale eucharistique, est
laissée dans l’ombre. Pareillement aux adeptes œcuméniques de «1’in-
tercommunion», Schmemann croit que dans l’Eglise ancienne la norme
de la foi se réduisait seulement aux courts symboles, concentrés plus
tard dans le symbole nicéeo-constantinopolitain et ce n’est que celle-
ci que toutes les confessions chrétiennes doivent accepter et formuler
avant l’accomplissement commun de l’Eucharistie. «Dans la conscience
de l’Eglise primaire, elle suppose l’unité de la foi de tous les partici-
pants de la réunion. C’est pourquoi, l’inclusion du symbole de la foi
dans la Liturgie s’est étendue rapidement partout et a confirmé le lien
évident, organique entre l’unité de la foi et l’accomplissement personnel
de l’Eglise par Eucharistie, ce lien constituant le noyau de l’existence et
de la vie de l’Eglise primaire».20
Si Afanasiev a cru que l’apparition des synodes épiscopaux devait être
équivalue avec une transformation de l’ecclésiologie originaire, Schme-
mann croit que justement de cette manière on peut sauver la nécessité de
la communication des assemblées eucharistiques être elles. L’Eglise locale
ne possède la plénitude du Corps de Christ21 que pour un certain temps
et dans la mesure où elle ne fait pas de ces dons uniques et indivisibles du
Dieu, une possession propre, «séparée», «hérétique» dans le sens propre
du mot.22 L’ecclésiologie eucharistique refuse l’existence d’une structure
«surécclésiale», «universelle» où l’Eglise locale a un rôle de subordination:
«La nature de cette unité ne consiste pas dans le fait que toutes les Eglises
locales forment tous ensemble un organisme unique, mais dans le fait que
chacune d’entre elles [...] est l’Eglise elle- même [...] non seulement que
les Eglises ne se complètent l’une l’autre comme des parties (seulement les
20
Ibidem, p. 145.
21
«Biserica se realizează ca organism, ca Trup al lui Hristos în Euharistie, dar aşa
cum Euharistia nu este o parte a Trupului lui Hristos, ci Hristos total, aşa şi Biserica
ce se realizează în Euharistie nu este o parte sau un membru al întregului (...) acolo
unde este Euharistia, acolo este şi Biserica în deplinătatea ei, şi invers: Euharistia este
doar acolo unde este Biserica întreagă, întreg poporul lui Dumnezeu în episcopului
său». A. Schmemann, «La notion de la primaité dans l’ecclésiologie orthodoxe», în
La primauté de Pierre dans l’Eclise orthodoxe, Delachau & Niestlé, Neuchatel, 1960,
p. 129.
22
Cf. K. Ch. Felmy, op. cit., p. 220-221.
110
personnes peuvent être membres) mais chacune d’elles et au total constitue

une Eglise unique, sainte universelle et apostolique».23
Donner la prêtrise est pour Schmemann la forme extérieure de la
communion ecclésiale des Eglises locales faite au moins par trois autres
évêques. De la sorte que le nouvel évêque ne se soumet pas aux autres, mais
il devient lui-même le chef d’une église locale qui se trouve en communion
avec toutes les autres Eglises (représentées, par minimum, les trois évêques
présents) et ainsi, ensemble, constituant l’Eglise unique.24
Pas même l’institution du synode ne peut pas agir hors ou bien au-
dessus de l’Eglise locale. Par opposition aux opinions philoslaves qui
voyaient dans le synode un pouvoir en soi-même, Schmemann écrit que
«le synode n’est pas un pouvoir, parce qu’il ne peut pas avoir le pouvoir de
l’Eglise. Le synode est seulement le témoignage de l’identité des Eglises,
toutes constituant l’Eglise du Dieu – dans la foi, la vie l’amour»25.
Bien que Schmemann attribue une grande valeur au rôle du synode
dans l’expression de l’unité écclesiale, comme un trait qui se perpétue dans
la tradition orthodoxe depuis l’origine de l’Eglise, tout à fait étonnant, il
accentue le rôle «du primat» dans la réalisation de l’unité d’Eglise. Selon lui,
l’histoire nous présente l’existence de trois catégories de primats: le primat
régional (sous la direction d’un métropolite), le primat «autocéphale» (sous
la direction d’un archevêque ou un patriarche) et, enfin le primat universel
(sous la direction du pape de Rome ou du patriarche de Constantinople)26.
Ainsi, dans une expression assez équivoque et sans s’être basé sur plusieurs
preuves, Schmemann soutient que le primat universel aurait existé dès le
début de l’Eglise et qu’il aurait été accordé à l’évêque de Rome «le premier
détenteur de l’amour»: «L’Eglise a eu, dès les premiers jours de son exis-
tence, un centre de l’unité et un accord universel. Pendant les premières
décennies ce centre a été l’Eglise de Jérusalem, puis l’Eglise de Rome qui
23
A. Schmemann, «La notion de la primauté dans l’ecclésiologie orthodoxe», dans
La primauté de Pierre dans l’Eglise orthodoxe, p. 132.
24
Ibidem, p. 135: «Astfel, unitatea organică a Bisericii, Trup al lui Hristos, nu-i
permite acesteia să se divizeze în părţi (...) nu închide fiecare Biserică într-un organism
independent ce nu are nevoie de alte Biserici».
25
Ibidem, p. 136. «Şi iarăşi: «Sinodul episcopilor nu este organul puterii exercitate
asupra Bisericii, dar nici o adunare a reprezentanţilor Bisericii, ci expresia unităţii
Bisericii, vocea sa mânată de Duhul».
26
Cf. Ibidem, p. 119.
111
présidait dans l’amour (Rom. 1, 3). Il est impossible de rappeler ici tous les
témoignages des Père et des synodes qui, en totalité, reconnaissent Rome
comme la première Eglise, le centre universel de toutes les Eglises»27. En
tout cas le primat serait spécifique autant à Pecclésiologie universelle qu’à
celle de l’eucharistie; mais si dans la première il se confond au pouvoir, dans
la deuxième le primat n’est pas compris en tant que pouvoir en soi- même,
mais en tant qu’une fonction honorifique, d’après l’image «de la priorité»
du Père au sein de la Sainte Trinité. Par une analogie de la trinité dans cette
hiérarchie il y a une première Eglise et un seul évêque. La hiérarchie ne
déprécie pas les Eglises, elle ne les soumet pas l’une à l’autre, mais son rôle
est de faire de chaque église un tout et d’un tout une seule église, Le corps
de Christ «la plénitude qui réalise tout dans le tout»28.
A partir de cette expérience du primat universel dans l’Eglise primaire,
le théologue et le liturgiste russe proclame la réévaluation, au-delà des ar-
guments polémiques et apologétiques, de sa signification et surtout du rôle
qu’il a eu et doit avoir dans l’Eglise, comme garant de l’unité ecclésiastique.
Schmemann milite assidûment pour l’unité de toutes les églises sous la
direction d’évêque de Rome, car le primat universel est voué a empêcher
la séparation des Eglises locales, «a garder et exprimer l’unité dans la foi
et dans la vie, leur communion de penser, et a défendre les Eglises locales
de s’isoler dans le provincialisme des traditions locales...»29 Si «le primat
est l’expression générale de l’unité de la foi et de la vie des Eglises locales
et des communautés vives et concrètes de cette vie», quand même on doit
mettre en parallèle ce fait avec le rôle de tout évêques dans le maintien et
l’expression de unité ecclésiale. «Le primat, écrit Schmemann, est un pou-
voir, mais ce pouvoir ne diffère pas de celui que l’évêque a dans l’Eglise; il
n’est pas supérieur à celui-ci. Il s’agit justement du même pouvoir unique
de chacun et de tous, de l’Eglise et des Eglises. On doit préciser que dans la
tradition canonique le primat est toujours représenté par un évêque d’une
Eglise et non pas d’un évêque en général».30
Il se peut que la plus importante contribution que Schmemann ait eu
dans la renaissance de la théologie liturgique de l’Eglise Orthodoxe pen-
27
Ibidem, p. 141.
28
Ibidem, p. 143.
29
Ibidem, p. 124.
30
Ibidem, p. 143.
112
dant le 20-ième siècle consiste à mettre en évidence la Liturgie comme une

série des actes sacramentaux par lesquels l’homme s’unit à Dieu et parti-
cipe à la vie divine. La présence du Christ dans l’Eucharistie comme Esprit
Réalisateur, Sacrifice et Sacrificateur ouvre une perspective eschatologique
à l’Eglise: «Toute la nouveauté, l’unicité réelle et absolue de la Liturgie
chrétienne a été incluse dans l’essence eschatologique comme l’apparition
[parusia?] de l’avenir, la découverte de l’avenir, l’implication au royaume
[au règne] du siècle qui va venir».31
Dès le début l’Eglise a été vue en tant que «le ciel sur la terre» juste-
ment à cause de la certitude que dans l’Eucharistie les croyants reçoivent la
communion avec Le Corps et le Sang du Jésus incarné, crucifié, ressuscité
et élevé (ascensionné). «[...] L’Eucharistie est la manifestation de l’Eglise en
tant que nouvel éon; c’est la participation dans le Royaume comme pré-
sence du Dieu qui a ressuscité et nous a donné la vie. Ce n’est pas la répé-
tition de Son apparition et de Son arrivée dans le monde, mais l’élévation
de l’Eglise à Sa gloire divine». Le jour ou la Liturgie s’est accomplie dans
l’Eglise primaire était justement le «8-ième», le jour sans fin – non pas «le
jour du repos», le sabbat [samedi], mais le jour du royaume, le symbole de
l’éternité dans lequel vit l’Eglise, le Dimanche. Ce jour, le premier de «la
nouvelle création», offre aussi une dimension pascale de la Liturgie, déter-
minant ceux qui participent à l’assemblée eucharistique, prêtres et laïcs, à
dépasser le cadre temporel profane, chronologique. C’est pourquoi Sch-
memann n’est pas d’accord avec l’accomplissement de la Liturgie chaque
jour. Selon lui, ce n’est que la Liturgie de dimanche qui garde le caractère
d’événement eschatologique et de fête de l’Eglise ainsi comme la Liturgie
l’a eu dans l’époque primaire.
Une autre conséquence de ce qu’on vient d’affirmer là-dessus consiste
dans «la révision” de la pratique de la communion eucharistique ainsi
comme la propose Schmemann. Sous l’action des différents facteurs histo-
riques - la diminution du niveau moral des croyants à la suite du baptême
de l’Empire Romain, la pratique de l’accomplissement des Liturgies chaque
jour par l’apparition du monachisme, la conception juridique, légale de
l’Eucharistie dans la théologie de «l’école» – on est arrivé à la conception
pour les laïcs d’une règle pour recevoir la communion qui rappelle plutôt
de «l’excommunication» que de la participation à la communion ecclésiale.
31
Idem, Euharistia – Taina împărăţiei, p. 49.
113
«La communion est devenue pour les laïcs plutôt une exception qu’une
règle, étant donné que, par une communion déméritée, on arrive à une
profanation»32.
En examinant plus attentivement les causes qui ont mené à une pra-
tique rare de la communion dans l’Eglise Orthodoxe, Schmemann pense
qu’il peut identifier deux types de spiritualités: une spiritualité des laïcs
(communautaire) basée sur l’office divin de la Liturgie seulement le di-
manche, jeune communautaire, confession sacramentelle et typique ec-
clésiale communautaire, et une spiritualité des religieux (individualiste),
apparue dès le 4-ième siècle et basée sur l’accomplissement quotidien de la
Liturgie, jeune ascétique, confession charismatique et typique monacal.33
La consécration du «typique monacal” a signifié une «trahison» de
la fonction détenue par le monachisme. Au début issu d’une efferves-
cence eschatologique, comme un mouvement strictement laïque, comme
«quelque chose élémentaire et discontinu» et non pas comme un «établis-
sement ou une institution de l’Eglise», puis il a triomphé et a pénétré dans
toutes les sphères de l’Eglise, événement grave car sa conception initiale se-
rait effacée au détriment d’une compréhension dans le langage et les tradi-
tions spéculatives néoplatoniques (Origène, les Pères Capadocieni, Evagrie
et Pseudo-Dyonise, jusqu’à Maxim Le Confesseur).34
Aussi le monachisme aurait-il mené l’apparition et la généralisation de
la pratique d’avouer les péchés avant la communion. Voilà ce que Schme-
mann écrivait concernant le Sacrement de la Confession: «Les moines ont
introduit une nouvelle forme de confession de nature non sacrementale
et qui se réfère à dévoiler les pensées à la face d’un vieux moine, appelée
confession spirituelle. Les deux confessions ont fusionné et ont produit un
détournement de la spiritualité»35.
La conviction du théologue russe était que dans l’Eglise primaire tous
les chrétiens qui participaient le dimanche à la Sainte Liturgie recevaient
la communion. Donc, la confession ne peut être pour lui qu’un obstacle
32
Idem, Postul Mare, ed. 1998, p. 132-133.
33
C. Toma, ,Xex orandi, lex est credendi sau unitatea dintre dogmă, spiritualitate şi
cultul Bisericii”, în Alexander Schmemann, Introducere în teologia liturgică, p. 35.
34
Idem, Postul Mare, ed. a Il-a, trad. A şi L. Constantin, Ed. Doris, Bucureşti,
1998, p. 132-133.
35
Idem, Postul Mare, p. 140.
114
sur la voie de la communion avec le Christ36, ce qui n’arrivait pas jusqu’au

4-ième siècle.
Ce n’est qu’alors, une fois le rôle de la typique monacale dans la pra-
tique liturgique a été accentué, qu’on aurait renoncé à une communion
de dimanche généralisé; auparavant seulement les péchés les plus graves
- tout à fait différents des péchés excusables – auraient été vus comme un
obstacle pour recevoir l’Eucharistie; il s’agit de l’apostasie, le meurtre et la
débauche. En admettant le relativisme de l’importance du Sacrement de
la Confession, Schmemann écrivait: «La théologie scolastique a transféré
l’accent de la pénitence et de la conciliation avec l’Eglise vers une rémis-
sion des péchés donnée par le prêtre, représentée presque exclusivement
en termes du pouvoir juridique où la rémission devient un pouvoir en
soi-même»37. Donc indispensable pour recevoir l’Eucharistie ce n’est pas
l’aveu des péchés mais les autres conditions: l’amour envers Dieu et les
prières pour la rémission des péchés. «La principale raison pour partici-
per à la Communion est l’amour. On reçoit la Communion purement et
simplement parce qu’on aime Christ et on souhaite s’unir à Lui. L’amour
est au-delà du désir et du pardon, de la conciliation et de la guérison. Il
transcende aussi le problème du mérite et le démérite parce que le but de
toute pénitence et de la prière est l’amour pour Christ»38. L’idée du mérite
et du démérite est pour Schmemann une réminiscence de la théorie des
«mérites» de la théologie scolastique occidentale qui nie «le démérite» créa-
turel de l’être humain par rapport à Christ, «Le visage du Dieu, Celui qui
est invisible» (Col. 1, 8). C’est la raison pour laquelle «l’Eglise primaire ap-
précie que personne – de toute la création – n’est digne de s’approcher du
Sang et du Corps de Christ par ses vertus spirituelles, sa dignité, et que la
préparation ne consiste jamais dans le calcul et l’analyse de la préparation
et de la non préparation, mais dans la réponse à l’amour par l’amour»39.
Dans la vision de Schmemann ni le jeune avec ses deux formes, total
avec une abstention absolue du repas et des boissons pour un court temps,
ni celui ascétique avec une abstention de quelques plats et leur diminu-
36
Ibidem, p. 141: «Neglijarea Tainelor a dus la o împărtăşire rară sau anuală a
credincioşilor; spovedania a devenit un obstacol pentru comunitatea euharistică, întrucât
credincioşii se excomunică singuri prin neparticiparea la Euharistie [...]».
37
Idem, Postul Mare, p. 142.
38
Ibidem p. 135.
39
Ibidem, p. 243.
115
tion quantitative –, n’a une fonction préparatif pour la communion, mais

seulement une fonction de culte; il n’a pas un but ascétique mais surtout
communautaire, en vue de la préparation et de l’attente du Marié.40
Sans insister sur ces affirmations, on dira que quelques-unes d’entre
elles sont exagérées et permettent des ambiguïtés. La tentative de désigner
deux types de spiritualités n’est pas fondé; l’aveu des pensées devant un
vieux (geron, startsi) n’a pas été confondu avec la Confession sacramen-
telle, qui menait aussi la rémission des péchés; on rencontre Le Sacrement
de la Confession dans l’histoire de l’Eglise avant le 4-ième siècle41; enfin la
pratique ascétique est nécessaire pour la Communion car, tout comme les
textes néotestamentaires le soulignent, elle est donnée pour Royaume des
Cieux mais aussi pour la punition, selon le mérite ou le démérite du fidèle
(1 Cor. 11, 27-29): «N’importe qui mangera ce pain ou boira le verre du
Dieu sera coupable face au corps et au sang de Dieu d’une manière blâ-
mable. [...] Celui qui mange et boit, avec une punition blâmable mange et
boit, déconsidérant le corps du Dieu»).42
40
Ibidem, p. 54.
41
Vezi Didahia sau învăţătura celor doisprezece apostoli, în Părinţi Apostolici vol.
1, EIBMBOR, Bucureşti, 1979, p. 27: «Dans l’assemblée, tu confesseras tes fautes
et tu n’iras pas à ta prière avec mauvaise conscience... le jour dominical du Seigneur,
rassemblez-vous pour romper le pain et render grâce, après avoir en outré confessé vos
fautes pour que votre sacrifice soit pur...Si guelqu’un est saint, qu’il vienne! Si quelqu’un
ne l’est pas, qu’il fasse penitence!... » (Dans la collection Sources chrétiennes, c’est le vol
248, La doctrine des douze apôtres. Didachè, Paris 1978, p. 165, 193, 183).
42
Pentru detalii vezi C. Toma, «Lex ornadi, lex est credendi sau unitatea dintre
dogmă, spiritualitate şi cultul Bisericii», în Alexander Schmemann, Introducere în
teologia liturgică, p. 32-45.
116
On Manliness in Christ, “The New Adam”
at St. Cyril of Alexandria
This study wants to exemplify, on the one hand, that the person and
work of Jesus Christ is the central theme of the writings of St. Cyril of
Alexandria and, on the other hand, that the Christological dimension of
this work has a dual purpose, not only strictly dogmatic, but also ethical.
Taking over the theme of cardinal virtues of manliness and courage from
ancient Greek philosophy, St. Cyril gave it a deeply Christian content. In
his view, Jesus Christ is the One who possesses the virtue of manliness par
excellence; Also, St. Cyril of Alexandria emphasized the key role that man-
liness has (strength irascible) – when it is returned to its natural purpose
– the dynamic of spiritual life. We speak of a indispensable quality on the
way of salvation of man.
Saint Cyril of Alexandria (cca. 375-27 June 444) is one of the most
important holy Fathers of the Church, author of an impressive theological
work which numbers not less than ten volumes of Greek Patrology edited
by J.P. Migne. He remained in the history of the Church especially because
of the fight carried out against the two great heresies of his time, Arian-
ism and, especially, Nestorianism. Several commentators of the Cyrillian
work have highlighted the speculative theological spirit which Saint Cyril
of Alexandria had1. This spirit would be reflected especially in the writings
*
Published in Mitropolia Olteniei, Special Issue: Saint Cyril of Alexandria, No. 1/
2014, p. 22-34.
1
See especially Steven A. McKinion, Words, Imagery, and the Mystery of Christ: A
Reconstruction of Cyril of Alexandria’s Christology, Brill, Leiden-Boston-Köln, 2000, and
Susan Wessel, Cyril of Alexandria and the Nestorian Controversy: The Making of a Saint and
of a Heretic, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2004. In our opinion, the most balanced
modern monograph dedicated to the Cyrillian thinking is that of John McGuckin, St.
Cyril of Alexandria: The Christological Controversy: Its History, Theology, and Texts, St.
Vladimir’s Seminary Press, New York, 2004.
117
directed against the heresy of Nestorius. The emphasis is therefore on the

work after the beginning of 429, which should not surprise us because of
the more extensive information we have compared to the first period of
his life. Before the year 429 about Cyril is known only that he was born in
Alexandria, in a prominent family, being the nephew of Patriarch Theo-
philus of Alexandria; he lived for a time as a monk in the wilderness, and
in 403 he accompanied his uncle at the Council of Constantinople, which
deposed St. John Chrysostom from the patriarch seat. On October 17,
412 was elected Patriarch of Alexandria, following his uncle Theophilus,
who had died two days before.
In this study we refer to the writing published in PG vol. 68, “Wor-
ship and Ministry in Spirit and Truth”2. It is a work written before the
controversy with Nestorius. Here the emphasis is on the interpretation of
the Old Testament sacrifices as images of Christ’s sacrifice and our spiritual
sacrifice in Christ. In the words of the translator of the book into Roma-
nian, Cyril’s writing proves “a strong emphasis on the positive importance
of the sacrifice without which no man can come to God, because it is the
opposite of selfishness. But only the sacrifice cleaned of all selfishness gives
us the opportunity to go to God. And such a sacrifice was done only by
the Son of God made man. And only in union with Him we can bring
ourselves as pure sacrifices”3.
The central theme that had preoccupied Saint Cyril is the Person of
Christ. The Cyrillian work, despite what has been said, does not have a
speculative character, but purely theoretical. On the contrary, his pres-
entation of Christ as the Son of God made man is seconded by another
fundamental idea: that in Jesus Christ we save ourselves. The Son of God
made man is therefore our only salvation, the only one who has the power
to save us from death that occurred after the dominion of sin and the devil.
The one called by God to correction and redemption has to follow Christ,
2
Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Scrieri partea întâia: Închinarea şi slujirea în duh şi
adevăr (Works. First Part – Worship and Service in Spirit and Truth) (col. Fathers and
Writers of the Church, volume 38), translation, introduction and notes by Fr. Prof.
PhD. Dumitru Stăniloae, Publishing House of the Bible and Mission Institute of the
Romanian Orthodox Church, Bucharest, 1991.
3
Ibidem, p. 9.
118
On Manliness in Christ, “The New Adam” at St. Cyril of Alexandria
to deny passions and to compel himself to live “orderly” with all his will,
that is to perform the virtues.
In Saint Cyril’s writing, “Worship and Ministry in Spirit and Truth”,
the second, the third and the fourth books present exactly this journey
from death to life through sanctification of all people in Christ. The sub-
ject of our study is the fifth book, which deals with “manliness in Christ”4.
Our analysis will seek to demonstrate the concern of Saint Cyril of Alex-
andria for the religious and moral perfection of believers, namely to em-
phasize that his concern for the true dogmas has a soteriological purpose:
to preserve and share the authentic teaching of the Church is equivalent to
the path of salvation.
Before proceeding to analyze manliness by Saint Cyril is appropriate
to write something about his possible inspiration for, as we know, this con-
cept is not an original one, specific only to Christianity, but also appears
also in ancient philosophy. Manliness (Andria) is one of the four cardinal
virtues. For example, Plato argued that the man and the state possess these
four virtues: wisdom, courage (ie manliness), temperance and justice. No
incidentally any society is divided into four categories or castes5.
Thus the classical education profoundly influenced Christianity.
Whether it is the initiation in the teaching of the Church, whether it is the
moral formation of Christians, Christian education did not dissolve, but
wanted to fulfill and perfect the ideals of ancient education. In this respect
the search of the cardinal virtues is not abolished, but fulfilled by the three
theological virtues: faith, hope and love (see I Corinthians, chapter 13).
Between ancient philosophy and Christianity is a phenomenon that has
been called “cultural osmosis”: “Christianity requires a minimum of civi-
lization. Or, if the classical education was a wonderful technique to form
a perfectly developed human type why try unnecessary to develop another
system of education. However, it really comes a time when one must graft
on the man himself the religious branch of the supernatural Gift…”6. With
4
See Ibidem, p. 147 a.s.o.
5
Kenneth O. Gangel and Warren S. Benson, Christian Education: Its History and
Philosophy, translated into Romanian by Cornelia Stoica, Cartea Creştină Publishing,
Oradea, 1994, p. 38.
6
Henri Irenee Marrou, History of Education in Antiquity, 2nd volume, translation
and foreword by Stela Petecel, Meridiane Publishing, Bucharest, 1997, pp. 137-138.
119
these words Henri Irenee Marrou emphasized how Christianity accepts the
classical education and its values. He also cites the Schools of Rome and
Alexandria7. Even if begining with the fourth century these schools enter
into a “formal regression”8, we still accept that ancient philosophical ideals
of education influenced Christian education9. It is very possible that in the
teachings of Saint Cyril of Alexandria made available to his parishioners,
to have to do with an intermingling of classical philosophy values and the
religious and moral formation in accordance with the teaching of the Gos-
pel. The suggestive illustration in this regard comes from the exposure of
the manner in which Saint Cyril refers to the “manliness of Christ”.
Continuing the ideas said in the fourth book Saint Cyril starts up in
the fifth book from the example of Saints who, like Christ, “do not love
and do not acquire anything from the world”. Turned away from all the
worldly passions, saints appear wise, strong, full of hope, so “surrounded
by a wall of good will from above”. Showing themselves higher than fleet-
ing desires they turn out to be capable of victory against those who op-
pose them. In accordance with the allegorical exegetical method, specific
to the Alexandrian school, Cyril uses for exemplification certain Old Testa-
ment passages that he declares to his interlocutor Palladius as being “faces
(types) and shades of truth”10. The text of reference is the one from Joshua
chapter 6 where it is exposed the crossing of Jordan River by the Israelites
and the attack on Jericho. If the fight of the Israelites was a physical one,
the Christians’ is not against “blood and flesh” but “against principalities,
against powers, against the tyrannical rulers from the members of our body
(Ephesians 6:12, Romans 7:25)”. Christians’ fight is therefore a spiritual
one; they bear “the divine and spiritual armor” and their weapons are “not
carnal”, but they show themselves shining with “the greatness of the divine
justice”. Being dressed in these bright weapons of justice, the Saints are the
warriors, the army of Christ. Opening themselves to God, to good, Saints
7
Saint Cyril of Alexandria, op. cit., pp. 148-150.
8
Ibidem, p. 151.
9
An excellent exposure of the paideic Christian vision of the School in Alexandria
at Vlad Niculescu, Origen şi tradiţia şcolii catehetice din Alexandria (Origen and the
Tradition of the Catechetical School of Alexandria), in Altarul Banatului (Shrine of Banat),
9 (1998), no. 1-3, pp. 8-30.
10
Saint Cyril of Alexandria, op. cit., p. 147.
120
receive power to fight the devil, the evil. Giving their lives to God, they
are like the children of Israel that took into the treasury of the Lord all the
silver, gold, copper and iron. The warriors led by Jesus Navi could however
retain and enjoy all other prey, as reward for the manly fight they fought.
Giving up silver, gold, bronze and iron was done to show that not the
transient values of this world are those that really matter. In the allegorical
interpretation of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, the mentioned elements are a
type for “high dignities splendor” (silver), wealth (gold), “faithless dogmas
of Greek wisdom” (copper), respectively of power or height (iron)11.
When man turns his eyes from God, and he does not keep His com-
mandments, he becomes weak. This happened when the Israelites attacked
Ai (see Joshua 7:2-5). The sin against the Lord God of Israel, committed
by Achan (Joshua 7:19-21) was reflected on all the children of Israel (see I
Corinthians 5:6)12.
Referring to Deuteronomy 22:5 (“The woman shall not wear that
which pertained unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s gar-
ment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord, your God”), Saint
Cyril shows that Saints do not behave “with thoughts of two kinds, oppos-
ing” but “in one way”. They have clear conscience and unitary, also mani-
festing strength. “So, the meditation easily bent and soft of some should
not give semblance of manliness – draws attention Saint Cyril; neither the
one really vigorous should not look for softness, because it means that man
11
Ibidem, pp. 148-149. In a footnote, Father Dumitru Stăniloae points out that
gold, silver, glory, wisdom or the power are not bad in themselves. They become so
when they are used by humans selfishly. Rather, “when they are given to God, they are
good, because from God they are in the world and from Him are potentially planted
in the humans”. When accompanied by humility, and not by pride, the greatness
of man, his wisdom and strength truly transform themselves, becoming reasons
and means of service and praise of God and service to others”. See Ibidem, p. 149,
footnote 157b.
12
“Who uses badly the gifts put by God in our nature – shows father Stăniloae –
brings evil upon all the congregation, both by example that he gives, as well as the fact
that his evil deeds turn to others waking their reaction, stretching thus the evil upon all.
Neither the good nor the bad leave man in isolation. Even if through the evil he wants
to serve the selfish interests only. Its closed gates are dark gates, radiating darkness. The
wicked, though seem locked in their selfishness, are hotbeds of darkness and examples
of spiteful selfishness, for selfishness can not meet without exploiting others, without the
will to rise above others”. Ibidem, p. 151, footnote 159.
121
should not dress in women’s clothes. For wickedness is in both cases and
such sins are a reproach brought to virtue”13.
What is the meaning of the quote above? Being guided also by a re-
mark made by Father Dumitru Stăniloae in a footnote, we emphasize that it
is not a question of misogynism. The virtue of manliness is attributed to the
human person as a spiritual quality, not a physical one. In other words, it
is not about male or female, but the power of the human person to be free,
to be able to rise above the lustful weaknesses. In this sense the Apostle Paul
says that in Christ there is neither male nor female, and requires all his ad-
dressees, male or female, to reach “unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13-14). Those who went
beyond “the wiles waves of wickedness” prove this virtue: on the one hand,
a woman who does not succumb temptation is “male in spirit” and, on the
other hand, a man possessed of all weaknesses is “a woman in soul”. That
this is the sense referred to by Saint Cyril himself we see from this urging:
“the one truly vigorous and brave (whether it is male or female, o.u.) must
not leave his mind be bent by indifference, but to keep it above all fear and
fatigue and constant and righteous through faith in God, saying: «All I can
through Christ who strengthens me» (Philippians 4:13)”14.
Referring to another Old Testament text from Deuteronomy 20:1-8,
Saint Cyril emphasizes that the true believer must not be afraid, but to rely
boldly on the help of God. Thus he is able to enhance in virtues and pursue
“every good work manfully”. This fact is synonymous with seeing life in
this world “as a transition”. This conclusion is reached also by an allegori-
cal interpretation of scriptural texts: “So divine Abraham lived as a passer
in tents and move from place to place”, writes Saint Cyril, then recalling
the words of the prophet David: “Forgive me, that I am stranger on earth,
as all my fathers” (Psalms 38:17). Here we have examples of people who
“think about those above and thirst for the sanctuaries in heaven”, ie after
the eternal goods which the Saviour Himself promised to those who love
Him, as everlasting gifts of the Kingdom of Heaven (John 14:2-3)15.
In antithesis is exposed the example of those who do not possess
the virtue of manliness. Weak in spirit they resemble those scolded by
13
Ibidem, p. 152.
14
Ibidem, pp. 152-153.
15
See Ibidem, pp. 153-154.
122
St. Paul because they wanted to prevent him to go up to Jerusalem (See

Acts 21:13). Again, Saint Cyril of Alexandria analyzes a text from the Old
Testament, the one from Numbers 13:24-29, to condemn those who are
fearful and do not put courage in God. The sons of Israel disregard the
promise made to them by God (Numbers 13:1, 3) and they look fearful
except the wise and brave Halep and Joshua (Numbers 13:31). Everyone
around them demonstrate however cowardice, which makes God to deny
them the right to enter the Promised Land (except Calep the son of Jep-
hunneh and Joshua son of Navi, cf. Numbers 14:30).
The text above is interpreted by Saint Cyril as a conclusive evidence
that 1) the coward and the one with little faith may lose also those around
him, ruining them through wicked words, and 2) he who does not have
faith and hope in God, is neither hard or vigorous, ie being possessed
by worldly pleasures is unable to successfully bear the spiritual battle. At
the opposite pole is the one who possesses wisdom and thoughtfulness
(Proverbs 7:4). This, persisting in the practice of virtue, and making them
familiar, can bring forth the gifts that God gave him. This persistence in
virtue gives him the power to oppose the evil (see Acts 15:28-29). Virtue
becomes therefore a “the wife of Saints” (Deuteronomy 24:5) whom the
righteous rejoices unceasingly. We are cautioned that this path of virtue
is not easy. The exemplification comes, again, with a text from the Old
Testament: the one from Exodus 15:22-25, showing how the Israelites,
gone from Egypt, were rushing to get to the land promised once to their
parents. But they encounter the first barrier, the lack of water, finding it
after long labors, moreover, bitter. After sinking a piece of wood in it, ac-
cording to the words spoken by God to Moses, the water becomes sweet
and pleasant. Here’s how Saint Cyril of Alexandria interprets this biblical
episode: “So, guided by the divine law to the necessity to decide to follow
God, Who brought us out from the slavery of passions, and to get free
from the tyranny of demons is needful to sweat in trials and win the crown
of praise, melting those of the body through ascetic labors and taming, as
a terrible beast, through thirst and hunger, the untamed movement that
eternally seeks towards pleasure … and I do not think anyone could learn
virtue differently. So, the thirst borne by the old in the desert is the image
(type) of the ascetic labors and the beginning of the exercises in the body.
For, he notes, they do not go immediately to war. This is because to those
123
who have recently started to resist manfully the passions and acquire vir-
tue, are not immediately given the fight against principalities and powers,
from the lack of bravery and safety of those tried, but are tested through
bodily labors, God measuring the weight of the labors with the powers of
those tempted”16.
Even more important is that typological interpretation that Saint Cyril
makes to the piece of wood sunk by Moses into the bitter water to make it
safe to drink: “And labors for the virtue being very bitter, are turned into
sweet and pleasant by Christ who appointed Himself and he is the tree
of life”. In support of this interpretation Saint Cyril even recalls Christ’s
words from Luke 23:31, where He calls Himself green and flourishing
wood17. The fact that Christ is the “tree of life” makes that human labors
(asceticism), which are bitter, that is grind the body, be those that make
the soul partaker to life everlasting. St. Paul suggests this in his texts from
II Corinthians 12:9 and I Corinthians 4:16. He Who partakes with Christ
also has “the sweet hope” in him because he receives the power to be the
Son of God. This is the case of the saints who departed themselves from
those transient and heard the words of the Lord (Matthew 5:18). They
were honored by the sight and knowledge of God, becoming “familiar” to
Christ. The saints have Jesus Christ as “before-fighter and forerunner” and
from Him comes the power because Christ was the first to defeat Satan.
Christ’s words from John 16:33 – “… be of good cheer; I have overcome
the world!” – should be understood as: “He is the first to face because of us
and for us, death, and has broken its rule, and we found new rest, renew-
ing ourselves for incorruption. The first who entered heaven, taming, on
the one hand, the revolving sword, and leading away, on the other hand,
from us the sin that stopped our entrance. He was wounded for our trans-
16
17
Father Dumitru Stăniloae writes that “Christ is the tree eternally green, for He is
the tree of everlasting life”. Then he adds the following: “If he as a person was subjected
to death, how would not be subjected all those transient of the world, but as he passed
through death to resurrection, so they will also pass through the power of God”. The
Romanian theologian recalls the habit of adorning on the occasion of someone’s funeral,
a basket of apples and sweet cakes offered to the deceased’s godfather for he instructed
the deceased in the faith of Jesus Christ. This Romanian traditional custom symbolizes
the fact that “the sleeper is not dead”, but rather awaits the second coming of Jesus
Christ. See Ibidem, p. 159, footnote 164.
124
gressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)”18.
Therefore the Christological-soteriological conception of Saint Cyril
of Alexandria meets our idea of salvation
through its paying by Christ for
us, with the idea our healing through His death and resurrection. His act
of kenosis, of assuming the condition of man and passing through death,
permits to all people to rise beyond it. Hence those who follow Christ are
empowered to bear death. We find synthesized the three components of
our salvation19: 1) our victory in Christ’s humanity, by supporting it, trans-
formed in the West in the legal theory of satisfaction, 2) the union of the
sacrificed and risen Christ to us through the Father (mystical-ontological
component) and 3) helped by Christ in us, our contribution to the victory
over sin and the strengthening of our spirit for the Resurrection (ontolog-
ical-ascetic component).
Through the same typological method (allegorical-symbolic) with
which we are accustomed, St. Cyril makes a symbolic equivalence between
the ark (Numbers 10:33-36; 11:1-3; 21:4-6) and Jesus Christ. Just as the
ark went ahead the children of Israel, so Christ goes ahead of us; also
Christ did help us and covered us unto salvation, just as the ark “shad-
owed” the children of Israel, when they set up camp. If the faithful are
under the covering unto salvation, unbelievers, cowards, receive punish-
ment from God, in a manner similar to those who were punished because
they murmured against God and Moses, calling manna from heaven snake
bread. They perished being bitten by deadly snakes. Same way, shows Saint
Cyril, “those who dishonor, by their grievances, the Savior and Redeemer
of all and do not put any value on the grace of freedom and, moreover,
gossip as useless His life-giving word and the gift given by the Spirit (etc.),
they shall perish from the deadly bites of Baal”20.
Therefore, if those filled with faith have the strength to overcome en-
emies (see Psalms 90:13: “You shall tread upon the lion and adder: the
young lion and the dragon shall you trample under feet.”), those without
faith, “those drowsy and fallen into discouragement”, ie those who do not
want to work for virtues, will perish. The latter are those who delude them-
18
Ibidem, p. 161.
19
This is highlighted in a note by Father Stăniloae, see Ibidem, p. 162.
20
Ibidem, p. 163.
125
selves, which is actually the reason why they bear God’s punishment: “Woe
unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light,
and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). In father Staniloae’s comment, this
biblical verse shows how the one that does wrong can find excuses for his
behaviour calling the wrong good and the good wrong. It is a state of per-
versity: one can not choose evil if he does not give it the mask of good, just
as one can not refuse good if he does not give it the mask of evil. Achieving
good requires effort, because no value is earned, not worth it, without wea-
riness. That is why God was angry “with wrath” on the children of Israel
who murmured and regretted the state of slavery in Egypt (see Numbers
11:4 a.s.o.). In the same comment of Father Staniloae this idea ought to be
retained: “God is angry not out of hatred, but out of love of people”. It is
involved here a deep pedagogical sense, for he “punishes their failings from
good, because they do not realize themselves as real people by doing so,
therefore, because he wants to bring them to the path that goes up to the
authentic man that can be achieved only in union with God, the source of
perfection”. Another meaning involved is the communautaire one: “But
when God sees that through the bad consequences that come upon men,
they would not change their lives, being strengthened in their perversity,
leaves their lives to be lost, but this is done as well from love, to say as an
example for the good people, that they should beware of following the
example of those, seeing them lost”21.
It is time Saint Cyril to bring into question the role of priests and the
Church in the acquisition and persistence in the virtue of manliness. He
points out that not by chance God gave “the most wise Moses” a number
of seventy men to be “co-workers and helpers”. It also should not lose
sight of the role of manna as “the word of God”, ie spiritual food (under-
standable), for those who value the spiritual more than the earthly ones.
“For he that sowed to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption” is said
in Galatians 6:8. Living for the flesh brings death. Dropping the disease
of corruption, is said in Galatians 5:16, is not walking and not fulfill-
ing the lust of the flesh. Those who want to follow Christ must take His
cross (Matthew 16:24). “So, those who have decided to be truly learners
must beware of impatience in labors, the cowardly murmuring and the un-
21
See Ibidem, p. 164, footnotes 168b and 170.
126
grateful inventions, and most impious of all, that is one with passion and
lust”22. With reference to the text in Ecclesiastes 2:15, it is recalled that the
true Christian must go on one path, the path of Christ. Salvation is gained
not only by what Christ has done for us (objective salvation), but also what
we do like Him (subjective salvation) – of course, with the power of Christ
also,Who dwells in us sacrificed and risen.
Living in this world is not necessarily a problem to be in communion
with Christ. The Saviour Himself told us: “Father, I will that they also,
whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am” (John 17:24). Thus,
even if we are still in this world, we may be with Christ if we strive “to do
ourselves shelter and rest for His good pleasure”. Then Saint Cyril makes
another reference and allegorical interpretation of a text from the Old Tes-
tament, the tent covered by the cloud of God from Numbers 9:15-23. In a
spiritual sense, “the true tent” is the Church, which is filled with the glory
of Christ. Saint Cyril is not bothered by the fact that the children of Israel
went on the road sometimes, and sometimes stopped. “The Scripture – he
writes – does not make any distinction between them, leaving together
and stopping together being the image our will to be with God”23. Father
Dumitru Stăniloae comments this Cyrillian passage thus, with reference
to the ecclesial community: “The Church here goes, here it stops. It not
only stands and not only goes furher, but alternates advancing with rest-
ing. It is identical to itself, but also has movement to rest in the future life.
It meditates and works. For Christ Himself is the same, but He always
discovers Himself to us at a new level. And both advancing and stopping is
accomplished by the whole community. No one commits them separately
from the others…”24.
Regarding the advance of the children of Israel towards the promised
land, a symbol of submission of Church members towards God’s King-
dom, Saint Cyril of Alexandria reminds of the growth in Christ, of ad-
vancing towards “perfect man”, rendering however the text in Philippians
3:15, that underlies the theological concept of epectase. Moreover, we find
here the same interpretation: the transition from unbelief to faith, from
vice and indulgence towards the will to perform and ponder the best, all
22
Ibidem, p. 166.
23
Ibidem, p. 168.
24
See Ibidem, p. 168, footnote 176.
127
backed by highlighting a continuously uphill towards union with Christ.

Saint Cyril mentions the three stages of spiritual ascent under the guid-
ance of Christ (see John 15:5: “For, without Me, you can do nothing”): 1)
the transition from ignorance of God to the knowledge of Him, and from
unbelief to faith, 2) from passions to virtues and 3) continued growth to
perfect man into the image of Christ 25.
One of the last extensive quotations from the Old Testament inter-
preted by Saint Cyril is the one in Numbers 10:1 a.s.o. Here is recount-
ed God’s command to Moses, “herald of the divine” to make two silver
trumpets to be used to call the meeting and leaving the camp in all four
corners of the land. As if foretelling the disputes against the heresy of Ne-
storius, disputes he would face later, Saint Cyril interprets as follows this
Old Testament text: “The trumpets are two, because the preaching of the
Church is twofold. One leads the faithful to the divine knowledge of dog-
mas and shows the falsehood ofthe teachings of those who spoil them ...
Another leads to moral straightening and brightens the pathway of the life
in Christ”. The trumpets are made of silver because this material shows
“by its nature delicately, the brightness and purity of both teaching”. The
trumpets are meant to call people to the tent as a sign to call the faithful to
church “to proceed from the shame towards the most proper of the saints”,
“to move somewhat from bad to good”. Finally, it was commanded to be
given four special signs as through them to move and leave those from
the east, from south, from north and west, as a typological sign of the
four Gospels, “through which everyone is led towards dogmatic and moral
knowledge”26.
St. Cyril also points out that only the sons of Aaron were entitled to
call from these trumpets. He believes “that only those worthy of priest-
hood are appointed to use trumpets, entrusting them, I consider, only
to the teachers of the people and to those sanctified unto priesthood, the
word of teaching and preparing for the acquisition of virtue”27. In the
books eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth, Saint Cyril of Alexandria exposes
the image of the priesthood in Christ28. Here he is confined to point out
25
See father Stăniloae’s comment in Ibidem, p. 169, footnote 177.
26
27
Ibidem, p. 171.
28
See Ibidem, p. 373 a.s.o.
128
that, in the first place, the priests ought to walk with God (Micah 6:8),
both by word and deed. To be ready to walk with God is to rush to think
and to fulfill those of the Lord; to walk with the Lord God is a precious
thing and brings the glory of manliness29.
The last considerations from the fifth book of the Cyrillian work
“Worship in Spirit and in Truth” focuses on those who show themselves
cowards in faith. Specifically, it is addressed the case of clinical baptism, ie
the problem of those who refused to be baptized until near death, think-
ing that one auspicious occasion for the remission of all sins. “For many
are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14), recalls Saint Cyril, de-
nouncing the behavior of those who live together with the members of
the Church, fasting, for example, with them, but fearing to make the
decisive step towards entering the ecclesial communion through Baptism.
With reference to the children of Rubin and Gad, it is stated that the
former was born of water and the other from maid Zelfa. St. Cyril pro-
poses here the following allegorical interpretation: “So those called are
first born by faith and they received one chosen part from God, as related
to grace. But they are not lovers of freedom, because of their bending to
evil. And the church of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven, we say that they
are called those straightened of faith. But the firstborn is not lover of free-
dom, but rather partner and husband of those who do not run away from
the shame of slavery”30. This text quite complex and difficult is explained
by Father Dumitru Stăniloae in the sense that the one born of faith is not
necesarly straightened of faith. Those who had heard and had followed
Christ refused, however, to be baptized, that is to totally follow His path
from fear. In other words, in delaying baptism, they were slow to reach
complete freedom from sin. Hence the requirement of Saint Cyril to put
ourselves in the “hand of He Who defends us” and not let ourselves “get
sick of our unmanly cowardice”. On the contrary, “to strive manfully to
all that are helpful (o.u.) and count labors as an exercise to virtue, and not
contemplate otherwise, but it is God Who saves us and gives us strength
to fight against those who oppose us even if we should resist forces far
greater than ours”31.
29
See Ibidem, p. 172.
30
Ibidem, p. 174.
31
129
Conclusions
This study wanted to exemplify, on the one hand, that the person and
work of Jesus Christ is the central theme of the writings of Saint Cyril of
Alexandria and that, on the other hand, the Christological dimension of
this work has a dual nature, not only strictly dogmatic but ethical.
Taking the most likely the theme of cardinal virtues of manliness
or courage from ancient Greek philosophy, Saint Cyril gave it a deeply
Christian content. In his view, Jesus Christ is the One who possesses par
excellence the virtue of manliness; He was the one who successfully dealt
with the temptations of sin throughout His earthly life and with the same
strength has conquered death by crucifixion and Resurrection. The sote-
riological value of these saving acts makes people partakers of the fruits of
salvation. Regarding the virtue of manhood, the first ones that evince it
are the saints, and on the model of Christ Himself and of these “familiar”
of His, all Christians are called to prepare for the spiritual struggle against
evil by practicing the virtues. Note that St. Cyril emphasizes the role of
priests and the whole Church in the acquisition of virtues.
In conclusion of our study we refer to how a modern interpreter of the
writings of the Holy Fathers, Jean-Claude Larchet32, intended to show the
important role that the acquisition and the practice of virtue and manli-
ness has in healing the diseases of spiritual nature. Based on scriptural texts
(see Matthew 11:12, Luke 16:16 or Psalms 4:4) and patristic-philokalic
(quoted being saints Basil the Great, John Cassian, Hesychius of Sinai, Di-
adochos of Foticeeii or John the Solitary), this shows that, against sin, “the
new man” (the Christian) must use his “fierceness” to remove the passion-
ate impulses of “the old man”. This struggle against evil inclinations takes
the shape of the fight against thoughts (logismoi) sown by the devil in man.
Other Church Fathers, such as Gregory of Nyssa or Evagrius Ponticus
have stressed the need for spiritual strength of man against theattacks and
temptations that come from “the serpent Satan”. But the fight for good is
equivalent with planting into one’s senses the virtues of Christ, for only
in Him can man become “the new man”. In this respect Sf. Maximus the
Confessor said that “fierceness by nature has in itself manhood” (PG 91,
Jean-Claude Larchet, Therapy of Spiritual Illnesses, translated into Romanian by

32
Marinela Bojin, Sophia Publishing, Bucharest, 2001, p. 379 ş.u.
130
col. 309C), the latter term being synonymous with “well restrained anger,
without disorder (aparahos) in all appropriate with the state of unsuffering
(apatheia), which is the goal of asceticism (praxis)”33.
So, like other Church Fathers, Saint Cyril of Alexandria emphasized
the key role that manliness has (the irascible power) – when restored to its
natural purpose – in the dynamic of spiritual life. We talk of an essential
quality on the way of salvation, of deification of man (theosis): “Indeed,
we can not speak of spiritual life without a fight; man can not receive the
strength that God gives him, if he does not not tighten all his power; with-
out manliness, he can not face the ceaseless attacks of the enemies of his
salvation and can not cross their cunning webs. If thoughtfulness ... shines
and paves his way, he, through the power of fierceness, goes forward on
this path and crosses it all the way down”34.
33
Ibidem, p. 381.
34
Ibidem, p. 382.
131
Preaching the Gospel and Establishing Local Churches
Important Goals of the Mission*
The Orthodox theological thinking about mission has never been

developed in a systematic way, admits without hesitation in one of his
works the current Archbishop of Albania Anastasios Yannoulatos. This dif-
fers from Western thinking, more preocupied about the purpose and the
reason of the mission. Talking about the mission from the Orthodox view-
point entails a double risk: either limitating ourselves to repeating ideas
of others, after studying the Catholic and Protestant views, either filling
these two, in the sense of creating something totally distinct from them. A
third way, more serious, more modest, is the right one: avoiding the tactics
of controversy and meditating on Orthodox soteriology, ecclesiology and
eschatology from a missionary perspective1.
This view we had in mind when we worked on editing some lesser
known studies of one of the greatest Orthodox missionaries theologians of
the twentieth century, Fr. Prof. Ion Bria (June 19, 1929 – July 2, 2002)2.
Going through his texts, we realized that the critical reflections of Arch-
bishop Yannoulatos are not entirely valid; probably his intention was to
provoke theologians to reflect on the nature and specificity of Orthodox
mission, being convinced that, although he constantly had a “missionary
conscience” – proven by his activity – The Orthodox Church was not par-
ticularly concerned with the development of a “missionary system”, of a
*
Published in Making Mission from the Model of Christ. Internal and external
mission of the Church, edited by Pr. prof. dr. Aurel Pavel, Pr. lect. dr. Daniel Buda, Lect.
dr. Ciprian Iulian Toroczkai, Astra Museum, Sibiu, 2014, p. 127-137.
1
Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos), Mission in Christ’s Way. An Orthodox
Understanding of Mission, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, Brookline, Massachusetts/ World
Council of Churches Publications, Geneva, 2010, p. 41.
2
Ion Bria, Studii de Misiune și Ecumenism (Studies on Mission and Ecumenism),
Astra Museum Publishing, Sibiu, 2013.
132
“missionary theoretical basis”. On the other hand, in this study we want to

point out that it never missed from the Orthodox theologians the empha-
size on what mission is and is aimed to. As proof we will resort to pointing
out some key themes of the Romanian theologian thinking, without any
exhaustive claims. For us it is important to illustrate why mission pursued,
as immediate goals, two fundamental principles: preaching the Gospel and
Church expansion “among all nations”, as intrinsic requirement of our
Savior’s command to do mission (Matthew 24:28).
Christ, the God-Man is the original and all-embracing mystery of
our salvation, for in Him it has been given to us the basis of the union be-
tween the divine and the human. The fundamental truth which underlies
the Church is this: our body and nature were assumed by One from the
Trinity. The Church, as divine-human institution, is a direct consequence
of the hypostatic union from Christ. For if the Son of God took our flesh,
united Himself with it, shapes it and sanctifies it from the inside, thereby
transforming the human nature that He has made His own, refreshing
and personalizing it, all this make possible the recovery and restoration of
the cosmos and the reopening of the personal union perspective of each
individual with God, refreshing the theandric nature in every man, con-
sciously and freely. This is nothing but extending the Person of Christ in
all who stick to Him, which is the Church.
The scriptural quote “as my Father has sent me, even so I send you”
(John 20:21), through which Jesus Christ sent the Holy Apostles to the
missionary work, coincides with the “sending” the Church into world,
which refers to a double aspect: the act of universalization of the Gospel
and integration of all people in the redeeming condition of the Kingdom
of God. The seen sending of both Son and Holy Spirit into the world,
deliberated and initiated by the heavenly Father is the basis of the mission.
The participation of the faithful in the sending of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit means participation in the communion life of God; and again, fel-
lowship to this is synonymous with the accession to the kingdom of God,
whose prediction is achieved even from now in the life of communion of
the Church – Mystical Body of Christ and temple of the Holy Spirit3.
3
Ion Bria, Mărturia creştină în Biserica Ortodoxă: aspecte, posibilităţi şi perspective
actuale (Christian Witness in the Orthodox Church: Current Aspects, Opportunities and
Insights), in G.B. 41 (1982), No. 1-3, pp. 81-83.
133
Preaching the Gospel is nothing but the work of proclaiming the Per-
son and work of salvation of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God Incarnate
“at the fulness of the time”. Thus, in the New Testament by gospel is under-
stood “the good news” or the revelation of God in the Person and the re-
demptive work of Jesus Christ, the message or the content of this discovery
contained in the preaching and teachings of Jesus (see Mark 13:10, 14:9
or Romans 2:16), as well as preaching this message (Philippians 4:3). The
Gospel of Christ is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that be-
lieveth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, cf. Ephesians
1:13, I Corinthians 15:1-2). But the Gospel has a universal dimension, be-
causeit is “the perfection of immortality” (St. Ignatius, To Philadelphians,
IX, 2), as it represents “the happy news of peace and love brought by God
to earth, intended for all, all humanity, everywhere and from all times”4.
Since the beginning of the Church, the gospel was understood as be-
ing the oral tradition of Jesus Christ’s preaching. Then recorded in writ-
ing, it became normative for the Church’s teaching. Thus, all “evangelists”
used the original form of the Gospel – that is oral tradition – to which the
Church gave a final form before the end of the first century. But, as Father
Bria draws attention, “the evangelists are not mere collectors of traditions,
without a personal contribution to the interpretation of the material that
circulated. They have an important role not only in terms of putting the
material on a plan that centers on Jesus Christ, for missionary and cat-
echetical purposes, but also regarding the theological interpretation that
each biblical writer gives to the tradition he has at his disposal”5.
Just as the Lord Jesus Christ presented Himself in the Gospels as
being “teacher” – rabbi (Matthew 19:16, 23:8, Luke 9:49, John 1:49),
whose primary mission was to preach the Gospel (Mark 1:38), so also
His chosen ones, the Apostles, have to fulfil this mission: “your teacher is
one: Christ” (Matthew 23:10), and His chosen twelve are invested with
the power of forgiveness of sins (Matthew 18:18) and with the mission
to preach (Mark 3:14-19), to be His “witnesses” “unto the uttermost part
of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
4
Idem, Dicționar de Teologie Ortodoxă (Dictionary of Orthodox Theology), 2nd
edition, Publishing House of the Mission and Bible Institute of the Romanian Orthodox
Church, Bucharest, 1994, p. 160.
5
Ibidem, p. 161.
134
Also in terms of content of the sermon there is identity between the

message of Jesus Christ and that of His disciples. On the one hand, Jesus
speaks in synagogues, engages contradictory discussions with the scholars
of the Law, uses the rabbinical exegesis of Scripture, but, on the other
hand, He does not hesitate to preach publicly, on the streets, in private
houses, out of doors, on the field, on top of hills, on the shores of lakes or
the Sea of Galilee. The main difference from the Pharisees human teaching
comes mainly from the fact that His teachings that come from the fullness
of God, which He proclaims as “sent by God” (John 3:34). The same qual-
ity have His Apostles and their disciples, who preach “the Good News”,
the Gospel of God’s kingdom (Matthew 4:23) to all people. Be noted that
they also have a word “with great power” as the words of the eternal Word,
Son of God Incarnate. He told them: “The Words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). The word of Jesus Christ is
full of truth and divine love (Mark 1:22), and the same power have the
words preached by His disciples: their message has the divine power of
transforming souls, because in them peple find answers to the problems of
their spiritual life6.
Preaching the Gospel must follow the birth and transmission of true
faith, because the rule of faith becomes the rule of life. Authentic Christian
life is possible only through an act of self-identification of each generation
of believers with the continuous practice of the Church, by reliving in “the
communion of saints” in unity of thought and life with their predecessors
(hence the transmission of Tradition as requirement of the mission).
Analyzing the concept and the action of evangelization, Father Bria
shows tht this is “essential for building the Church, the Body of Christ in
history, by converting those who accept the word of God as the ultimate
truth”7. In this sense, we can speak of the missionary, apostolic Church’s
dogmatic dimension, sent into the world by the Envoy of the Father, the
Son of God, with His Holy Spirit to make of each person in its historical
condition and the entire human community, place of illuminating, trans-
figuring and redeeming presence of Go. But the apostolicity of the Church
is intimately, closely linked to its other attributes, namely, unity, holiness
6
Ibidem, p. 161.
7
Idem, Ortodoxia în Europa. Locul spiritualităţii române (Orthodoxy in Europe. The
Place of Romanian Spirituality), Trinitas Publishing, Iaşi, 1995, p. 193.
135
and its universality. In the life of holiness of the Christians, in their eccle-
sial unity, is expressed most obviously the aspect of Christian witness and
of real confession of God, which is par excellence one of the spiritual sights
of Him, of feeling of the mysterious presence of the Spirit and work with
fear and trembling, existential for salvation. The grace of the Holy Myster-
ies and especially the Eucharistic union with Christ the Lord is viewing,
in the temporal measure of eternity, the kingdom of God and constitutes
the active and tangible basis for Christian witness, spiritual and material
support to fulfill the commandments.
The work of a new evangelization of Europe, in the difficult con-
text of installing a postmodern and post-Christian society, is the great
challenge of Christianity, no matter the religion, once entered in the
third millennium. Father Bria had the courage to achieve a sharp ra-
diography of the influences of atheism and secularization in this geo-
graphic area, especially in its Western part, which he knew very well.
That is why, he speaks of the need for reconstruction of Christianity,
from a true amalgam of competing religious paradigms and alternatives8.
Most often, they define aspects of counter-testimony (proselytism), be-
ing “in contradiction not only with a certain text of Scripture or some
traditional doctrine, but with the universality of the Gospel, with Je-
sus Christ in a cosmic vision”9. The Church is the condition of Chris-
tian mission, its tool and, moreover, the purpose of the mission and
its completion because the Church is part of the Gospel message. The
Church is also a result of the mission as God leads people to salvation
and gives them His grace through the Church’s missionary activity. The
New Testament has recorded more images and symbols that define it in
the apostolic period: “God’s people” (I Peter 2:10), “Body of Christ”
(Romans 12:4, I Corinthians 12, 13, 27), “God’s temple” (I Tim. 3, 15,
Ephesians 2:19, I Corinthians 3:16), “royal priesthood” (I Peter 2:9) or
“bride of Christ” (Revelation 21:2). Of all these, Father Bria shows that
8
Idem, Spre plinirea Evangheliei. Dincolo de apărarea Ortodoxiei: exegeza şi
transmiterea Tradiţiei (Towards the Fullness of the Gospel. Beyond the Defense of Orthodoxy:
Exegesis and Transmitting the Tradition), Reîntregirea Publishing, Alba Iulia, 2002, p. 9.
9
Idem, Destinul Ortodoxiei (The Destiny of Orthodoxy), Publishing House of the
Mission and Bible Institute of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Bucharest, 1989, p.
153.
136
the expression “Body of Christ” best expresses the report between Christ
and His Church. After the Resurrection, Jesus Christ is the Head of the
Church which was redeemed with His own blood (Acts 20:28). He also
raised it in His humanity, at the right of the Father, restoring all creation
(Colossians 1:18-19). The Church has a Christophoros dimension (see
Ephesians 5:25-27) because it lives from the power of the Risen Christ
and awaits His second advent. Representing “the sign” or the sacrament
of redeemed humanity (Ephesians 1:23), the Church not only transmits
the message and ministry of Jesus Christ, but “extends” His incarnation,
so that Christ can be met only in this ecclesial environment10.
The Church is the sacrament of God’s kingdom brought to us in Je-
sus Christ11. Founded on the day of Pentecost, the Church participates
in Christ’s holiness (Hebrews 13:12) and is even patterned after the Holy
Trinity. Its purpose is the manifestation of the “new creation” – symbol of
the kingdom “which comes down from heaven surrounded by the glory of
God, a new reality that can not be explained perfectly by the images or the
analogies that exist in the world”12. The fact that the Church has an obvi-
ous divine character does not exclude the human, historical aspect one.
Specifically, the Church presents itself as a “theandric” body, possessing
even this double dimension: divine-human, seen-unseen. The intermin-
gling of the two dimensions absolutely necessary to sends the Person of
the Holy Spirit. He is “the witness” par excellence of Jesus Christ of Jesus
Christ (John 15:26), and therefore the Church can confess Christ only in
and through the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:3), that is the principle of
its existence and vitality (see Acts 9:31).
The unceasing presence of the Holy Spirit within the Church since
its foundation reveals another dimension which it has: the eschatologi-
cal dimension (Matthew 25:1, Mark 2:1, Revelation 21:2). It is the sign,
the parable and the anticipated presence of God’s Kingdom. Again we
speak of a double reality: The earthly Church, the community of Chris-
tians in a particular place, is inseparable from the heavenly Church or
10
Idem, Dicţionar de teologie ortodoxă (Dictionary of Orthodox Theology), p. 55.
11
Idem, Credința pe care o mărturisim (The Faith We Profess The Faith We Profess),
Publishing House of the Mission and Bible Institute of the Romanian Orthodox Church,
Bucharest, 1987, p. 121.
12
Idem, Dicţionar de teologie ortodoxă (Dictionary of Orthodox Theology), pp. 55-56.
137
the Communion of Saints, thus being a prophetic sign of the coming

kingdom13.
The Nicene symbol of faith says: “I believe in the communion of
saints”. Being “one body in Christ” (Romans 12:5), Christians form an
inseparable unity. Not even death can destroy, because “love never dies” (I
Corinthians 13:8), and through Baptism and the communion of grace in
love “we are members one of another” (Ephesians 4:25) forevermore.
One of the fundamental questions to which Father Bria gives the an-
swer is this: Who forms this communion of saints14? The answer is straight-
13
Just as the Church was prefigured in the Old Testament, here we find prophecies
about God Who will establish His eternal kingdom that will cover the whole earth
(Isaiah 2:2, Jeremiah 31:31). These prophecies are backed by some texts of the New
Testament, which state that the Kingdom is anticipated in the Church and that it is
called to embrace the whole creation, all peoples and centuries (Matthew 28:20, Mark
16:15, Acts 1:8). See Ibidem, p. 56.
14
And an adjacent question, but equally fundamental, is this: In the context of
today’s Christian multi-confessionalism which is the true Church of Christ? Despite
some “accusations” more or less direct – that would cover certain relativization or
concessions that it would have made –, Father Bria strongly affirmed that the Orthodox
Church is the true successor of the Apostolic Church. Thus primarily in the discussion
on the catholicity of local churches, he emphasizes the Orthodox faith within the
uniqueness of the Church, Una Sancta, as being the core of Orthodox ecclesiology.
From his perspective, the manner in which the local Churches relate themselves to Una
Sancta is the key of ecumenical ecclesiology: “There can not be Churches (in plural)
than as manifestations of the one and true Church”. Fr. Prof. Ion Bria rejects any vision
of Church unity by creating a global organization, often called structural unit. “The
one Church can not be created by uniting all the local Churches and the individual
denominations within an international structure”. See I. Bria (editor), Jesus Christ – the
Life of the World: an Orthodox contribution to the Vancouver theme, WCC, Geneva, 1982,
pp. 12-13. The Church Una Sancta is the one that is manifested in its Catholic fullness
in each local Church, the local Church not being a part of another reality called the
Universal Church, which in turn is sometimes understood as being composed of local
churches. Thus in his view, the universal Church is not a federation of independent
Churches united hierarchically with institutional and administrative purposes, but a
communion of autocephalous Churches possessing internal Eucharistic and canonical
unity. Cf. Ovidiu Ioan, De la ospitalitatea euharistică la comuniune deplină: viziunea
ecumenică a Părintelui Bria (From the Eucharistic Hospitality to the Full Communion:
the Ecumenical Vision of Father Bria), in N. Moșoiu (coord.), op. cit., p. 530. In a dense
study, entitled Sinteză ortodoxă a Teologiei Dogmatice (Orthodox Synthesis on Dogmatic
Theology), in Revista Teologica/ Theological Review 5 (1995), No. 3, pp. 4-5, Father Bria
138
forward: First of all the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament, then
“the saints” in the broad sense, that is those who are baptized, and, even-
tually, the saints, in the narrow sense. At the head of all is the One who
believed in the word of God, becoming co-worker to the incarnation of
the Son of Man: Theotokos15.
synthetically exposes the cardinal points of Orthodoxy: 1) Orthodoxy is directly linked

to the history and origins of Christianity; 2) Orthodoxy believes that the undivided
Church of the first millennium is an essential reference point for the restoration of
Christian unity separated from history; 3) Orthodoxy notes that in the middle of the
ecumenical interfaith differences is the mystery of the Church; 4) For the Orthodox
the Christian unity is seen as a communion of local churches (koinonia), united by the
profession of apostolic faith transmitted in Tradition; 5) Orthodoxy is a matter of history
of a people in the sense that a nation’s history can not be understood without a local
Church history. With such a vision, Orthodoxy has to play a key role in the Ecumenical
Movement. However, this strong conviction does not draw Father Bria into the trap of
cheap triumphalism: he “shows that the Church – Una Sancta – can not be conceived
without the Orthodox, but neither is owned by Orthodox”. Cf. Cristinel Ioja, Părintele
Profesor Ion Bria şi contribuţia sa specifică în elaborarea unei Teologii Dogmatice (Fr. Prof.
Ion Bria and His Specific Contribution to the Development of Dogmatic Theology), in N.
Moșoiu (coord.), op. cit., p. 327; Mihai Iosu, Părintele Profesor Ion Bria. Demersuri şi
soluţii pastorale (Fr. Prof. Ion Bria. Approaches and Pastoral Solutions), in Ibidem, p. 376;
David Pestroiu, Părintele prof. dr. Ion Bria – misionar al Ortodoxiei (Father Prof. PhD. Ion
Bria – Orthodox Missionary), in Ibidem, p. 441.
15
I. Bria, Tratat de teologie dogmatică şi ecumenică (Treaty of Dogmatic and Ecumenical
Theology), p. 167. About Theotokos, Ion Bria wrote that is one “of the favorite topics of
hymnody and liturgical poetry”, bringing as an example the intercessory prayer that is
uttered after the transformation of the Eucharistic gifts. Among the most important
aspects of the Orthodox Mariology are: cooperation to the Mystery of the Incarnation,
that fiat or consent given at the Annunciation by Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38). She is
aware of her role and destiny, she accepts them with responsibility and joy (Luke 1:45-
49). Another aspect, especially formulated at the Council of Constantinople in 681, is
that of parthenia, perpetual virginity of the Theotokos. Compared with “burning bush
that was not consumedand” with the heavenly ladder on which God came down to
man and man ascended to God, She gave birth to Jesus Christ in a wonderful way and
beyond nature, through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34-35), remaining a virgin
before, during and after the birth. A third aspect refers to Mary as Theotokos (Theotokos).
Finally, Virgin Mary is also panaghia, the “Full of Grace” (Luke 1:28). “Her humanity
was blessed by the Godhead of the Word through His indwelling in Her. She is full of
grace because of this indwelling. She is ... higher than all heavenly and earthly creatures
more honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious than the seraphims, Lady and
Mistress”. Representing not only a moral model for humans, but also the historical
139
The testimony through the quality and holiness of life is the most
effective means of mission. Because nothing is more attractive and more
convincing than the Christian, the community or the saint, which pro-
vide a concrete example of fulfillment of the meaning of life and radiate
tranquility, peace and love. This all the more so in a society that can not
provide coherence and a meaning of life. Against the growing tendency
of secularization we can oppose efficiently only with the alternative of the
example of a full life in communion with God, because “any word can op-
pose another word, but who shall stand life?” Even in hard times for the
Church, like the Nazi or the Communist atheistic pressure, holiness has
never ceased to manifest, which means that “leaving” the Church in the
hands of secular power was not total16.
The Orthodox ecclesiology possesses in Father Bria’s opinion – view
shared, in fact, unanimously by the Orthodox theologians – a deep triado-
logic basis: all the Persons of the Trinity are active in the life of the Church:
“The Father built this house, the Son strengthened it, the Holy Spirit has
renewed it”. The Church is the work of the Holy Trinity, in other words,
it has as the very source the communion of the Trinitarian life. It is no
coincidence that some Holy Fathers do not speak about the Church only
from the moment of its foundation at Pentecost; it was foreshadowed even
from creation and prepared under the Old Covenant, as it aims to show
and communicate God’s life17.
Referring to the Pentecostal mutations, to the horizontal ecclesial
changes, Father Ion Bria noted: “On the Cross and in the Resurrection,
the Church is not only redeemed, restored in communion with God, but
materialization of deification – being the first human being sanctified directly by Jesus
Christ –, the Theotokos is attributed in the Orthodox Church a cult of worship. This cult
of veneration of the Virgin Mary is based “on both Her contribution to the incarnation
of the Son, and Her intercession and help as mother of the Church, inseparable from the
Son”. See Ibidem, pp. 167-168.
16
Idem, Martyre, in Ion Bria Philippe Chanson, Jacques Gadille, Marc Spindler
(eds.), Dictionnaire oecuménique de missiologie. Cent mots pour la mission, ed. du Cerf,
Labor et Fides, CLE Yaoundé, Paris-Genève-Yaoundé, 2001, pp. 196-199. See also
anothervolume edited by Fr. Bria, Martyria-Mission. The Witness of the Orthodox Churches
Today, WCC Publications, Geneva, 1980.
17
Idem, Tratat de Teologie Dogmatică și Ecumenică (Treaty of Dogmatic and
Ecumenical Theology), România Creştină Publishing, Bucharest, 1999, p. 158.
140
it becomes a sharer in His Resurrection. His mission continues after the

Resurrection. Once inaugurated the Kingdom of God, Jesus manifests
Himself and sents the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, to make from the Church
His body and temple of the Holy Spirit”18. The Church has a universal
dimension, it is intended to redeem and sanctify all nations. It is “the
holy firstfruits of the nations” (Revelation 14:4), which gives meaning
to the attributes or qualities that it possesses: unity – the Church is one
because God is One, Christ – its Head – is One, the faith is one, the
Baptism is one (Ephesians 4:4-6); holiness – comes from God, from
Christ-the Anointed One, consecrated and glorified as Lord on the cross,
şi de la Duhul Sfânt, Who puts “the anointing seal” with the gift of God
over all the baptized; universality or catholicity – has as source precisely
the relationship of the Church with the Holy Trinity, a fact that deter-
mines it to possess the fullness of the means of salvation: the doctrine
of the Apostles, the sacramental worship, the priestly ministry and the
fraternal communion; apostolicity – the Church is apostolic because it
is built on the rock of faith of the Apostles: “You are the Christ, the Son
of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). “Christ Himself leads the Church
through His Apostles, present in their successors, the bishops consecrat-
ed by ordination”19.
Although closely related with all the attributes of the Church, the
missionary work is the most related to apostolicity20. The Church is built
on the foundation of prophets and apostles “in the sense that the mission
of the Apostles as direct witnesses of Christ, should continue after their
disappearance”. The apostles thus meet a divine call and enjoy a sending
to apostolate of divine origin, because their work is done according to
the will of Christ Himself: “As my Father has sent Me, even so I send
you” (John 20:21). The same is the case with the successors of the Apos-
tles. They are placed in the service of the Church through a work of apos-
tolic succession, through a special Mystery called Ordination. Although
the Christian Church entirely is constituted as a “sacerdotal body”, two
18
Ibidem, p. 159.
19
20
Idem, Credința pe care o mărturisim (The Faith We Profess), p. 168; Idem, Dicționar
de teologie ortodoxă (Dictionary of Orthodox Theology), p. 35: “Church’s missionary
vocation falls within its apostolic character, its apostolicity”.
141
priesthood coexist in it: a universal one, of the baptized (see I Peter 2:4)
and one particular or special, received through the Sacrament of Ordi-
nation, knowing three forms of ministry: bishop, priest and deacon. As
we have said, this priesthood is of divine right also: “Take heed therefore
unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has
made you overseers, to feed the church of God” (Acts 20:28). Also the
bishop does not replace Christ, Who is present unseen in the Church
“even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). The Bishop has a
vital role in the life of the Church – He preaches the Gospel, celebrates
the mysteries and keeps the unity of the Church – but only in the name
of Christ. This balanced view of the Orthodox Church prevented the
fall in certain extremes, such as the infallibility and the primacy of the
bishop of the Church of Rome. The authority of each bishop does not
involve a jurisdictional primacy, of leadership; on the contrary, his work
of leadership shall take place only within a synod – and St. Ap. Peter
and his successor, Pope of Rome, has no special authority over the other
Apostles, but amongst them, as primus inter pares21.
The missionary work of the Church has two sides: on the one hand,
the problem of those who are entitled to enter the Church, and on the
other hand, the problem of those carrying out the work of attracting peo-
ple to the Word of the Gospel. The first problem does not pose serious
difficulties. Who has the right to enter the Church and by what means was
the question debated by the Apostolic Synod from Jerusalem (50), where
it was recognized that not only the members of the chosen people, but
also the the pagans can enter the Christian community without any other
conditions than faith and Baptism. “Then has God also to the Gentiles
granted repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18). God is the Father of all people
(Romans 3:29), and so the Church is open to all, it is ecumenical, that is
designed to include all the earth (oekumene). Revealing is the encounter of
Jesus with the Roman officer in Capernaum. The meaning of the scene is
this: “No one is excluded from God’s grace. This (the centurion, author’s
note) does not believe in miracles, does not expect the Messiah, but rec-
ognizes the authority of Jesus, whom he is asking to say the word to heal
Idem, Comentariu la catehismul ortodox (Comment on the Orthodox Catechism),

21
Oastea Domnului Publishing, Sibiu, 2000, pp. 100-101, respectively, pp. 102-103.
142
his servant (Luke 7:1-9). Jesus recognizes here, the faith that can be found
right out of Israel and the Church”22.
With reference to these issues we conclude this study; as conclusions
we emphasize once again the following three aspects:
1) The church is the condition of Christian mission, its tool and,
moreover, the purpose of the mission and its fulfillment, because the
Church is part of the Gospel message. The church is also a result of the
mission as God leads people to salvation and gives them His grace through
the Church’s missionary activity.
2) The Eucharistic Liturgy remains source, model and inspiration of
social life. As Father Ion Bria details, “the fruits of creation and of the
work of the believers are offered at the altar and transformed into Eucha-
ristic gifts, to be then shared to all as communion forces. God is generous
and invites them all to the wedding feast, provided that those invited to
become an example of conviviality and solidarity with their peers. Unique
ritual of mental and affective communion, The Liturgy is able to restore
all human relations, not only with God, in an abstract manner, but also
with the social community, with family and society. The Liturgy and the
diakonia are thus inseparable”23.
3) The missionary work, fulfilling the requirements claimed by “Lit-
urgy after Liturgy”, concerns both the clergy and the laity. Ion Bria has re-
peatedly stressed that the Church’s missionary activity is not the exclusive
privilege of some specialists. Moreover, every priest ought to especially ex-
ercise his missionary work. Every priest “must be fully bearer of the Good
News of the Resurrection”. His attitude must be adapted to the changes
of the contemporary society. He can not remain passive and fatalistic. In-
formed about the new requirements of the times, he is called to preach the
Gospel not only by words, but by his entire life.
22
Idem, Tratat de teologie dogmatică şi ecumenică (Treaty of Dogmatic and Ecumenical
Theology), p. 161.
23
Idem, Liturghia după Liturghie. Misiune apostolică şi mărturie creştină – azi
(Liturgy after Liturgy. Apostolic Mission and Christian Witness - Today), Athena Publishing,
Bucharest, 1996, p. 126.
143
and Interreligious Dialogue

and Interreligious Dialogue in the Context of Postmodern
and Globalizing Challenges*
The considerations I will try to develop in what follows start from the
existence of some fairly widespread views on the futility and even harmful-
ness of interfaith and interreligious ecumenical dialogue and of cultural
and theological exchanges that it involves, formulated by representatives of
a quite considerable segment of believers within the traditional churches
and denominations as well as the neoprotestant ones, anchored and bar-
ricaded in the so-called anti-ecumenical Christian tradition and refractory
to any inter-Christian and inter-religious dialogue.
The importance of formulating these considerations, I think it’s huge
because, due to this current of opinion that finds more and more fol-
lowers, is increasingly deepened the acute gap between clergy and faith-
ful within the traditional churches, the contradictions are increasingly
aggravated, the crises and the conflicts, that inevitably arise in a world
increasingly dynamic and interactive, in which the traditions and peo-
ples wearing them, mix and collide, calling for dialogue as an adjustment
means and tool, defusing and reaching new religious and social balance
and stability in general.
The urge to try articulating some motivations for the interfaith and
interreligious dialogue at theological high-level, as well as in the parishes or
socially, came to my mind when meditating on a conference His Holiness
Patriarch Daniel held a few years ago.
Understanding this complex situation of the globalizing postmo-
dernity, His Holiness Patriarch Daniel said, at the conference held at the
Cathedral “Notre Dame” in Strasbourg, on April 11, 2011, emphasizing
*
Published in Making Mission from the Model of Christ. Theological and Ecumenical
Education, edited by Pr. prof. dr. Aurel Pavel, Pr. lect. dr. Daniel Buda, Lect. dr. Ciprian
Iulian Toroczkai, Astra Museum, Sibiu, 2015, p. 217-231.
144
Considerations on the Need for Interconfessional and Interreligious Dialogue
the need for dialogue as a tool for understanding and solving important
social situations with a existential theological significance, the following:
“Religious pluralism can be approached in social, political, diplomatic,
economic, cultural terms, etc. But for those who have the pastoral respon-
sibility for the communities of faith, the first approach should be of pasto-
ral, theological and spiritual order, that is missionary and mystagogically.
In a context where there are two or more different religions, we must ask
ourselves what is the theological meaning of this existential situation, be-
yond any historical, sociological and political explanation concerning the
emigration caused by persecution, poverty or arbitrary dividing territo-
ries, etc. In other words, what is the message or the challenge that God
may have addressed us through such a situation? The existence of several
religions in a country or a region is, of course, a complex phenomenon
that can give rise to feelings of fear or of closure in oneself, insecurity and
anxiety. In this respect, the dialogue and cooperation between political and
religious leaders are particularly important, as well as the dialogue between
representatives of various religions and denominations to reach a peaceful
coexistence or cohabitation. In this context, the challenges or attempts of
interreligious dialogue are primarily spiritual.”1
During the same conference His Holiness Patriarch Daniel briefly
and undeveloped enumerated some of these spiritual challenges, that this
complex situation of globalizing modernity involves, which inspired us
to consider further the problem of the necessity for interreligious and in-
terfaith dialogue, to highlight the motivations and the many benefits this
dialogue can bring on the many social, religious, cultural, spiritual and
material levels, etc.
Through the 4 challenges that he formulates, His Holiness Patri-
arch Daniel outlines basically a 4-way missionary action: socio-political,
spiritual-communautaire, intellectual-cultural and cultic-religious in
which every faithful of every religion and denomination can train and
manifest himself, the challenge for the love of neighbor, developing
«communautaire-spiritual capacity to meet and receive the stranger whose
ethnicity and religion are different from ours», the challenge for spir-
itual awakening developing the «intellectual-cultural capacity to find out
1
http://ziarullumina.ro/document/provocarile-dialogului-interreligios
145
even in differences opportunities to learn from others certain values that

we’ve forgotten or that we have cultivated too little, such as prayer, fasting
practice, the joy of hospitality and the central importance of the family in
human life, the profound dimension of communautaire life, the role of
generosity and gratuitousness in the celebration of life, the harmony of the
relationships with the others», the challenge for fidelity to the religious
identity, developing the cultic-religious virtues, that give us pace in life
and help us «to stay the same while everything is different around us, to
keep our identity as religious minority, in a different context, to remain
practicing Christians in a religious context in which the practice of reli-
gion is essential to human existence», and the challenge for solidarity,
developing civic and social-political capacity and virtues, through prayer
and deed, coming out of the self-sufficiency of our religious identity and
urging ourselves jointly and inwardly to social action and even political
cooperation «with the Christian minorities in difficulty or even persecuted
in different parts of the world».2
His Holiness Patriarch Daniel recommends the dialogue and the al-
ternative means of education that can be developed within ethnic and re-
ligious diasporas, in response to questions and existential issues that the
emigrant may encounter, that is: “How to fit in a religious context dif-
ferent from yours, keeping, at the same time, your original religious and
cultural identity? How to avoid at the same time the tense isolation and
the dissolution of your own identity?” emphasizing that: “In this regard, it
is necessary to develop a culture of coexistence where must be avoided
the transformation of diversity into adversity and the confusion of the
identity with isolation. It requires an education open to others in the
family, school, but also within the religious or confessional community
frequented, because school education supported and controlled by the
nation-state is not sufficient anymore.”3
The need for interreligious and interfaith dialogue to resolve the crisis
facing humanity and religious communities, is claimed also in relation to
other representatives of other religions and faiths, resulting in a realistic
understanding of the complex interactions of social and historical phe-
2
Ibidem.
3
Ibidem.
146
nomena, intensified more along with the social and cultural instability and
the emigration specific to postmodernity and globalization.
In one of his studies, the Jesuit Father Daniel Madigan, professor
of religious pluralism at Georgetown University in Australia, said in this
respect that “we live in a world of diverse pathologies, but we delude
ourselves if we believe that only «those – other people» have, and that
the way to solve our ills is by denigrating others or even get rid of them.
Our pathologies interrelate. The pathologies have long histories and very
imaginative memories. The situation of the Palestinian suicidal attackers
is pathological: young people in the prime of life blow themselves. They
grew up in a pathological situation of repression and occupation – an
action which has grown itself from another pathology – the endemic
fear of Israeli society. But then I ask you: well, from where does this fear
come? From the reaction of Israel after the Holocaust which was really
pathological. But where does this come from? From the pathology of
Nazism. And this? From the Aftermath of World War I, born from the
feelings of humiliation of the German people, and from the long history
of anti-Semitism from Christian Europe. There is a history of patholo-
gies that interact.”4
Moreover, the increasingly existence and development of churches’
diasporas and implicitly of immigrants from different nations in third cul-
tural spaces, the phenomenon of religious and cultural alienation leads,
inevitably, to new missionary situations of religious interaction and in-
terpenetration, for which church leaders should be in dialogue, to find
solutions for these situations and provide specific religious experience for
their believers.
In the Annual Report for 2011, of EKD, we are presented the nu-
merical and statistical magnitude of the phenomenon of migration of
population in different regions of the world, briefly evaluating the causes
that determine the refugee flows worldwide – important factor that must
be taken into account when re-thinking the missionary strategies of the
Orthodox churches, and which argues and pleads for dialogue as indispen-
sable means necessary to solve or at least mitigate social problems and of
ethnic and religious identity that arise in this context:
4
Daniel Madigan, S.J., Muslims and Christians: Where Do We Stand?, in Woodstock
Report, March 2009, p. 5.
147
“There are more than 20 million refugees in the world. According

to estimates from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), once
again there are 15-20 million unregistered displaced persons within their
own country of origin who are homeless. Approximately 75% of all these
refugees are women and children. They flee from hunger, poverty, war, vio-
lence and natural disasters. About 200 million people are so-called “eco-
nomic refugees” or migrant workers, or better said “survival refugees” –
people who are looking for work in order to support themselves. About 10
million are war refugees who are fleeing from terror and suffering caused
by war. There are also refugees because of environment, those people who
are pilgrims, because their main source of economic support has been de-
stroyed, whose exact number has not been evaluated yet. The UN esti-
mates that in 2010 more than 50 million people were forced to move
because of ecological disasters. Today’s number of refugees from environ-
mental causes is greater than the number of war refugees. Asia has the larg-
est number of refugees, 8.8 million, that is two times more than those in
Africa (4.8 million). Europe is the goal of many of these. They reach great
distress to get there, paying considerable sums of money to smugglers,
leaving their homes and their families. Many of them end up paying with
their lives. Current reports talk about failed attempts of fraudulent escapes
and numerous dramatic deaths on the coasts of Spain, Sicily and Italy.
Gibraltar became the largest mass grave in Europe, with around 15,000
people drowned there in the last years according to a report of “Pro Asyl”
Organization. Despite these dramatic figures we should remember that
people displaced within their own country make up the largest number
of refugees. This means that they are on the roads and homeless in their
own country or in a neighboring country. Countries that are already poor
usually have to deal with more refugees than richer European countries”.5
Some of the Principles and Strategies of Action in Interreligious
and Interfaith Dialogue
Without forgetting the essential conditions necessary from the Ortho-
dox point of view in order that the religious dialogue be truly constructive
and edifying for the body of Christ – the Church, that is Christological
5
EKD, Annual Report 2011, http://www.ekd.de/english/4693-4707.html
148
and Trinitarian central communautaire character, we will try to formulate

some principles and strategies of action for the interreligios and interfaith
dialogue, arguing at the same time with some historical, cultural-educa-
tional and even social-religious data and observations, the efficiency and
the fruits of interfaith and interreligious dialogue.
Given that our faithful from the diaspora live all the time in contact
and sometimes in certain forms of communion with believers of other
religions, denominations or sects, we consider it necessary to formulate
a written decision, based on the concrete experience of these faithful,
which to address this reality from both exclusivist and inclusivist perspec-
tive, thus defining the framework for an objective and realistic dialogue
with these other religions, denominations or sects, dialogue that would
facilitate the correction of mistakes of our believers and communities, by
accepting criticism coming not only from the inside, but also the external
ones coming from members of other religions or denominations, with
whom our faithful are in contact, knowing that the prophet Jonah re-
ceived a reprimand from the pagan sailors, and the prophet Balaam, from
his own beast of burden.
Last but not least, we consider necessary and appropriate the inter-
religious and interconfessional dialogue and interaction, as possible means
of mediating mission itself, because through the dynamic and engaging
working of dialogue partners, is deepened the mutual knowledge of the
religious identity, which can lead to evangelization, doctrinal edification
and actual conversion of the members of other religions, denominations or
sects engaged in dialogue, for this purpose being necessary the foundation
of interreligious and interfaith dialogue in “missio dei”, defining concrete
action guidelines for dialogue, and the training at all levels of ecclesial life
of missionaries with real intercultural skill and capacity to deliver the mes-
sage and content of the Orthodox faith and religious life.
In the context of a globalized society, the need for dialogue stems from
the need to understand the causes and significance of religious, cultural or
socio-political beliefs and actions of the representatives of other religions,
denominations or sects, a very important step in removing misunderstand-
ings, tensions, oppositions and social divisions, ignorance, alienation and
social isolation of individuals or religious groups, for which the dialogue
and cooperation can remove passivity and numbness of complacency, the
149
uncertainty stemming from suspicion and even aggressive chauvinism,

providing solutions for a peaceful coexistence but also active to the social
groups participating to the dialogue.
The interreligious and interfaith dialogue can serve as a common plat-
form for action and struggle for justice and social equity, for cultivation
of the interfaith solidarity for defense against decadent, unhealthy and
antisocial forms of religious manifestation of the representatives of certain
cults or pseudo-religious groups, that totally deviates from normal and
peaceful nature and calling of any religion – to form moral and religious
people, worthy citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Also, mutual help to
urgently and efficiently solve basic human needs, common actions for so-
cial justice, defending the religious or simply people’s social rights, for the
social integration of the various disadvantaged groups, for the reintegra-
tion of young people or members of religious communities become a- or
anti- religious because of the social-cultural pressures specific to globalized
postmodern society, highlights, again, the need for interreligious and in-
terfaith dialogue as a tool for achieving justice and social harmony
Although the anthropological conception specific to Orthodoxy is
teo-anthropic or human-divine, founded on the Incarnation of the Son
of God in history to save mankind, Orthodox Christians still must show
themselves available to the appreciation of human values, accepting for
that very reason the dialogue with members of other Christian communi-
ties or religions, taking into account that God created the whole human
race in His image and likeness (Genesis 1, 26a, 27a) and that mankind is
unitary (Acts 17, 26a), and Christ spoke to and converted to faith ordinary
people, who have not yet received Him through Baptism and so they were
not tean-thrope. The feeling of belonging to the general human community
must be the one that animates the individual and the religious community,
despite the fact that piety and worship separate the different members of
different religions, denominations or sects, humanitarian action being an
essential unifying and edifying factor of the individual, as a person and of
the religious group, as authentic community founded through a religious
law, whose positive value is given precisely by the extent to which it re-
spects and builds man as man created in the image and likeness of God.
Doctrinal and ethical challenges of modernity, secularism and post-
modernism claim, again, the need for interreligious and interfaith dia-
150
logue, because modernity and secularism are par excellence trends that
threaten fidelity to the religious traditions of any kind, the members of
different religions and denominations preferring, as “answer” against these
challenges, usually, shutting themselves in their negativistic doctrinal fun-
damentalism, in cultic stereotypes and in the exacerbation of nationalist
feelings which, in fact, worsens more the identity crisis of the members
and of the religious communities, and the society in general.
The religious dialogue and the interfaith and interreligious partner-
ship can discover and provide – through complementary and exchange
of ideas – the doctrinal and spiritual resources common and specific
to counteract and counterbalance the destabilizing effects of religious
communities determined by modernity and secularization. As a result
of the dialogue, the joint and concerted action of the representatives of
various religions and faiths can restore the religious ethos of the sacred-
ness and morality in society, can counteract the establishment of false
religious syncretism and acculturation, that promote pseudo-religious,
moral, cultural, educational and social values, can assert and establish,
in the conscience of the faithful, the absolute value of the eternal call,
which addresses, usually, religion against the relative values of false calls
and imperatives, promoted by the spirit of modernism, by the narrow
circumscription of secularism and by the postmodern amoral and uni-
versalist relativism.
The mutual knowledge through dialogue of the members of different
religions and faiths, is necessary especially in a multi-religious and multi-
confessional society, due to the need of self edification of each member
or religious community, understanding the real and relative places of dif-
ference or doctrinal or ethical-spiritual approach, being facilitated by the
continual pursuit and sharing of truth and facilitating the sharing, as such,
to the participants in the dialogue, the spirit of truth reached by consen-
sus. Thus the conversation during the dialogue eventually leads to conver-
sion, the feeling of confidence, lived by the participants to dialogue, being
testimony of the spirit presence or the animating energy of their social and
community life, the purity, sincerity and spiritual strength and the intel-
lectual wisdom and knowledge of the participants in the dialogue being
essentially necessary to achieve real positive and uplifting results religiously
and socially. Finally, the truth is One and Unique, being confessed in the
151
general human consciousness of justice, good and beauty, the logic and the
common sense helping every man to discover the truth through dialogue –
in which it reveals itself, if it’s worn with seriousness and competence – the
Logos or the absolute divine reason.
The interreligious and interfaith dialogue facilitate the spiritual devel-
opment of individuals, communities and even of other religious traditions,
realizing mutual spiritual and theological enrichment, improvement of the
language necessary to the exposure and explanation of the religious groups
equivalent in different traditions and religious denominations, equivalence
of terms and notions evoking moods and spiritual experiences from dif-
ferent religious traditions, all these mutual enrichment and equivalents
being understood not as promoting of or ever promulgating the essential
unity of all religions or religious denominations – ludicrous and unreal fact
logically – but to form authentic and balanced religiosity as a cultural and
social phenomenon against secularization and atheism, and as authentic
spiritual phenomenon against exclusivism, deviations and religious fanati-
cism which are more and more found in the modern society.
In the conditions of an increasingly acute complexity of modern and
postmodern society, is required a reassessment of the missionary means
and methods, the interreligious and interfaith dialogue – be it intentional,
organized at the level of ordinary members of different denominations or
religious groups, or doctrinal, conducted at the level of theological com-
mission – having to occupy a more important place within mission, along
with evangelization, inculturation, education and spiritual formation of
the faithful through pastoral work or educational, through it being able
to reveal and convey the will and action of God in the world just as well –
and perhaps much better – than by the missionary means and modalities
already mentioned. Emphasizing that we are created by the same Creator
God, that we are called to live as faithful sons in His kingdom – accept-
ing or refusing the invitation belonging entirely to us – even the demons
believe and shudder! – may constitute a far broader horizon for the inter-
religious and interfaith dialogue, in which the religious inclusivism and
exclusivism can express themselves and can serve God, through preaching
and by making the believers of different religions or denominations believe
even from now, in the eternal destiny which their doctrine and religious
group offer for salvation.
152
Arguments about the Need for Dialogue at the Level of Theologi-

cal Education
To be able to formulate answers and long-term strategies to face mis-
sionary challenges and to adapt their faithful in diaspora, we consider it
necessary to intensify the meetings and the interreligious and interfaith
dialogues, at least at the level of experts in missiology, knowing that the
line between religion and culture is not easy to define, that we can not
write about other religions and denominations only from what is written
in books or in the media, and that a meeting and a personal relationship
with a specific person from another religion or denomination, reveals the
real complexity and novelty of the religious experience of another religion
or denomination. It should be therefore exceeded the distance between
theory and praxis.
Moreover, to truly and correctly understand representatives of other
religions or denominations, as well as the doctrine and their goals, it would
be required an inter- and multidisciplinary approach by missiologists of
the concrete manifestation of these other religions, denominations and
sects, inviting to the missiology symposia specialists in ethics, sociology,
psychology, philosophy, theology etc, because only a single colored, spe-
cialized approach of these other religions or denominations, leads to a false
perception and understanding of them, only in terms of separate academ-
ic disciplines, which do not exceed their perception and understanding
through a discussion and concerted approach.
For the dissemination and implementation of the results of these inter-
disciplinary seminarial approaches, as well as for enriching the missionary ex-
perience towards emigrational groups, it should be regularly and continuously
organized meetings and workshops with the missionary priests, who, through
their pastoral work among these groups of migrants, meet new and tangible
situations, that could become valuable sources of information and points of
departure in formulating new missionary strategies aimed at these groups of
migrants. Thereby there will be known from direct and immediate contact, not
only from theory and manuals, the true intentions and religious beliefs and
doctrines of different groups of migrants and it will be possible to really meet
the potential states or situations of social and religious interaction, we shall
be able to formulate realistic descriptions of profiles of current religious and
153
interfaith co-participants to the interreligious dialogue, relevant in the indis-

pensable signaling towards the native believers in order to defuse any possible
conflictual situations.
To those who contest, however, the usefulness and effectiveness of
interfaith theological dialogues, we can say that the very analysis of ma-
jor doctrinal disputes – culminating even with the one of Palamas where
it has been stated categorically the futility, the relativity and even the
harmfulness of the human theological knowledge compared to the gra-
cious, inspired theological knowledge – demonstrates that the represent-
atives of these disputes have been in dialogue (even though following the
dialogue sometimes there have been pronounced anathemas and there
have been schisms) and they had a deep knowledge of philosophical and
cultural doctrines in general, without which there would have not been
raised to the ability to formulate doctrinal works that remain witness
over the centuries.
On the other hand, we can say that following the theological and
cultural interdenominational exchanges, there has been produced in the
education and theological knowledge in general a shift of perception of
Orthodoxy in the Catholic, Protestant and even neo-protestant spaces,
witness being the countless cases of converts, sometimes even important
personalities in the field of theological education6 or even the clergy7,
mentioned in books on conversions and mission and in the theological
works that constitute themselves, through their value, as definitive land-
marks of doctrinal Orthodox thinking.
The neo-patristic rebirth emerged as a consequence of ecumenical
dialogue, in which were involved outstanding representatives of modern
Orthodox theological thought like John Meyendorf, Alex Schmemman,
their works such as “Ways of Russian Theology”, trying and managing to
present the Orthodox tradition and thinking worldwide, thereby achiev-
ing an important theological-cultural mission, addressed to other Chris-
tian denominations but also to the representatives of other monotheistic
6
We refer to cases of conversion of some famous theological personalities such as
Olivier Clement, K Christian Felmy, John McGuckin, Gabriel Bunge, James Bernstein,
Frank Shaferr etc.
7
Cf. Fr. Peter E. Gillquist, Coming Home – Why Protestant Clergy are Becoming
Orthodox – Conciliar Press, Ben Lemond, California, 1992.
154
and pagan religions, actually quite important if we look towards possible

future and even current conversion to Christianity and Orthodoxy of the
representatives of other nations and religions.
Here should be mentioned also works of an important theological
value of Lars Thunberg, H. Urs von Balthasar, who, as theologians think-
ers, in few remaining works, achieve the discovery and enhancement, for
the other Christian and non-Christian interdenominational areas in the
world, of the the monumental patristic synthesis of St. Maximus the Con-
fessor, which offers, to the modern theological and cultural scientific think-
ing, the resources of a philosophical understanding, of some important
aspects of the scientific, religious understanding of the world, consistent
with the findings and conclusions of new studies and science, emergent
and interdisciplinary, that may offer new spiritual foundations of future
conversions. The same can be said about the rediscovery and highlighting
of the work of St. Symeon the New Theologian, by the Catholics in the
Research Center of the Academy of France, the dimensions of some Or-
thodox statements on the Theotokos of certain late Byzantine writers such
as St. Theophanes of Nicaea.
The Need for Dialogue within the Ecclesiastical Organization
and Administration
The current situation, of deep crisis of Catholicism and Protestantism
in cultural spaces and cultural heritage of these faiths, along with their
proliferation in areas foreign to them, (spaces of certain Orthodox coun-
tries beset by missions – prolific ones – of other Christian Catholic, Prot-
estant and pseudo or non-Christian denominations, etc), it’s just due to
the complexity, mobility and dynamism of the world and modern man,
who would like a Christianity lived absolutely and completely, not frag-
mentary, only doctrinal and cultic in the Orthodox space, only dogmatist
and juridical within the Catholic one, or just social and activist within the
Protestant and neo-Protestant space. From this perspective, the dialogue
for exchanges regarding doctrinal apperception, community ethos, social
and spiritual practice are also desirable not only in terms of transfer of such
items from Orthodox to Catholics or Protestants, but also vice versa, from
the latter to us, the Orthodox.
155
We affirm this firstly not in terms of certain ecumenical documents

older or newer, but keeping in mind the cultural paradigm and the patris-
tic and philokalic model recommended through the works of St. Anthony
the Great or St. Basil the Great, acquisition by imitation of every good
virtue and teaching found at the very pagans of their times. The ideal
model of a Church, it is known, – and the Serbian hierarch and theo-
logian Nicolae Velimirovici states it very nicely – should be filled with a
dogmatic and spiritual Orthodox doctrine, with a legal Catholic discipline
and a Protestant missionary zeal and social practice, each of the three ma-
jor traditional Christian denominations are updating, depending on the
nature of the faithful and cultural, historical and socio-political conjunc-
tures they went through, only a certain feature of the ideal behavior, which
should be manifested by the Christian in particular and the Church as a
whole. For example, the emphasis put by Orthodoxy on contemplation
and prayer, although totally correct at the level of personal piety and living
of faith, does not exempt the Orthodox Church as a whole of the need to
develop an economic and social assistance system, through which to coun-
ter the losses of faithful to other Catholic and Protestant missions, which
robs them precisely because of the shortcomings in this area. Finally, not
all believers can live on the eschatological absolute plan revealed by the
Orthodox Church, and for those who are still on their path having sins,
temptations, needs and worldly troubles, the Orthodox Church must take
care of them as a mother of her children, trying to realy support them with
material resources, not only with the spiritual ones, as recommended by
St. Apostle James. On the other hand, the emphasis the Catholic Church
puts on the legal administration and the expressing of scholastic doctrine,
do not exempt it in any way from the loss of believers to Islam and other
confessions or forms of mystical religion, which require more discipline in
prayer. Similarly, the emphasis that the Protestants put on social practice
and missionary zeal does not exempt them from the inner crises of spir-
itual and cultural church and social life.
Briefly a complete and perfect man must develop to the fullest his
spiritual, intellectual and lucrative potencies that he has, and at the level of
the Churches or religious denominations, although understood as body of
Christ’s complementary bones, achieving this complete and perfect man
requires providing the right environment for this harmonious develop-
156
ment, because leaving in a state of total retardation of one of these three

potencies, majorly unbalances and ultimately destroys the other two and
eventually the whole man. Man must pray perfectly with the spirit, must
think deeply and correctly with his reason, must work to exhaustion body
and soul, if he wants to complete the holy temple of his psychosomatic
assembly.
Interfaith and interreligious dialogue can help the missionary and the
exponent group of migrants in this respect, giving them the motivational
context and even of inspiration and the spiritual and action environment
for the harmonious enrichment and edification of his inner church, by
confronting his religious life model with models of other denominations
or religions, the professional missionary having here the essential role in
settling, for the ordinary faithful, the possible sapiential or other models or
examples to follow from other religions or confessions.
Conclusions
In the present study we have tried to highlight some reasons that justify
engaging in dialogue, as a means of resolving situations of interaction and
social crisis, determined by migration specific to postmodern and globalist
age. But as it can be inferred the dialogue is not only a useful means for
such situations, but it is constituted as the necessary attitude for spiritual
enrichment and edification because man is a social being par excellence,
being who is defined not through isolation but through communion, the
dialogue with foreign individuals or groups, through their religious voca-
tion, constituting itself as an opportunity for the testing of man to be able
to stay in dialogue and communion with someone different, and, eventu-
ally, to confess the personal beliefs and spiritual identity, which only then
is verified, when confronted with another different identity. We are left on
earth to define ourselves as persons in communion with others, to show
our faith and love for God, and this includes, immediately, the affirmation
with perseverance and in confrontation of a certain spiritual and intellec-
tual structure which, in the end, shows us how Christ took a form in us.
I conclude to justify once again the need for dialogue in the context
of social crisis caused by emigration, with a few words of several people
who have changed the course of world history through dialogue. Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow quotes the following Chinese proverb: “A single
157
conversation at a table with a wise man is better than ten years of study
of books.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Conversation is the laboratory
and workshop of the one that studies.” Eleanor Roosevelt once told: “We
must understand that either we will all die together or we will learn to
live together, and if we want to live together, then we need to talk.” When
2001 was designated by the UN year of dialogue, the Secretary general,
Kofi Annan, said the following: “I see... dialogue as a chance for people of
different cultures and traditions to know each other better, whether they
live on opposite sides of the world or across the street.” Fethullah Gülen,
a leading Muslim scholar from Turkey and an advocate of dialogue, a man
whose words and deeds have inspired millions of people in how to lead a
dialogue, said: “Civilized people solve their problems through dialogue.”8
8
Salih Yucel, The Necessity for Dialogue, http://www.interfaithathens.org/article/
art10271.asp
158
The Kievian Theological Education – A Model
for the Romanian Theological Education
The political agenda of most nations who were under the Ottoman
rule between the 16th and 17th century included the establishment of
ties with Russia. This is clearly expressed by Nicholas Chief Magistrate
of Hotin, who, in 1595, spoke of an anti-Ottoman League which would
ideally include “our most holy lord, the Pope in Rome, the powerful Emperor
of the Romans, the palatine of Transylvania, the Grand Duke of Moscow
and many other princes of the Christian world”1. This alliance was never
achieved, but the Romanians established many ties with Christians in
Eastern Europe, especially with those living in Ukraine, which was at
that time under the dominion of Poland. In order to resist the oppres-
sion, the so called “brotherhoods” (bratstva) were established in Kiev,
Lvov, Mogilev and were involved in the socio-religious life of those com-
munities. This was one of the first steps in the Romanian-Ukrainian
long-lasting collaboration.
I. Romanian-Ukrainian Relations
Until 1539, when King Sigismund I of Poland (1506-1548) appoint-
ed Macarius as Orthodox Bishop of Lvov, the eastern-Orthodox priests
in Poland and Ruthenia had been ordained in Moldavia. The Orthodox
Church in the city, destroyed by a fire in 1527, was rebuild by Prince Al-
exandru Lăpușneanu (1552-1561; 1564-1568), in 1559. He also erected
a chapel and painted it after a few years. The diptych contains the names
of all the Prince’s family members. After it was again destroyed in a fire,
it was rebuilt again with the support of other Moldavian princes, such as
1
N. Iorga, Istoria lui Mihai Viteazul, Bucharest, 1935, I, p. 171, apud Tr. Ionescu-
Nișcov, Din istoria relațiilor moldo-ucrainiene în prima jumătate a secolului al XVII-lea, in
”Biserica Ortodoxă Română”, no. 11-12, 1965, p. 1083.
159
by Petru Șchiopu (1574-1577; 1578-1579; 1582-1591), Ieremia Movilă

(1595-1600; 1600-1606) and Simon Movilă (1606-1607), members of
the Movilă family, and then by Miron Barnovschi (1626-1629; 1633),
who completed the works in 1629. The same Prince also supported the
establishment of the Printing House in Lvov.
Thanks to the contribution from Moldova, this place was called
the “Moldavian Church”. Archbishop Petru Movilă was ordained in this
church in 1633. After the union with Rome, in 1700, Lvov became a
strong Catholic centre. In the year 1787, the Romanian merchants in the
city established an Orthodox chapel in a private building, since a Roma-
nian Orthodox Church was built only in 1860; it was then demolished
in 1901 and a new church was rebuilt alongside a parsonage; the priests
who served there were appointed by the Bishop, then the Metropolitan,
of Cernăuți.
Until 1539, when King Sigismund I of Poland (1506-1548) appoint-
ed him as Orthodox Bishop Macarius of Lvov, Poland in ordinations of
priests and Ruthenia was made in Moldova. The Orthodox Church in the
city , destroyed by a fire in 1527, was rebuilt by Alexandru Lăpuşneanu
(1552-1561; 1564-1568), the work being completed in the year 1559. He
added a chapel and he had it painted after a few years. The diptych con-
tains all his family members’ names. After it was again destroyed in fire, it
was rebuilt with Moldovan funding, received from Petru Şchiopu (1574-
1577; 1578-1579; 1582-1591), Ieremia Movilă (1595-1600; 1600-1606)
and Simion Movilă (1606-1607), other members of the Movilă family and
then Miron Barnovschi (1626-1629; 1633), who completed the works
in 1629. The same voivode supported the establishment of the printing
house in Lvov.
Thanks to the Moldovan financial support, this church was also called
the “the Moldovan church”. Archbishop Petru Movilă was ordained in
this church in 1633. After the union with Rome, in 1700, Lvov became a
strong Catholic centre. As late as 1787, the Romanian merchants in that
city set up an Orthodox chapel, in private buildings; a Romanian church
was built only in 1860, it was demolished in 1901 and rebuilt as a com-
pletely new church, next to a parish house, served by priests sent from the
diocesan and later on the metropolitan seat in Chernivtsi.
160
The Kievian Theological Education – A Model for the Romanian Theological Education
The Grand Hermitage in (Maniava), in Pocutia (today, the Ivano-

Francovsk province), was founded by Yov Kondzelevych, in 1611-1612,
with the support of the Moldavian Prince Ieremia Movilă’s wife (1595-
1600; 1600-1606) and daughter Maria Pototski, while they were in Po-
land. Maria Potoski dedicated the Grand Hermitage the Sucevita Mon-
astery, founded by the family, with all its estates. The donation was rein-
forced by Vasile Lupu (1634-1653) and his followers and other boyars.
It was suppressed by Emperor Joseph II’s reform in 1785 and the monks
took refuge in Moldova.
Petru Movilă was tonsured in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, and was later
to become its abbot and then the metropolitan of Kiev. In the monastery’s
chapel of St. Stephen, there is also the tomb of former Bishop of Roman,
Pachomius (1707-1713), placed there in the year 1724.
The Transcarpathian city of Muncacs (under the rule of the medieval
Kingdom of Hungary) was also the see of the Orthodox episcopate which
ruled in the 17th century over the over the Romanians and Carpatho-
Russians in Northern Transylvania and Maramureş. Some of the bishops
were from Moldavia, being ordained at the Metropolitan See of Suceava.
The prince who accomplished the first Romanian Union, Michael the
Brave (1593-1601), recommended in 1600 that the abbot of the Tismana
Monastery, Sergius, be appointed Bishop of Muncacs. Prince Constantin
Şerban Basarab (1654-1658 in Wallachia and 1659; 1661 in Moldavia) re-
placed the older wooden church with one made of stone, at the monastery
of St. Nicholas, near Muncacs; the works were completed in the year 1661.
Peter Movilă was the son of a well-known Moldovan boyar family,
and brother of Moldavian princes. Serving the Church, he became abbot
of the Pechersk monastery, then Metropolitan of Kiev (1633-1646), for
15 years. He maintained close ties with the Church in Moldavia and Wal-
lachia. In 1631, he wrote for his brother, Moise Movilă, who was Prince
of Moldavia (1630-1631; 1633-1634), a religious book, The Triodion ,
which also included advice on the proper behavior of a Christian prince.
During his service, many of his printed books bore the coat of arms of
the Movilă family. The printing houses of Matei Basarab (1632-1654),
in Câmpulung, Govora and Târgovişte, as well as Vasile Lupu’s (1634-
1653) printing house in Iaşi, were purchased or donated from Kiev be-
tween 1635 and 1646. He sent the printing craftsmen to work in the new
161
printing houses, the best known being Timotei Alexandrovich Verbitsky

who had been the head of the Printing House in Kiev. In the year 1640,
he sent to Vasile Lupu a group of teachers for the new College established
in Iaşi, the most important of them being Sophronius Pochiatsky. Moreo-
ver, the Synod of Iaşi in 1642, where Petru Movilă’s Orthodox Confession
was presented and analyzed , a fundamental work of Orthodox doctrine,
translated into several languages – the translator of the Romanian version
was Radu Greceanu –, welcomed a delegation of representatives of the
Ukrainian Church. Petru Movilă’s earthly remains lie in the grand church
of the Pechersk Lavra (he died in Dec. 22. 1646).
Sergius, abbot at the Tismana monastery in Oltenia (the western
province of Wallachia), was recommended by Michael the Brave (1593-
1601) , after the conquest of Transylvania, to be seated Bishop of Munkács.
He was bishop for three years, he was banished in 1603 and took refuge
in Kiev.
Spatharus Nicolae Milescu, Moldovan scholar (1636-1708), famil-
iar with theological issues, studied at the Grand Academy in Iaşi, then in
Constantinople, and in other centres of the Western Europe. In 1671 he
entered the service of the Russian tsars, and he was a Greek, Latin and
Romanian language interpreter for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Af-
fairs; he went on a diplomatic mission to China (1675-1677). He wrote
and translated theological works, but also facilitated diplomatic and ec-
clesiastical connections between Russia and the Romanian principalities.
He helped the Moldavian Metropolitan Dosoftei (1671-1674) to obtain
a printer in 1679, from the Russian Patriarch Joachim of Moscow (1674-
1690). The Transylvanian Metropolitans, such as Ilie Iorest (1640-1643)
and Sava Brancovici (1656-1680), as well as Metropolitan Sophronius of
Lipova (1651) were also granted financial support.
Romanian scholar Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723), who was the
prince of Prince of Moldavia (1693; 1710-1711), and Tsar Peter I the
Great’s ally (1682-1725) against the Turks , was also interested in theo-
logical sciences. Besides theological and philosophical works, Cantemir
wrote works of history, such as Descriptio Moldaviae, Hronicul vechimii a
Româno-Moldo-Vlahilor (The History of the Antiquity of Romanians), The
History of the Ottoman Empire. After the defeat at Stănileşti (1711), Prince
Dimitrie Cantemir took refuge in Russia, where he died and was buried in
162
the Church of Saints Constantine and Helena, the church he had built in
the monastery of Saint Nicholas in Moscow.
Bishop Pachomius of Roman (1708-1713), supporter of the ascetic
teachings of St. Dimitry of Rostov, brought from Russia some of his works
, icons and vestments for Neamţ monastery and the Diocese of Roman.
After retiring from the seat of the episcopate, he went 1717 to Kiev Pech-
ersk Lavra, where he died and was buried in 1724.
Vartolomeu Măzăreanu, aMoldovan monk (1720-1780), was Archi-
mandrite at the Solca monastery (in the 1770s) and then abbot at the
Putna Monastery (around the year 1757). He visited Russia on several
occasions. He was also one of the members of the delegation that visited
Tsarina Catherine II, where received gifts for the monasteries at home. He
also brought Russian religious books, from which he translated into the
Romanian language. He founded in 1774, along with the former Met-
ropolitan of Moldavia, Iacob Putneanu (1750-1760) a spirituality school,
having a program similar to Petru Movilă’s school in Kiev. He wrote works
of theology and history, but he also translated from Russian and Slavonic
both theological and secular works.
II. Romanian Relations with the Russian/Ukrainian Church in
the Last Centuries of the Middle Ages
The Patriarchate of Moscow had had ties with the Orthodox Church
in the Romanian principalities ever since the 16th and 17 centuries. Roma-
nian voivodes sent delegates to Russia to purchase icons for the churches
and monasteries in the country. Archimandrite Varlaam from Secu (later
Metropolitan between 1632 and1653) was sent by Prince Miron Barnovs-
chi (1626-1629; 1633) and metropolitan Anastasie Crimca (1608-1617;
1619-1629) to purchase icons for Dragomirna Monastery. Furthermore,
in the year 1641, Vasile Lupu (1634-1653) asked Tsar Mihail III Romanov
(1613-1645) to send painters to work at the Three Holy Hierarchs Church
in Iaşi. In addition, for the conclusion of political alliances, Russian tsars
and Romanian voivodes used Romanian and Russian hierarchs and abbots
as intercessors. In the year 1656, the Moldovan Prince Gheorghe Ştefan
(1653-1658) sent to Moscow the Metropolitan Ghedeon (1635-1659;
1664-1671) to conclude a Treaty of Alliance with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich
(1645-1676), for whom Spatharus Nicolae Milescu (1636-1708) was
163
working at that time. Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723) built a church

dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helena, in St. Nicholas monastery
in Moscow, where he was eventually buried, along with part of his family.
Russian Tsars and Tsarines, Benefactors of the Romanian Church
Alexei Mikhailovich ( 1645-1676) appointed Spatharus Nicolae
Milescu (1636-1708), who helped strengthen the ties between the Ortho-
dox Church in the Romanian principalities and Transylvania. Milescu’s
close friend, Voivode Gheorghe Ştefan (1653-1653; 1658) concluded a
Treaty of Alliance with Russia. In 1679, Metropolitan Dosoftei of Molda-
via (1675-1686) obtained from the Patriarch of Moscow, Joachim (1674-
1690), a printing press. The Tsar accepted to speak, at the recommenda-
tion of Metropolitan Varlaam (1632-1653), in August 26, 1645, to the
former Metropolitan of Transylvania, Elijah Iorest (1640-1643), whom he
then paid the 1,000 thalers, an amount he owed to the Prince of Transyl-
vania, for which 24 faithful Romanians from Transylvania were being held
hostage. The Transylvanian Metropolitan Sava Brancovici (1656-1680)
was received by the Tsar, on 31 May and 2 August 1668, occasions for con-
celebration with other Eastern Orthodox Patriarchs: Paisius of Alexandria
(1657-1678) and Macarius III of Antioch (1647-1672) at the Uspenia
Church in Moscow.
Peter I the Great (1682-1725), ally of Dimitrie Cantemir , was in
Moldova in June 1711, being received also by Metropolitan Ghedeon of
Moldavia (1708-1722), and he visited the monasteries in Moldova, of
which he found the Golia Monastery in Iaşi the most impressive. In the
year 1709, abbot Pachomius from Bisericani, in Moldova, went to Russia,
where he asked for the support of Tsar Peter I to return the relics of St.
John the New, from Poland (Zolkiew) to Suceava. Pachomius later became
Metropolitan of Voronezh, in Russia. It was not until 1783, that Dosoftei
Herescu , bishop of Rădăuţi (1750-1781), and an exempt Bishop of Bu-
kovina (1750-1781) managed to bring the relics of St. John the New to
Suceava.
Tsarina Elisabeth Petrovna (1741-1761), daughter of Peter the
Great, received at Petersburg, in 1743, the Archpriest of Brasov: Eustathius
Vasilievich Grid (father of Dimitrie Eustatievici, who completed his stud-
ies at Petru Movilă Academy in Kiev) and allowed him to collect aid for
the Orthodox Romanians in Brasov. The tsarina herself gave him 2500
164
rubles and many books of worship which are now preserved in the Saint
Nicholas Church Museum in Brasov. The archpriest used the amount of
13,000 florins he had raised to renovate the Church and to mount a clock
in the church tower.
Tsarina Catherine II of Russia (1762-1796) supported Romanian
Orthodoxy. During the Russian-Turkish war (1768-1774), when the
Romanian Principalities were under Russian military occupation (1769-
1774), two delegations from the Principalities led by Metropolitan Greg-
ory II (1760-1787) and Bishop Inochentie of Huşi (1752-1782), along
with other boyars and archimandrites (Archimandrite Vartolomeu) went
in 1770 to Petersburg and were received by Catherine. They presented
three letters to the Tsarina. In one of the letters, they requested support for
bringing the relics of St. John the New from Poland (Zolkiew) to Suceava;
in the second letter, they demanded that the abuses of foreign armies in
Moldova be brought to an end, and in the third, they requested tax exemp-
tions for a few widows. She promised them that their countries would be
led “according to their own judgment and rules” and made many gifts to the
Romanian monasteries (liturgical objects and vestments, worship books).
III. Ukrainians in Relation to the Romanian Church
Ambrosius Serebrennikov was metropolitan of Ekaterinoslav (at
Poltava). During the Russian occupation (October 1788-29 December
1791), Ambrosius was appointed by the Russian Synod Exarch (deputy
metropolitan) of Moldavia (1789-1792). He printed Romanian-Russian
books of worship. In 1790 he visited the Neamt Monastery, appointed
abbot Paisius archimandrite, and in 1791, ordained Archimandrite Gavriil
Bănulescu-Bodoni vicar Bishop of Cetatea Albă and Tighina.
Paisius Velicicovschi (1722-1794) was a Slav, born in Poltava
Ukraine. He attended the Kiev Academy, and then entered the Lubetski
monastery, on the Dnieper, in 1740. From the Catholic Poland, he went
to the Romanian principalities, on his way to Mount Athos. He was sur-
rounded by several monks, both Slavs and Romanians, at the monastery
of the Pantocrator. In 1763 he returned to Dragomirna, built by Metro-
politan Anastasius Crimca (1608-1617; 1619-1629), where he established
a “guidebook” of monastic settlements. In 1775, after the annexation of
Bukovina by the Austrian Empire, Paisius, accompanied by 200 other
165
monks settled in Secu, then as of 1779, in the Neamţ monastery. Here,

through his administrative, cultural and philanthropic activity, he raised
the level of the monastery both quantitatively (there were 700 friars of all
nations there), as well as qualitatively, from an educational, moral, and cul-
tural point of view. Archbishop Ambrose Serebrenikov, the Russian Vicar
Metropolitan of Moldavia (1789-1792), during the Russian occupation,
raised abbot Paisius to the rank of archimandrite. He was an innovator of
monastic life, many of his disciples, carrying with wherever they went the
monastic rules instituted by Paisius. In Russia, his disciples spread Paisius’
teachings in monasteries such as: Valaam, Solovăţ, Alexander Sfirski, Al-
exander Nevsky (Petersburg), Bryansk, Simonov, Novospask (Moscow),
Pecerska Lavra (Kiev), New Athos (Caucasus). Moreover, many Romanian
monasteries accepted his teachings. While at Neamt, Paisius translated
many theological works from Greek into Slavonic and Romanian (bilin-
gual editions), using in worship, alternatively, both languages.
Mikhail Strilbitsky, archbishop of Polish origin, Russified, he came
to Moldova in the second half of the 18th century, as a printer and en-
graver. He worked as a printer during the rule of Metropolitan Gavriil
Callimachi (1760-1786), during the Russian occupation of the Moldavia.
In 1785, he set up his own printing press in Iaşi, with Russian characters,
where he printed Russian and Romanian books, books for learning the
Russian language, as well as a Calendar for 112 years. During the rule of
metropolitan vicar Ambrose Serebrenikov (1789-1792), on the title pages
of the books he printed, Mikhail Strilbitsky usually printed underneath
his name “archpriest of Moldavia, Wallachia and Bessarabia”. This title dis-
appeared with the cessation of Russian occupation and occupation of the
metropolitan seat by Iacob Stamati (1792-1803), who was not at all a
supporter of Russophile policy. That is why, after 1794, he printed books
(even in the Romanian language) across the Dniester, in Dubăsari and
Movilău.
With respect to Eastern Orthodox education, in 1640, when Moldo-
van voivode Vasile Lupu established the College of Iasi, Petru Movilă sent
from Kiev a group of teachers, led by monk Sophronius Pochiatsky who
was also appointed hegumen of the monastery Three Hierarchs and then
head of the printing house. After 1646, the group of teachers from Kiev,
along with their leader, Sophronius Pochiatsky, were removed and were
166
replaced by a group of traditionalist, Greek teachers. The school endured,

became an Academy later on, but was served by Greek teachers until early
19th century (noteworthy among its teachers are Theodore of Trebizond
and Jeremiah Cacavelas). It seems that the great Moldovan scholars, Spa-
tharus Nicolae Milescu and Metropolitan Dosoftei, were students of this
school.
The first Romanian Transylvanian cleric who traveled to Russia in the
eighteenth century was archpriest Eustatius from Brasov between 1743
and 1744. Tsarina Elizabeth Petrova (1741-1761) allowed him to collect
aid in major Russian cities for three months, giving him 2,500 rubles her-
self and several books of worship. His son, Demetrius Eustatievici (1730-
1795), an Enlightenment theologian and teacher studied at the Spiritual
Academy in Kiev (he graduated in 1753). He then became a teacher at the
Romanian School in Schei - Brasov (1753-1762), then secretary of the first
three Serbian bishops of Răşinari and Sibiu. 2
Here we believe is the point of connection between theological educa-
tion in Sibiu and Kiev. Since our goal is also to make us better known in
order to achieve a fruitful connection, similar to the one we used to have
between theological education in Moldova and Kiev, I will offer a brief
overview of the history of our Faculty below.
IV. The Beginnings of Theological Education in Romania
The organized and continuous theological education in the Roma-
nian Orthodox Church started in the early nineteenth century, when the
theological seminaries in Moldova and Wallachia were established. Never-
theless, there had been before sporadic clergy training schools or courses,
either in monasteries or diocesan residences. It turned out that between
1490 and 1585, there was a school at Putna Monastery, which operated
like a seminary in the late 15th century.
A school with ancient traditions was the one attached to the church of
St. Nicholas in Şchei Brasov founded in the late fifteenth century and re-
organized in 1597 by the scholar archpriest Mihai, collaborator of deacon
2
A se vedea Nagy Béla, Dimitrie Eustatievici à l’Academia de Kiev, in “Annales Uni-
versitatis Scientiarum Budapestinensis, Sectio Psihologica”, tomus VII, Budapest, 1967,
apud Mircea Păcurariu, Dicționarul teologilor români, Ed. A II-a, București, 2002, p.
174-175.
167
Coresi, which was training the future priests in Brasov and Ţara Bârsei.
Other candidates for priesthood were trained in schools attached to dioc-
esan centers (Bucharest, Râmnic, Buzău, later on Argeş, in Wallachia, Iaşi,
Roman, Rădăuţi and Huşi in Moldova, Alba Iulia in Transylvania) and
the schools in monasteries such as Cozia, Argeş, Colţea, Neamţ, Putna.
Numerous young Transylvanians were trained in monasteries especially in
the eighteenth century.
The first attempts to set up schools for the training of the clergy were
in the second half of the eighteenth century. Thus, in 1764, as school was
opened at the church St. Dumitru in Craiova, which was training candi-
dates for priesthood, and in 1775 another similar school opened in the
Obedeanu monastery in Craiova. They were both short-lived. In 1776, a
teacher was appointed at the the Metropolitan See in Bucharest, to teach
those who wanted to become priests. Former Metropolitan Jacob Putne-
anu and Archimandrite Bartholomew Mazareanu established a school for
the training of the clergy in Moldova, at the Putna Monastery, in 1774. It
operated until 1782. In 1786, another theological school was established
at the monastery of St. Elijah near Suceava, which was to be moved in
1789 to Chernivtsi. The theological seminaries, with four forms, were es-
tablished later: one in 1803 in Socola near Iasi, then in 1836 in Bucharest,
Buzau and Arges and in 1837 in Râmnic. 3
The Seminary in Sibiu
Orthodox Romanians in Transylvania, being members of a tolerated
religion, had no right to receive financial support from the state for their
denominational schools. After the revolt of Horia, Cloşca şi Crişan the
state accepted to fund as of 1786 eight Orthodox primary schools, name-
ly those in Avrig, Braşov, Făgăraş, Cernatu, Orăştie, Sălişte, Turcheş and
Sadu. Moreover, the “normal school” was established in Sibiu, for train-
ing priests and teachers.prepare teachers and priests. The Government
recommended that the director of the Romanian Orthodox schools be
Dimitrie Eustatievici, officially appointed on 20 September 1786 4 and
3
Cf. Fr. prof. Mircea Păcurariu, Istoria invăţământului teologic în Biserica Ortodoxă
Română, în BOR, an XCIX, nr. 9-10, 1981, p. 979-981.
4
Lucia Protopopescu, Contribuţii la istoria învăţământului din Transilvania. 1774-
1805, Bucharest, 1966, pp. 186- 187. Sidoxia, the contribution of the members of the
168
the short-term priest-training courses also started. He led and supervised

the “normal school” in Sibiu, until his death in the spring of 1796. Revd.
Radu Tempea from Brasov occupied this position between 1796 and
1808, and was followed by Gheorghe Haines from Braşov, appointed by
imperial decree on 22 august 1808, who led the Romanian Orthodox
schools until 1812.
Bishop Vasile Moga (1810-1845) reorganized the clerical course,
opening on 15 March 1811, a Systematic course for the training of the Or-
thodox clergy, held over a period of six months; the head of that program
was the Romanian scholar Gheorghe Lazăr. The same Bishop wanted, ever
since 1809, to establish a true Seminary, which he requested from the im-
perial Government. By a Decree of the Court, on 25 May 1809, Emperor
Francis I approved the establishment of a three-year Seminary in Sibiu.
Andrei Saguna made significant changes with respect to the Semi-
nary once he had arrived in SIbiu.5 . Soon after his arrival in Transylvania
(since autumn of 1846), Saguna ordered that the length of the “clerical
course” be one year instead of six months, introducing new subjects: Pas-
toral Theology, Teaching methodology, Romanian Grammar and Exegesis. It
was a “beneficent” innovation which gave the possibility to all priesthood
candidates to also work as teachers and better meet the requirements of their
profession and thus be enlighteners of the people and overseers of the schools,
thus compensating the lack of a Pedagogical Institute “.6
This Seminar had three-year courses, but since it did not meet the
requirements for this, lengthening the course was out of the question. Im-
congregation, was introduced 2 Vi crucer per Orthodox family (1 florin was equal to
60 crucer). The amounts constituting the Sidoxial Fund were used to pay the salary of
the Orthodox bishop (4000 fl.) and the head master of the schools (400 fl.) (Mateiu
Voileanu, Sidoxia, Sibiu, 1897, p. 13).
5
Andrei Şaguna was appointed vicar of the Orthodox Diocese of Transylvania on
27 June 1846. Arrived in Transylvania on 21 august, 1846. The next summer, on 24 July
1847, the election of a new Bishop was sanctioned by an Imperial decree. The election
was held on 2 December 1847. Although Şaguna won the fewest votes (only 27, com-
pared with the 33 votes won by Ioan Moga, and 31, by Moise Fulea), he was however
appointed Bishop of Transylvania, on 24 January/February 5, 1848. He was ordained a
Bishop on April 18/30, 1848, at Karlowitz (Nicolae Popea, Archiepiscopul şi Metropolitul
Andreiu Baron de Şaguna, Sibiu, 1879, pp. 27-29 and 37).
6
Nicolae Popea, Archiepiscopul şi Metropolitul Andreiu Baron de Şaguna, p. 22.
169
portant however is that this Seminar was also training school teachers.
Moreover, there was a provision, later to become a tradition and then a
regulation, that the graduates of the theological course had to work as
teachers prior to ordination. In the academic year 1853/54, the Clerical
Course, and the Pedagogical Course were separated, the former requiring
two years of study and the latter, only one year.
On October 1, 1854, Bishop Andrei Şaguna established the struc-
ture and the subjects to be studied in each course. Thus, for the “ Cleri-
cal Course”, for the first year, the following subjects were to be studied:
Dogmatics, Ethics, Church History and Romanian Grammar: for the sec-
ond year: Dogmatics, Ethics, Canon Law, the Pastoral Theology, Exegesis,
Rhetoric and Polemics.
Thanks to the funding he managed to obtain, Andrei Şaguna was able
to reorganize the Institute, so that, as of the academic year 1861/62, the
clerical course was three-years long, and as of 1862 the Pedagogical Course
was two-years long. As a result, the syllabus was modified, the educational
process being thus qualitatively improved.
Thanks to the special interest in the establishment of this Institute
soon after Metropolitan Andrei Şaguna’s death, the Archdiocese Synod
1874 (the precursor to the Diocesan Assembly of today) decided that its
name “ The Andreian Seminary”.
The courses were held, since the beginning, in the building on street
Cisnadiei (today, Nicolae Bălcescu). As a result of the fund raising cam-
paigns organized by priests and archpriests, on the initiative of Bishop
Şaguna in 1852, 26,062 florins were collected, which were spent on a
house located on the Măcelarilor (today, Mitropoliei) street, which is used
as a boarding house for free for students in the Department of theology the
period 1853-1858, after which he became the Episcopal residence (Metro-
politan). Meanwhile, Şaguna also bought a building on Măcelarilor street,
worth 30,000 florins, in which, after repairs and renovations, he moved
the seminary courses in 1864.
By the end of the 19th century, several options for a new seminary
building had been presented and analysed. There were, however, different
views inside the Diocesan Administration and the Synodal Deputies so
that the construction works were postponed, mainly because the high costs
the would have incurred. It was decided, however, in the Synod of 1896,
170
that several buildings of the Seminary be demolished, i.e. the ones located
in the Spinarea câinelui (today, Centumvirilor) street and a new building
be erected, namely the today’s two-storied dormitory, with 10 bedrooms,
two bathrooms, and a large and a large dining room. Although 25,000
florins were allotted to this operation, costs amounted to 36,574 florins.
The problem of the new building of the Seminary was not yet re-
solved. Although the new synod members decided that a new Seminary
be erected on a vacant land in the year to follow, at the initiative of Bishop
Ioan Meţianu, it was decided to build a new two-story wing in Măcelarilor
street no. 26-28 (on the site of several demolished houses) and to restore
the existing ones; the works for the new building were postponed until
more financial resources would be found. Indeed, between the years 1913
and 1914, a new building of the Seminary (today, the building of the Fac-
ulty of Theology) was erected.
The establishment of the Seminary Library experienced many stages.
At first a modest library, the new Bishop Andrei Şaguna filled it with his
own 3,000 volumes. However, all the books of the library, as well as the
Episcopal archives burned during the 1848 revolution. Therefore, Şaguna
started buying books for a new library. He obtained books as gifts from
Moldova, he purchased other books of theology, philosophy and literature
from bookshops or antique bookstores in Budapest and Vienna; then, he
started printing books in the Diocesan Printing House in Sibiu, which he
inaugurated on 27 august 1850, having bought all machinery at his own
expense. The library was enriched by acquisitions and donations, so that in
1873, on the death of Metropolitan Saguna, Ilarion Puşcariu inventoried
and stamped “Library of Metropolitan Andrei” 2440 titles in 3943 vol-
umes, with 484 brochures in 599 volumes, 53 manuscripts in 55 volumes
(many rare books in Latin, German, Serbian, Russian and Hungarian), 20
miscellaneous books in 126 volumes, 78 miscellaneous books in 92 vol-
umes, other 22 books in 29 volumes, 33 + 88 other titles in 47 volumes 7.
Saguna’s private book fund became the property of the Metropolitan See
7
The catalogue of all the books in the private library of His Excellency the Arch-
bishop and Metropolitan of the Orthodox Romanians in Hungary and Transylvania,
as inventoried in 1872, comprises 140 pages, large format, located in the Metropolitan
Library, Ms. 261, apud M. Păcurariu, 200 de ani de învăţământ teologic la Sibiu, Sibiu,
1987, p. 239.
171
after his death, being stamped “The Sibiu Metropolitan Library”, whose
assets counted in 1923 5020 books, and in 1938 comprised 7792 books.8
A library for the seminary teachers was established in 1877, which
according to art. 7 of the Seminary Regulation was to include school text-
books and teaching material. The records have been published in the Semi-
nary Yearbooks since the academic year 1884/85 until the present day.
Thus, in the year 1883/84, it owned 60 titles in 133 volumes, and at the
end of the school year 1910/11 there were 1992 titles in 3318 volumes
in the library. They were placed in two rooms on the ground floor of the
seminary (in the current offices of the Departments of Systematic Theol-
ogy and Practical Theology).
The Andreian Theological Academy
After the Union of Transylvania with Romania in 1918 a new Regula-
tion was issued for the old theological Section of the Andreian Seminary,
its draft being approved by the ecclesiastical department of the Archdioc-
esan Consistory (the Diocesan Council) on 5/18 April 1924. Therefore, as
of the school year 1924/25, the former Theological Section Seminary was
named the “Andreian Theological Academy”, a name it bore until 1948.
The educational process involved four years of study (each divided
into two semesters: September 15-February 1 and February 1-June 30, art.
32). In terms of the forms of assessment, the regulation stipulated annual
exams (June, with resits in September) and fundamental exams (at the end
of the second and fourth year, with assessment for each discipline in the
two cycles of study). The student who passed the second fundamental ex-
amination was awarded the “theological certificate” and the title “graduate
in theology”. Before being admitted to the clergy, he was supposed to take
a “priesthood admission” exam.
Through this regulation, the weight of the theological subjects in-
creased. The subjects were studied as follows (hours per week): Year I
: Biblical Archaeology, 2 hours; Introduction to the Books of the Old
Testament, 3 hours; Old Testament Exegesis, 4 hours; Biblical Herme-
neutics, 1 hour; The History of the Universal Church, until 1054, 4
hours; Psychology, 2 hours; Introduction to Philosophy, 2 hours; The
8
M. Păcurariu, 200 de ani, 238-239.
172
History of the Romanian Language and Literature, 2 hours; Hymns, 2

hours; Rite, 1 hour; Vocal music, 1 hour; The biblical seminar, 1 hour;
Year II: Introduction to the New Testament Books, 3 hours; New Testa-
ment Exegesis; 3 hours; Old Testament Exegesis, 2 hours; The history
of the universal Church, after 1054, 4 hours; Church history, 3 hours;
Patristics and Patrology, 2 hours; Didactics and methodology, 2 hours;
Hymns, 2 hours; Rite, 1 hour; Vocal music, 1 hour; Historical seminar
1 hour; 3rd Year: New Testament Exegesis, 3 hours; Fundamental the-
ology, 5 hours; Dogmatic theology, 4 hours; Moral theology, 6 hours;
Catechism, 2 hours; Homiletics, 2 hours; Pedagogy and the history of
pedagogy, 2 hours; Hymns, 2 hours; Typically, 1 hour; Vocal music, 1
hour; Seminar of dogmatic, 1 hour; Year IV: New Testament Exegesis, 2
hours; Dogmatic theology, 3 hours; Canon law, 4 hours; Pastoral Theol-
ogy, 2 hours; Liturgics, 3 hours; Practical Homiletics , 1 hour; Practical
Catechesis, 2 hours; Sects, 2 hours; Sociology, 2 hours; Hymns, 2 hours;
Rite, 1 hour; Pastoral hygiene 1 hour; Vocal music, 1 hour; Workshop, 1
hour; Biblical seminar, 1 hour.
Given the special regime of theological Academies in Transylvania
(inferior to Faculties), but also the performance of the Academy in Sibiu,
Metropolitan Nicolae Bălan intensified his requests at the Ministry of
religious affairs for the recognition of the Academy’s right to award Bach-
elor’s Degrees. Thus, on 19-20 April 1935 the first Congress of teachers
from Transylvania’s Orthodox theological Academies, was organized under
the leadership of Metropolitan Bălan, which claimed the right of these
Academies to issue Bachelor’s Degrees in theology. However, despite all
the attempts in subsequent years, the result was not the one expected,
especially that the Uniate Theological Academy in Blaj had already been
granted this right in1932, though it was not superior in quality to the
Academy in Sibiu9.
It was not until the meeting of the Holy Synod on 18 March 1938,
that the synodal Commission for the reorganization of theological educa-
tion presented a bill that in the new political context (the Royal Dictator-
ship, the Government headed by Patriarch Miron Cristea and with Min-
ister of national education in the person of the Bishop of Cluj, Nicolae
9
M. Păcurariu, 200 de ani, p. 153.
173
Colan) became a Decree on 18 May 1938 (comprising 17 articles)10. The

new law established two types of higher-education theological schools:
Faculties within the University (Bucharest, Iaşi and Chernivtsi) and theo-
logical Academies, under the jurisdiction of the Church11.
However, the Academy’s right to award Bachelor’s Degrees was ac-
knowledged as late as 23 May 1942, under the Law for the reorganization of
higher education, article 30. 143 stated that:
“The Theological Academy in Sibiu shall issue certificates equiv-
alent to those of Bachelor of Theology, if it conducts studies and
recruits its teaching staff according to the legislation in force
applicable for the Faculties of Theology. Therefore, the teaching
staff of this Theological Academy shall benefit from the same
salary policy as the teaching staff working at the Faculties of
Theology”12.
The new Regulation of the Academy established ten departments, three
lectureships and two assistantships. The chairs were: Old Testament Ex-
egesis and Hebrew language; New Testament Exegesis and Biblical Her-
meneutics; Apologetics and Sociology; Dogmatic Theology; Ecclesiastical
Law; Moral Theology; The History of the Romanian Church and of the
Orthodox Christian Art; Universal Church History and Patrology; Litur-
gics and Pastoral Theology; Christian Philosophy and Pedagogy. The lec-
10
Romanian Patriarchate. The Central Council of The Church. Rapoarte generale asu-
pra situaţiunii bisericeşti din punct de vedere administrativ, cultural şi economic în Patri-
arhia Română, în cursul anilor 1935-1938, pp. 316-317.
11
Furthermore, the Decree stipulated that there should be a single type of inferior
theological schools, namely Theological Seminaries or Schools. Theological seminaries
in various dioceses were to be converted into denominational secondary schools with a
new curriculum. in dioceses where there were no seminaries, the Ministry was to provide
a secondary school, especially a high school, to be turned into a denominational high
school. At the same time, every diocese, provided that there was no denominational
high school, was entitled to have a normal denominational school to be organized in
a school donated to the Diocese by the Ministry of National Education (art. 14). The
recruitment of teachers, the administrative staff, the syllabus and operation of seminaries
were to be done in line with the provisions of a regulation drafted by the Holy Synod, in
agreement with the Ministry of National Education (art. 15).
12
În: Revista Teologică, 33 (1943), no. 3-4, pp. 260-261; see Mircea Păcurariu, 200
de ani, p. 157.
174
tureships were: Homiletics and Catechetics; Missionarism and Sectology;

Church Music and13 Ritual.
On 23 May 1943, in a festive setting, the Academy was declared
an institution of higher-education. in the summer of the same year, the
Ministry of National Culture and Religious Affairs recognized as full-time
teachers some of the most distinguished professors of theology, such as:
Dumitru Stăniloae, Nicolae Terchilă, Nicolae Neaga, Liviu Stan, Grigore
Marcu, Teodor Bodogae etc.
The Theological Higher-Education Institute in Sibiu between
1948 and 1990
The establishment of the “dictatorship of the proletariat” in 1948
changed the attitude of the authorities with respect to the Church and
structure of theological education.
The law on the religious denominations, of 3 august 1948 14 , stipulated
in article 11. 49 that the Romanian Orthodox Church was to operate two
higher-education theological institutes, church music schools and theo-
logical seminaries. Thus, the situation of theological education, as that of
the Church in general was much better in Romania than in other “social-
ist” Orthodox countries, due to the Patriarch Iustinian Marina’s attitude of
worthy memory, who was elected in 1948. However, first there were three
higher education theological institutes, in Bucharest, Sibiu and Cluj 15 ,
each having a faculty and one or two “tutoring centres of the clergy”.
As a result, on 23 august 1948 Andreiana Theological Academy was
changed its name to theUniversity Theological Institute, and under the Deci-
sion of 13 November 1948 it also had two tutoring centres, one in Sibiu
and the other one in Arad.16
During these first years of Communist regime there were changes in
the teaching staff. Some of the teachers retired, while others were rerouted
to all educational institutions in the country.
13
Ibidem, p. 157.
14
Decree no. 177, in The Official Gazette of 4 August 1948, apud Mircea Păcurariu,
200 de ani, p. 171.
15
The Institute of Cluj operated between 1948 and 1952, when only one semi-
nary was left.
16
„Decizia pentru pregătirea personalului deservent al cultelor religioase”, in The
Official Gazette, no. 266/15 November 1948.
175
There were four years of study as follows: the first year: the study of the
Old Testament (including Hebrew), 6 hours; The study of the New Testa-
ment (including Greek), 6 hours; Universal church history and Patrology,
5 hours; Latin and French, 3 hours; History of the Romanian Church, 5
hours; Russian and Slavonic, 2 hours; Pedagogy, 1 hour; Church music,
2 hours. The second year: The study of the Old Testament, 6 hours; The
study of the New Testament, 6 hours; The history of the universal Church
and Patrology, three hours; Latin and French, 2 hours; the History of the
Romanian Church, 3 hours; Russian and Slavonic, 2 hours; Fundamental
theology and the history of religions, 5 hours; Pedagogy, 1 hour; Church
music, 2 hours. The thirds year: Fundamental theology and the history
of religions, 5 hours; Dogmatic and symbolic theology, 4 hours; Greek
language, 2 hours; Christian ethics, 4 hours; Homiletics and Catechet-
ics, 3 hours; Liturgics, Pastoral Theology and Rite, 3 hours; Canon law
and Administration, 4 hours; Latin and French, 2 hours; Church music
and Ritual, 2 hours; Slavonic language, 1 hour. The fourth year: Dogmatic
and symbolic theology, 4 hours; Missionary guidelines 2 hours; Christian
ethics, 4 hours; Homiletics and Catechetics, 3 hours; Church law and Ad-
ministration, 4 hours; Liturgics, Pastoral Theology, and the Typikon, 5
hours; Greek, 1 hour, French, 2 hours; Slavonic, 2 hours; Church music
and Ritual, 2 hours 17 .
Upon graduation students would take the final exam, involving a final
diploma paper, on a topic selected by the student and several oral examina-
tions: the New Testament, the History of the Romanian Church, Dogmat-
ic Theology, Catechesis, Homiletics, Liturgical Practice and Canon Law.
It should be noted that during this period, most of today’s Romanian
hierarchs received their education at the theological Institute in Sibiu, in-
cluding His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, the leader of the Romanian Or-
thodox Church.
The Scientific and Research Activity of the Institute’s Academics
Following the tradition, the generations of teachers of the Institute
focused on various topics, materialized in valuable publications, either
published in volume and used as student textbooks, most printed by the
17
Mircea Păcurariu, 200 de ani, p. 175.
176
Biblical and Missionary Institute Publishing House in Bucharest since the

1960s: Introduction to the New Testament by Prof. Grigore Marcu and So-
fron Vlad (3 editions, 1954, 1977 and 1984), Introduction to the Old Tes-
tament by prof. Nicolae Neaga, Universal Church History by prof. Teodor
Bodogae (2 volumes, in 1956), The History of the Romanian Church by
prof. Ştefan Lupşa (2 volumes, 1957-1958), Dogmatics by Ioan Petreuţă
and Isidor Todoran (2 volumes, 1958). Then followed the new generation
of teachers with outstanding student textbooks, such as the monumental
History of the Romanian Orthodox Church by prof. Mircea Păcurariu (3 vol-
umes, 1980-1981, with a third edition printed between 2004 and 2008),
Catehetics by Dumitru Călugăr (2 editions, 1976, 1978), Christian ethics
by Ioan Zăgrean (2 editions, 1974, 1985). Numerous studies and articles
have been published either in journals in Sibiu, such as Mitropolia Ardealu-
lui, Revista Teologică or in other magazines published by the Church such
as Studii Teologice, Ortodoxia, Biserica Ortodoxă Română or other religious
publications of other dioceses.
Integration into the Higher-education System. The Double Sub-
ordination of the Faculty of Theology
After the events in December 1989, theological education in Sibiu
entered a new stage of its development. On 30 May 1991, the Ministry of
Education and Science, the State Secretariat for Religious Denominations
and the Romanian Patriarchate agreed upon the Protocol No. 9870/30 May
1991 , by which theological education in Romania was integrated into the
state-funded higher-education system, but under a double subordination:
“In order to increase the contribution of the Church to the pro-
motion of Romanian spirituality, culture and social life, it is
herein provided that higher-education theological institutes may
be integrated into the state-funded universities, based on direct
agreements between these institutions. […] The higher-education
theological institutes in Bucharest, Sibiu and Iaşi, shall become
Faculties of Theology, in the state-universities in their respective
cities, as of the academic year 1991/92. […] The Bachelor’s De-
grees shall be awarded under the joint authority of the Romanian
Patriarchy and the Ministry of Education and Science”.
177
Based on these principles, Protocol no. 1335/27 September 1991 was

concluded between the University of Sibiu and the “Andrei Şaguna” Theologi-
cal Institute in Sibiu, the latter thus becoming a Faculty of Theology. The
agreement of the Senate and Administration Board of the University of
Sibiu was drafted on 25 June 1991, and that of the Teaching Staff Council
of the Theological Institute in Sibiu on 19 June 1991. Basically, as a result
of these protocols, the theological education across the country was placed
under a double subordination: that of the Ministry of Education, namely
the University each faculty became part of and that of the Holy Synod,
namely that of the bishop in the jurisdiction of whom the university is
located; this aspect is regulated under the Law of National Education of 28
December 2010.
As of 1994, the “ Andrei Şaguna “Faculty of Theology, has held two-
semester postgraduate courses, transformed in 2003 into three-semester
masters programs, for the four traditional majors: Biblical Theology, Sys-
tematic Theology, Historical Theology and Practical Theology.
The Bologna Process and the New Curricula
Beginning with the 2005/06 academic year, along with the entire “Lu-
cian Blaga” University of Sibiu, the “Andrei Şaguna “ Faculty of Theology
adopted the new curricula based on the three cycles (Bachelor’s, Master’s
and Doctorate), in line with the Bologna process. Thus, the majors were
reorganized and only three were left: Pastoral Theology, Didactic Theology
(the former Theology-Letters programme) and Social Theology (the for-
mer Theology-Social Work programme).
The Faculty Council meeting of 23 September 2005 decided that a
restructuring of the Bachelor’s curriculum be implemented, i.e. three years
of study (180 ECTS, in accordance with the Bologna system). It was deci-
ded that the first year of study be common for all three programmes, so
that students in the Pastoral Theology program may study subjects specific
to the other two majors, and the students (male and female) in the other
two majors, Didactic Theology and Social Theology, study the main the-
ological subjects.
However, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church de-
cided during the held on 16 January 2008 that the programme Pastoral
Theology become a four-year programme (240 ECTS), while still obser-
178
ving the principles of the Bologna reform process; the decision of the Holy
Synod was approved by Government decision in June 2008. As a result,
the curricula for the first class of students registered under the Bologna
provisions (in the academic years 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008)
were revised, so that the traditional structure of theological education was
implemented again, i.e. two cycles of study: Biblical Theology and Histo-
rical Theology (the first and the second year and Systematic Theology and
Practical Theology ( the third and the fourth year).
CURRICULUM
1st YEAR OF STUDY – 2015-1016

FUNDAMENTAL DISCIPLINES
1 Study of the Old Testament
3 Study of the New Testament
4 Church History
5 Church History
6 History of the Romanian Orthodox Church
SPECIALITY DISCIPLINES
7 Patrology and Post-patristic Literature
8 Church Music and Christian Hymnography
10 Spiritual Formation
12 Biblical and Patristic Greek
13 Computer Science in the Study of Theology
14 Computer Science in the Study of Theology
15 Specialized Practice
OPTIONAL DISCIPLINES
16 Theological Propaedeutics and Methodology
17 Theological Dictionary
18 Historical Topography of the Holy Land
179
19 History of the New Testament Era

ADDITIONAL DISCIPLINES
20 Foreign Language
21 Foreign Language
22 Physical Education
2nd YEAR OF STUDY – 2015-1016

FUNDAMENTAL DISCIPLINES
2 Biblical Exegesis
3 Biblical Exegesis
4 Church History
SPECIALITY DISCIPLINES
13 Biblical and Patristic Latin
14 Christian Art
15 Christian Art
16 History of Philosophy
17 Specialized Practice
OPTIONAL DISCIPLINES
18 Terms of Biblical Theology
19 Biblical Hebrew Language
20 Iconography
21 Christianity in Europe
180
ADDITIONAL DISCIPLINES
22 Foreign Language
23 Foreign Language
3rd YEAR OF STUDY – 2015-1016

5th Semester
1 Orthodox Dogmatic Theology
2 Orthodox Moral Theology
3 Orthodox Spirituality
4 History and Philosophy of Religion
5 Mission and Ecumenism
6 Liturgical Theology
7 Orthodox Canon Law
8 Catechetics
Optional V
11 Current Problems of Apologetics
12 Elements of Christian Anthropology
6th Semester
20 Catechetics
181
Optional VI
23 History of the Romanian Church Music
24 Catechisation of Adults
25 Compact Specialty Practice
4th YEAR OF STUDY – 2015-1016

7th Semester
8 Homiletics
9 Pastoral Theology
10 Compact Specialty Practice
Optional VII
11 Psychosociology of Sectarian Movements
12 Current Canonical Problems in Orthodoxy
8th Semester
20 Homiletics
21 Pastoral Theology
Optional VIII
22 Introduction to Bioethics
23 Treaties on Priesthood at the Holy Fathers
182
Throughout the period following the integration into the University

of Sibiu, the Pastoral Theology program registered more than 100 students,
sometimes even 200, distributed in 4 to 6 groups; the number of students
in other majors was lower, on average only one group for each year.
The Doctoral School and Theological Research
At the time when the Andrei Şaguna “ Faculty of Theology joined the
University of Sibiu (September 1991), it had 16 professors, 9 of whom
were doctoral advisors, while in 2006, the number of doctoral advisors
increased to 12. Following the integration into the University, the Fac-
ulty of Theology in Sibiu, awarded over 200 academic titles of Doctor of
Theology, under the guidance of the doctoral advisors . In their turn, the
doctoral students have worked hard in order to increase the quality of their
research, and to promote their work through the sole journal dedicated
exclusively to doctoral students in the “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu,
Studia Doctoralia Andreiana .
Respecting the natural hierarchy of priorities, which places at the
heart of the concerns of all institutions of higher education teaching to
moral education, research ranks second on the list of top priorities of the “
Andrei Şaguna “ Faculty of Theology.
The Theological Research Center (TRC)
The Faculty Council founded this centre on 20 April 2000, aimed
at developing research projects that meet the current requirements of the
Church and society in this area. Research is conducted in the Centre as
research Projects proposed to be carried out in four Sections which mirror
the organization of the educational process in the Faculty of Theology:
Biblical, Historical, Systematic and Practical areas. The full-professors and
associate professors who are also doctoral and master advisors manage re-
search in those areas as well as the drafting of projects, as they also are
project directors. Projects may involve the participation of any member of
the teaching staff, master’s and doctoral students, as needed. A project may
be approached individually or by a project team.
The research results are disseminated in several journals such as priority
will be made through Revista teologică, Anuarul Facultăţii de Teologie and
Telegraful Român, which are also publications of the Centre.
183
Feeling the need to animate Church’s missionary activity within the

Faculty of Theology, was initiated within the discipline of Missiology a
Symposium, begining with 2012, with the general theme “Doing Mission
Following the Model of Christ”, annually with the sub-theme as follows:
2012 – The Specificity Orthodoxy and Ecumenism of Today; 2013 – Ex-
ternal and Internal Mission of the Church; 2014 – Theology and Ecu-
menical Education; 2015 – The Parish and the Monastery – Challenges
and Spiritual Implications and of Communication.
The papers presented during these symposiums are published in a
volume that bears the title of the annual theme debated at the meeting.
Ecumenical Research Center Sibiu (CCES)
“Andrei Şaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology and the Department
of Protestant Theology in Sibiu have thought, based on a long ecumeni-
cal tradition, not only in Sibiu, but throughout Transylvania, to organ-
ize together an Ecumenical Research Centre. This was initiated in 2003
when the Swiss Professor Stefan Tobler came to Sibiu as a professor in the
Department of Protestant Theology. Significant was also the visit to Sibiu
of the dean Eilert Herms and professor Bernd Janowski of the Faculty of
Theology in Tubingen (Germany). The two professors were joined by the
then dean Fr. Prof. PhD. Dorin Oancea who, together with the rectors
of the two universities in Sibiu and Tübingen, have signed a cooperation
agreement.
Within CCES are conducted joint activities and the responsibilities
are divided equally. There are four areas of research within CCES: Church
History; Ecumenical Dialogue; Religion and Society; Interfaith Dialogue.
The research results are reflected in the following publications: Doc-
umenta Ecumenica, Studia Ecumenica and Ecumenical Journal Sibiu
(RES).
The professors
In 2016, all of the 27 teachers of the Faculty (eight professors, eight
associate professors, new lecturers, two assistants) have a PhD in Theology
or in Science.
On the list of fathers confessors of the Faculty of Sibiu, within the
period 1992-2016, appear the following: Fr. Mihai Iosu: 1992-2006; Fr.
184
Marian Răduleţ: 1994-1996; Fr. Constantin Oancea: 1996-1997; Fr.

Constantin Necula: 1997-2007; Protos. Vasile Bârzu: 2006-2008; Ar-
chim. Macarie Ţuţul: 2008-2010; Fr. Petru Pantiş: 2007-present.
Have been retired: Arch. Prof. Ioan Floca (in 1998, deceased in 2006);
Fr. Prof. Ilie Moldovan (in 1998, deceased in 2012); Arch. Prof. Con-
stantin Voicu (in 1999; deceased in 2015); Fr. Prof. Mircea Păcurariu (in
2002); Fr. Prof. Dumitru Abrudan (in 2008). All remained as consultant
professors. Have passed away during activity: Fr. Lect. Ion Popescu (April
17, 1992), Fr. Prof. Aurel Jivi (November 1, 2002) and Fr. Prof. Sebastian
Şebu (August 18, 2007).
Today, in 2016, the academic staff has the following configuration:
Fr. Prof. PhD. Aurel Pavel – Dean; Fr. Ass. Prof. PhD. Mircea Ioan Ielciu
– Deputy Dean; Prof. PhD. Paul Brusanowski – Department Director; Fr.
Prof. PhD. Vasile Grăjdian – Member in the Board of the Department;
Pr. Lect. Dr. Petru Pantiş Grăjdian – Member in the Board of the Depart-
ment;
Consultant Professors: Fr. Prof. Acad. PhD. Mircea Păcurăriu; Fr.
Prof. PhD. Dumitru Abrudan; Fr. Prof. PhD. Dorin Zosim Oancea;
Teaching staff: HE Prof. PhD. Laurențiu Streza – Liturgical Theol-
ogy; Fr. Prof. PhD. Aurel Pavel – Mission and Ecumenism; Fr. Prof. PhD.
Vasile Mihoc – Study of the New Testament; Fr. Prof. PhD. Nicolae Chifăr
– Church History; Arch. Prof. PhD. Ioan Ică Jr. – Orthodox Spirituality;
Fr. Prof. PhD. Vasile Grăjdian – Church Music and Tipic; Fr. Prof. PhD.
Daniel Buda – Church History; Prof. PhD. Paul Brusanowski – History of
the Romanian Orthodox Church; Prof. PhD. Ciprian Streza – Liturgical
Theology; Fr. Ass. Prof. PhD. Mircea Ioan Ielciu – Patrology; Ass. Prof. PhD.
Sebastian Moldovan – Orthodox Moral Theology; Fr. Ass. Prof. PhD. Irimie
Marga – Orthodox Canon Law; Fr. Ass. Prof. PhD. Nicolae Moşoiu – Ortho-
dox Dogmatic Theology; Fr. Ass. Prof. PhD. Constantin Valer Necula – Homi-
letics and Catechetics; Fr. Conf. PhD. Horia Constantin Oancea – Study
of the Old Testament; Ass. Prof. PhD. Daniela Preda – English Language;
Fr. Conf. PhD. Mihai Constantin Iosu – Pastoral Theology; Fr. Lect. PhD.
Petru Pantiş – Practical Liturgy and father confessor; Fr. Lect. PhD. Vasile-
Sorin Dobre – Church Music and Tipic; Lect. PhD. Vasile Chira – Classical
Languages/ Philosophy; Lect. PhD. Daniel Mihoc – Study of the New Testa-
ment; Lect. PhD. Ioan Ovidiu Abrudan – Christian Art; Lect. PhD. Alina
185
Pătru – History and Philosophy of Religion; Protos. Lect. PhD. Vasile Bârzu
– Orthodox Spirituality; Lect. PhD. Ciprian Toroczkai – Orthodox Moral
Theology; Deacon Asist. PhD. Dan Alexandru Streza – Church Music;
Asist. PhD. Corina Grecu – Computer Science.
Conclusions
Therefore, as shown above, even though there were no direct connec-
tions between the college founded by Saint Petru Movilă and the Faculty
of Theology in Sibiu, the latter, in its various forms since its establishment
in 1786, has always found guidance and inspiration in the rigour that the
great hierarch in Kiev endeavoured to implement, in order to plant in the
soul of the students not only academic excellence but also piety and fear of
God. In this sense, the liturgical life of students and professors organized
around the Faculty Chapel has always played an overwhelmingly impor-
tant role.
We are absolutely convinced that both in Kiev and in Sibiu, the main
task of our Faculties is to combine the latest advancements in theologi-
cal research with the faithfulness to the Sacred Tradition of the Orthodox
Church, educating our students in the spirit of the Fathers of the Church.
186
L’ethos della Chiesa Primaria
e l’Ecclesiologia Ortodossa Contemporanea*
Introduzione
In un consistente studio consacrato alia ricerca di offrire “una inter-
pretazione ortodossa della Chiesa” nel campo ecumenico1, padre Georges
Florevsky sottoscriveva i păreri di M.D. Koster şi A.L. Katansky conforme
i quali la dottrina sulla Chiesa si troverebbe in uno “stadio preteologico”.
Dunque, non si puô trovare “una definizione precisa della Chiesa, perché,
in un quale modo detto, non esiste nessuna (chiesa) che possa pretendere
un’autoritá dottrinale riconosciuta. Essa non si puô trovare ne nella Santa
Scritturta, ne nei documenti posteriori di essi. Le testimonianze di fede che
la Chiesa Orientale le ha redattate in diverse occasioni nei secoli XVII e
XVIII e le quali sono state ulteriormente riconosciute come “i libri simbo-
lici” dell’Ortodossia, non davano nessuna definizione, limitandosi ai riferi-
menti della sezione respettiva del Credo, sequita da qualche esplicazioni.2
Tuttavia, probabilmente che il celebro patrologo e teologo russo sa-
rebbe stato disturbato se quelli che sono stati deti sopra porterebbero alia
concluzione che il magistero sulla Chiesa le sarebbe mancato perfettamen-
te di questa. Proprio lui riconosce che, nel caso dei Padri, non si parla
din una “lacuna”: quello che si trova a loro è di piú una “visione chiara e
gloriosa, una intuizione sicura e distinta, che una idea astratta o una con-
cezione formale”. Dunque, questa mancanza delle defmizioni categoriche
non veniva di una confusione dele idee, ne della oscuritá della fede. “Anzi,
i vecchi Padri non erano preocupaţi della precisione delle formule proprio
*
Published in La Chiesa alla luce delle Sante Scritture. Studi Ecumenici, Instituto di
Studi Ecumenici S. Bernanrdino, Venezia, 2010, p. 140-160.
1
Georges Florevsky, Le Corps du Christ vivant. Une interprétation orthodoxe de l’Eglise,
in La Saint Eglise Universelle-Confrontation Oecuménique, Neuchatel, 1948, p. 9-57.
2
Ibidem, p. 9.
187
perché la realtà gloriosamente della Santa Chiesa di Dio si oferiva loro una
visione spirituale con una claritá incantevole. Non si definisce quello che
é assolutamente evidente di se stesso. La Chiesa é di piú una realtà che si
vive e non un oggetto di analisi e studio3.
Nella teologia ortodossa conteporanea glşi studi di ecclesiologia ri-
mangono ancora abbastanza rari. Tra i lavori di sintesi i più importanti,
quello realizzata di Boris Bobrinskoy è uno di riferimento, ma iniziando
da essa, identificheremmo - per quanto riguarda il raporto tra la Chiesa e
l’atto della fedetre modalità tramite quali puô essere quardata la Chiesa: 1)
La Chiessa è l’oggetto di fede. Essa costituisce il prolungamento e l’aggio-
mamento nel mondo del mistero della Chiesa. Come Corpo di Cristo, la
Sposa di Cristo, il Tempio dello Spirito Santo, essa partecipa alia teantro-
pia del Salvatore; essa è di un essere divino - umano, essa è la Rivelazione
del mistero della salvezza nella storia. La Chiesa si definisce attraverso la
vita di Dio che comunica e che ne ha fondata. 2) La Chiesa è il medio(am-
biente) della fede, cioè lo spazio spirituale in cui il fedele nasce per una vita
nuova, cresce, si fortifica nella fede e nella vita, conforme lo Spiroto Santo.
Essa è la matrice spirituale, lo spazio dello Spirito, dove tramite il Suo
soffio e tramite il Suo fuoco, la scintilla della fede si accende e cresce nella
conoscenza e nelF amore. 3) La Chiesa è l’oggetto della fede. Senza per-
mettersi, beninteso, l’attribuire qualche carattere “ipostatico” alla Chiesa,
possiamo dire sulla fede cristiana che sorpassa i limiti della persona umana
e che essa è la fede di tutta la Chiesa, da tutti i tempi e da tutti i luoghi: La
Chiesa universale, cattolica. Questa cattolicità è, prima di tutto, di natura
qualitativa, cioè si riferisce alia pienezza del suo Verità. Essa è, ancora, uni-
versale, perché è a ognuno uomo e dunque di tutti gli uomini. Tramite la
conversione battismale, l’individuo entra nella fede della Chiesa, la riceva,
si la fa propria, l’assimila in profondo della sua esistenza, poi la trasmette.
Questa fede comunitaria non straniera e non rompe la persona di quello
che crede, che si apre cosi verso alia sua ultima verità.4
Unindosi tutti gli elementi discritti di sopra, si puô fare un ideea ge-
nerale a quello che significa ed è la Chiesa. Senza mettere in reliefo tutti
questi aspetti, anche dai suoi inizi la Chiesa esprima, nelle formule concen-
3
Ibidem, p. 10.
4
Boris Bobrinskoy, Taina Bisericii, traducere Vasile Manea, studiu introductiv
Ioan Bizău, Editura Patmos, Cluj - Napoca, 2002, p. 38-39.
188
L’ethos della Chiesa Primaria e l’Ecclesiologia Ortodossa Contemporanea
tratti, ugualmente la sua fede in Dio - Trinità e dei passagi a riferimento

alia sua propria realtà. Queste testimonianze di fede oppure dei simboli,
che rapresenteravano delle formule che dovevano definire il credente e la
sua fede, eranno pronunziate al Batesimo, e la Chiesa era accennata, in
generale, secondo il passaggio quardante la Spirito Santo.5 Questo modo di
trattare dell’ecclesiologia si è perpetuato e puô essere ritrovato anche nella
teologia orodossa di scuola, esso essendo evidente in Dogmatica di Miche-
le Bulgakov e Cristos Andrutsos. Riguardante al primo, comne esempio,
Pinsegnamento “sulla Santa Chiesa, tramite cui il Signore realizza la nostra
santità” aparisce al primo articolo del primo capitolo, denominato “Su Dio
Santitore”, e messo avanti al insegnamento sui Santi Misteri.
II teologo Karl Christian Felmy scrive che “nella teologia piu nuova
(di oggi) questa struttura tradizionale é stata in parte abbandonata”6 e lui
da come esempio il lavoro di Serghei Bulgakov, Ortodoxia7. In modo a
tutto sorprendente per un autore ortodosso, questo parte proprio dall’ec-
clesiologia per esppore la dogmatica ortodossa. Quelle qualche capitoli in-
troduttivi consacraţi alia Chiesa non vogliono altro che sugeriscono che
l’insegnamento dogmático non puó essere corettamente inteso che tramite
l’esperinza mistica della Chiesa.8
La nuova visione ecclesiastica che la mostra la maggior parte dei teolo-
gi ortodossi contepotanei le sembra al teologo evangélico essendo “partico-
larmente molto remarcabile”, sopratutto che una accentuazione piü forte
della Chiesa et dell’ecclesiologia si ritrova non solo nello spazio ortodosso,
ma in generale ecumenico (vedi, per esempio, la teologia romano - cat-
tolica dopo il secondo Concilio Vaticano). “Lo svillupo dell’ecclesiologia
ortodossa é particolarmente molto remarcabile, affinché nessun’ altro pro-
blema la teologia ortodossa non ha valorificato cosi fortemente la teologia
5
Ibidem, p. 37.
6
Karl Christian Felmy, Dogmatica experienţei eccleziale. înnoirea teologiei ortodoxe
contemporane, Introducere şi traducere Ioan Ică, Editura Deisis, Sibiu, 1999, p. 207.
7
Serghei Buzlgakov, Ortodossia, tradotto daNicolae Grossu, Edizione Paideia,
Bucureşti, 1994
8
Primele cinci capitole tratează: „Biserica”: „Tradiţia Bisericească”; „Ierarhia
bisericească”; „Unitatea Bisericii”; „Sfinţenia Bisericii”, şi abia după acestea se trece la
„Dogmatica Ortodoxă”, demonstrând ceea ce se afirmase în prefaţă, şi anume că „norma”
învăţătorească a Bisericii este o „tradiţie vie”, „un act care se săvârşeşte continuu în viaţa
Bisericii, una, neîntreruptă şi de Dumnezeu inspirată. Cf. Ibidem, p.6.
189
delle altre confessioni come in ecclesiologia, e in nessun’ altro problema la

teologia ortodossa in se stesso non ha messo accente cosi diversamente, ma
prorio contrario ogni tanto, come in ecclesiologia”.9
II cambiamento avvenuto nel secolo XX in teologia ortodossa con-
teporanea non puó eesere corettamente inteso se non si tiene conto dal
“fonte primario” sul quale eesa é rivenuta, dopo tanti secoli in quali L’Or-
todossia ha sofferto dei infflussi heterodossi di sfumatura romano - catto-
lica e protestante. Ci riferiamo al’etos della Chiesa dal periodo apostolico,
ma di séquito cercheremmo di presentare succintemente i suoi elemen-
ti caratteristichi, poi facciamo una incursione nel pensiero ecclesiologico
dei quatro piü grandi teologi ortodossi dal secolo XX: Georges Florovsky
(1893-1979). Justin Popovici (1894-1979), Vladimir Lossky (1903-1958)
e Dumitru Stăniloae (1903-1993).
Elementi di ecclesiologia nella Santa Scriitura
Prima di passare alia presentazione del concetto di Chiesa nel Nouo
Testamento facceremmo qualche precizazioni sulla “Preparazione ecclesiasti-
ca”10 fatta al popolo di Israël da Dio. Possono essere cosl distinte più tappe
sui “cammini ecclesiastici”, che sono succedati dopo la caduta dell’uomo in
peccatto. Altrimenti, proprio dopo la caduta degli antenati Adamo et Eva,
si fa una promissione sul “seme délia donna” che schiaccerà “la testa del ser-
pente” (Gen.cap.3) - il fondamento délia genealogia di Cristo con cui inizia
il Vangelo.11 Le principali tappi di questa genealogia, del Legamento tra Dio
e 1’ uomo: Da Adamo a Noe, insieme aile institusioni dei sacrifici menzio-
nati dai patriarchi, da Noe ad Abramo, Da Abramo a Mose, Da Mose ai
profetti, attraverso i quali Dio si rivela il Suo Nome, e finalmente dai profetti
a Cristo. “Questa successione dei legamenti è fondamentale; essa manifesta
l’unità del piano divino, la Sua fedeltà a lungo dell’avatara délia santa storia:
Il legamento cosmico, quella fatto a Noe, con Abramo e con Mosè. Ne tro-
viamo delle imagini ecclesiastiche riferimente a Noe e Chivot (Tabemacolo),
ripressi nella prima Iettera di Sant Apostoo Pietro; ritroviamo l’imagine di
Melchisedeco; esiste, ancora, l’imagine di ante - Chiesa, rapresentata del Tor-
re Babel. [...] Tutte le alleanze succesive reiterano la promessa adamica con
9
K. Ch. Felmy, op. cit., p. 208.
10
B. Bobrinskoy, op. cit., p. 64.
11
Ibidem, p. 65.
190
refiremento alla “seme” e alla “salvezza”. Ancora, oltre il Legamento stesso

(berith, sintiki), un altra tema vetero - testamentaria di grande importanza
la costituisce quella délia Prezenza di Dio, délia Gloria di Dio. Essa conosce
una interra evoluzione cominciando con la tema delle nuvole e del pilastro di
Fuoco nel periodo di essodo, délia nuvola nel Tabemacolo, e poi nel Tempio.
Questa presenza divina, la quale ha come testimoni anche i profetti, testi-
monia il rapporto tra Dio e il suo popolo eletto da Lui; ma, non meno vero,
qualche volta questa Presenza si alontana dai Tempio, secondo la visione di
Esechiele (1, 6; 10,4, 18-19; 11,22-23).12
Ricordando che un luogo specifico nel cadro “dell’ecclesiologia” del
Antico Testamento l’ha avuto nel culto iudaico, attraverso cui Israël aveva
la coscienza che lui è “il popolo eletto”, “il popolo santo”, “l’assamblea
del Signore” (qahad Yahwé), precisiamo che il trasporre di questo stato si
è fatto attraverso la traduzione nella Settuaginta il termine iudaico gahal
attraverso le parole greche enclisia e sinagoghi
Se l’ultimo termine corisponde di più al ebraico edah, che una conno-
tazione profana, che puô acquire proprio una sfumatura peiorativa (vedi
l’espressione “la sinagoga dei peccatori” (Proverbi 21, l6), ekklisia implica
una “insistenza particolare sull’unità organica del popolo eltto, inteso qua-
si come un’entità sacra.13
Nel mondo greco, la parola ekklisia fdal verbo kaleo, insieme al com-
posto ekkaleo = chiamare” corne a Le 6, 46) significa l’assemblea del po-
polo (dimos in Athena e poleis nella maggioranza délia Grecia); i cittadini
erano ekklitoi. Cioè quelli riuniti e chiamati insieme da un herald. Sopra-
tutto quando è accompagnato dai determinitivi Kyrion, agion sau piston, il
termine disingnava il popolo israelita corne popolo eletto di Dio, condotto
e chiamato da Lui a una voeazione spéciale. Cosi, la legge determina quelli
che eranno oppure non corne membri del popolo di Dio: “che non entri
nell’asambleea del Signore” - ouk eiselevsetai eis Ekklisian Kiriu (Deut. 23,
1-3, 8; Plângeri 1, 10). Con lo stesso senso deve ricordato le espressioni
ekkleisia agion, “popolo santo” (Ps. 84, 6; 150, 1)., et “la comunità dei
credenti”, ekkleisia piston (1 Mac. 3, 13). In conclusione, ekklisia è usato
allo stesso modo frequente per disignificare tanto una assambleea profana,
12
13
G. Florovsky, op. cit., p. 15.
191
quanto anche l’assambleea del popolo di Dio, in modo particolare per

lodarLo, indifférente se questo atto teneva oppure non dal tempio divino
(Ps.22, 23, 26; 40, 10; 107, 32; Eccl. 15, 5; 44, 15).14
L’ecclesiologia proprio detta del Nuovo Testamento puô essere veduta
in un rapporto di continuité, ma anche di schianto con Vetero Testamento
- di continuità e di unità attraverso l’identità di lavoro salvente nel piano
di Dio nella Sua intenzione fondata sul amore, e di rottura con le catégorie
istituzionale del Antico Testamento, in modo particolare con i sacrfici e
con il sacerdozio.15
Benché si è costatato la mancanza “sorprendente” 16del termine ekkle-
sia nei Vangeli, nonostante B. Bobrinskoy17 ha mostrato in modo eloquente
che tutto l’insegnamento di Gesù comprende una dimessione ecclesiologi-
ca: “L’insegnamento di Gesù, le imagini, le parabole, sono riche nei signi-
ficati teologici. Il parlato vangelico sulla venuta in gloria, sull’iminenza del
Regno di Dio, hanno già una connotazione ecclesiologica. Il Regno di Dio
è il modo essenziale di presenza, di comunione di Dio con gli oumini, in
Gesé Cristo, attraverso il potere dello Spirito Santo. Le essigenze del Regno
di Dio sono le stesse con le essingenze dello Spirito Santo in Chiesa. [...]
La porta di ingresso nel Regno è la penitenza. La rivelazione plenaria del
Regno di Dio è iniziata nell’iconomia dello Spirito Santo, ma la Chiesa è il
luogo in cui noi diventiamo eredi del Regno e dei figli adottivi del Padre18.
Tra le imagini e le parabole vangelice con signifïcato ecclesiale quelli
più soggestivi sono:
Vite e lavoratore (In. 15). Essa deve messa in confronto con la para-
bola dei lavoratori della vite dai Vangeli sinottici, la “similitudine” Gesù
- vite essendo stremo di forte, secondo proprio le parole di Gesù: “Io
sono la vite quella vera e Mio Padre è il lavoratore”. Dunque, “parlare di
vite e di rami significa parlare sui frutti della vite e sul vino, quello che
più tardo significherà il sanque di Cristo, il vino che Cristo celo da che lo
gusti nel Regno dei Cieli. La parabola sulla Vite vera, attraverso la chia-
14
Cf. E. Dublanchy, „Eglise», in Dictionaire de Théologie Catholique, Tome IV,
Deuxième Partie, Paris, 1924, col. 2108.
15
B. Bobrinskoy, op. cit., p. 73.
16
K.L. Schmidt, op. cit., p.504
17
B. Bobrinskoy, op. cit., p.83-88.
18
Ibidem, p. 84-85.
192
rimento eucaristico et ecclesiologico che essa la porta, ci conduce a una

visione escatologica sul Regno che verrà, ma la qualle è già inaugurata nel
tempo délia Chiesa.19
Stala e Bon Pastore. Essa ha come fondamento il testo da Gn. 10, 7-11:
“Io sono la porta delle pecore.... Io sono il Pastore Buono. Il Pastore Buono
si mette il suo spirito per le sue pecore. L’ideea è ripressa a I P. 5, 1-4, dove
si chiede ai sacerdoti di fare lo stesso lavoro pastorale délia “gregge di Dio”,
la Chiesa: “Guidate la gregge di Dio, consegnata alla vostra sorveglianza,
cercandola, non constringerdola, ma eu buona volonté, secondo Dio, non
per acquisito maie, ma con amore; Non come sarebberete despota sulla
Chiesa, ma corne esempio facendovi alla gregge”.
La pietra fondamentale. A Mc. 12, 10-11 si ricorda della “pietra dal
capo del angolo”. Il motivo di questa “pietra” (petra) riviene anche nella
predica di S: Pietro e di S. Paolo /Atti Ap. 4,11 ; 1 P.2,6, Efes. 2,19). Il pri-
mo fa riferire al modello che tutti i cristiani - “pietre vive” - devono seguirlo,
“che costrisca la casa spirituale”, cioé proprio “la pietra viva”, Gesù Cristo.
Attraverso questo Pietro, al quale le si è promisso che sarà “pietra” (cf.Mt.
16,18), non conserva solo per se, come un semplice compimento personale,
questa qualità, ci desidera di estendere “la petrinita” alla Chiesa interra.
Il corpo di Cristo. È un tema di San Paolo di grande importanza nel
compresione delle realtà ecclesiali, fondamentato proprio sulF insegna-
mento di Salvatore (In.2,19). Messo in confronto con le affermazioni di
S. Ap. Paolo, “Dunque in Lui habita, corporalmente, tutta la pienezza
divina” (Col.2,9) rivela l’unità tra Dio e Chiesa, Capo e Corpo, cosi corne
si ritrovava nella coscenza eucaristica délia Chiesa primartia.
La Chiesa - Sposa, et Cristo - Sposo. Una cosa importante nel pensiero di
S. Paolo sulla Chiesa, questo tema é comune ad Antico Testamento, in modo
particolare ai profetti Isaia ed Ieremia. Cristo celo assuma tante volte: La pa-
rabola della nozze del figlio del imperatore (Mt.22,1) oppure nella parabola
i dieci vergine (Mt.25). Anche, essa aparisce nelle parole din San Giovanni
Battista – “Quello che ha sposa è sposo, ma 1’amico del sposo, che sta ed
ascolta sposo, si gioisce con gioia della sua voce”(In.3,28-29)). E S. Ap. Paolo
scrive: “Perché vi desidero con il desiderato di Dio, perché vi ho sposato a un
solo sposo, che vi presenti a Gesù vergine intemerata”(“ Cor. 11,2).
19
Ibidem, p. 85.
193
II Servitore. A riferimento a questo tema del servizio messianico, B.

Bobrinskoy monstra che, nei Vangeli, Cristo è il Servitore del Padre e il
Servitore di tutti gli uomini. Questa imagine, che si ispira dal cántico del
servitore di Dio dal libro del profetta Isaia, è un soggetto ecclesiastico fon-
damentale. Intera Chiesa è apostolica, ma intera Chiesa è diaconale: essa è
nel servizio di Dio et nel servozio di tutti gli uomini”.20
Ma una significazione profonda ecclesiastica non hanno solo alcu-
ne imagini e parabole vangelice, ma ancora alcuni gesti del Salvatore: per
esempio Cristo andando sul mare durante una tempesta e avvicinandosi
dai seguaci, che sugerisce che Lui da sempre c’é in Chiesa, proprioo an-
che quando sembra che Lui è assente, e la Sua venuta in ioncontro della
Chiesa; Gesú che moltiplica i pani e lui chiede ai seguaci che le distribuisce
alia gente, riferindosi al servizio sacramentale dei sacerdoţi di ofifrirli ai
fedeli. “II pane della vita”; la preghiera del sommo pontifice, cioè Gesù che
prega per la Chiesa, e il quale insegna i fedeli di pregare insieme (vedi il
insegnare la preghiera “Padre Nostro”); finalmente, il mandare in missione
dei seguaci, prova che Gesù è il singolo che detienne dei servizi del sommo
pontifice, da dove la gerarchia sacramentale li riceve in e attraverso la Spi-
rito Santo(vedi 1 Cor. 12,4-5; 1 P. 5,4); Evr. 9,11).21
Dal punto di vista teologico Gli Atti di Apostoli è eloquente per quan-
to riguarda l’unità e la diversitá dell’ecclesiologia dala Chiesa primaria.
Quello che meraviglia tutto il libro degli Atti di Apostoli - che possiamo
considerarlo come un’apologia della Chiesa - è la linea di continuitá nel
interno du una evoluzione molto rapida, condensata in un resume cortis-
simo, sia che si parla sulla preparazione delle comunità apostoliche subito
dopo la discesa dello Spirito Santo, oppure sulla diversificazione dei servizi
apostolici, la predicazione in Samaria, il battesimo di Comelio, il Sinodo
di Gerusalemme, oppure, finalmente, la relazione di Paolo quando passava
per Milet et la preghiera che lui la fa insieme con i sacerdoţi di Efeso (cf.
A.Ap. 20,17,36).22 Questa continuità è data dalla prezenţa dello Spirito
Santo in Chiesa, cosî corne si prova a lungo del intero libro degli Atti
degli Apostoli (essa è stata sopranominata “Il Vangelo dello Spirito San-
to). Iniziando dalla discesa dello Spirito Santo si rivela come Spirito della
20
Ibidem, p. 87.
21
Ibidem, p. 87-88.
22
Ibidem, p. 78 -79.
194
fedeltà – vedi At. Ap. 2, 4-21 –, quello che da agii apostoli la insistenza in
fede (At. Ap. 14, 21-22). Ma lo Spirito Santo si presenta anche come “lo
Spirito della novitá”, Quello che compie l’espanssione della Chiesa. Da tre
milla cristiani cresce in un tempo corto a cinque milla, lo Spirito lavoran-
do sia sull’interra comunità (vedi la Pentecoste, At.Ap. 4, 31, sia in modo
particolare, ma, ma ancora nel sosteggno dell’edificazione di questa (vedi
At.Ap. 19, 6).
La presenza dello Spirito Santo nella vita della Chiesa primaria non si
è limitata solo alla dicesa dello Spirito Santo a Pentecoste. Lui continua a
lovorare nella Chiesa, manifestandosi attraverso la distinzione dei doni: S.
Ap. Peitro si riferrisce le menzogne di Anania (vedi At. Ap. 5), mentre S.
Stefano, “pieno di grazia e di potere”, fa dei miracoli e dei segni (At. Ap.
6, 8). Ancora dei miracoli e dei segni accompagna l’attività della predica-
zione di Filipo in Samaria, , come anche il mettere delle mani da Pietro e
Giovanni al battesimo dell’eunuco etiopiano (At. Ap. 8). Cosi, attraverso il
lavoro dello Spirito, cresce la Chiesa - “Dunque la Chiesa, in tutta Iudeea
e Samaria, aveva pace, costruindosi e camminando nel timore di Signore,
e cresceva tramite lo Spirito Santo” (At. Ap. 9, 31). Lo stesso Spirito San-
to lavora non solo nell’attivitâ missionaria di Paolo, ma anche degli altri
apostoli, come al Sinodo di Gerusalemme, dove la conclusione tirrata di S.
Giacobo, “Semmbrandosi allo Spirito Santo e a noi” (At. Ap. 15, 28), sarâ
ripresa nelle definizioni dogmatiche dei Concili Ecumenici.
L’unità dell’ecclesiologia, data dallo Spirito Santo, non signifïca perô
l’uniformità. Gli Fatti degli Apopstoli paria dunque delle tenssioni esi-
stenti tra ebreo – cristiani ed elenisti (greci). Tuttavià il canone del Nuovo
Testamento mette sullo stesso piano il messaggio vangelico dei cristiani
provenienti dai giudaismo della diaspora con quello elenistico paulino,
respingendo le estremitâ apparse da una parte e dall’altra – il giudaismo
ebionito ed l’adottianismo dualista marcionita. “Questo fatto ci mostra in
che misura l’unità della Chiesa, cosi come si manifestava nel periodo apo-
stolico, è inseparabile dai donno della fede, come elemenmte costitutivo
dell’ecclesiologia et del mistero dell’unitâ in tutte le comunitâ cristiane
delle quale si paria nei scritti del Nuovo Testamento”.
In fatto, in tutti i tratti della Chiesa che saranno più tardo sistemat-
tizzati nel Simbolo di fede niceo-constantinopolitano – l’unità, la santitâ,
la sobomicità (catolicità) ed l’apostolicità – sono chiaramente ilustrati nel-
195
la Santa Scriitura. Senza insistere sui testi nuovo -testamentari, passiamo

acesso alia analisi delle reflessioni ecclesiologiche dei alcuni teologi con-
temporanei, sottoliniando dall’ inizio che nel centro di tutte questi refles-
sioni si trovano proprio quelle quattro tratti fondamentali della Chiesa.
L’ecclesiologia ortodossa contemporanea. Alcunme considerazioni
L’analisi del contenuto che lo ha l’ecclesiologia nella teologia orto-
dossa contemporanea mette in reliefo il fatto che qua l’insegnamento sulla
Chiesa ha come punto di riferimento sia la hristologia, sia la pnevma-
toloigia. L’illustrazione perfetta del primo caso si ritroiva nel pensiero di
Padre Gustino Popovici, che scrive: “Tutto il mistero cristiano si trova nella
Chiesa; Tutto il mistero della Chiesa è in Dio-Uomo[...]”23. Questa idea si
ritrova nei testi scritturistici, come sdarebbe Rom. 12,15- “cosi anche noi,
, pur essendo molti, siamo un solo corpo in Cristo”. 1 Cor. 12,27 – “Voi
siete il corpo di Cristo e le membra” – oppure Efes.4, 8-10 – cresciamo
in tutto in Lui, che é il capo, affinché arriveremmo tutti “alia misura che
conviene alia piena maturitâ di Cristo” – quello che lo fa il teologo serbo
che dichiari che II Signore Cristo, Dio- Uomo e il Capo della Chiesa, lo
ha fondamentato su questa “su Stesso, e attraverso Stesso et dentro di Se”24
Quello che ha esprimato piu concludente l’intimo legame tra gli atti
del lavoro della salvezza di Gesü Cristo e la sua continuitá nel seno della
Chiesa é stato Dumitro Stäniloaie. In un capito intitulato “La Chiesa, il
capo mistico del Signore nello Spirito Santo” dalla Teologia Dogmatica Or-
todossa, vol. 2, lui scrive: “Attraverso PIncarnazione, la vita di obbedienza,
II Crucificazione, la Rissurezione e l’Ascenssione del Figlio di Dio come
uomo, si é messo, nella párga (inizio) del nostro essere assumato da Lui,
il fondamento della nostra salvezza. Pero la nostra salvezza proprio detta
si realizza solo quando Lui (Cristo) dimora in noi con il corpo portato da
Lui, ressuiscitato e alzato e pieno pnevmatisato, oppure pieno di Spirito
Santo e divenuto tramite questo perfettamente trasparente. Questo il di-
morare produce la Chiesa. La Chiesa é cosi la finalitá dell’azione sálvente,
23
Giustino Popovici, La Chiessa Ortodossa e l’ecumenismo, tradotto da Adrian
Tănăsescu, Monastero dei Santi Arcangeli - Petru Vodă, 2002, p .8.
24
Ibidem, p. 41. Al suo tumo, George Florovsky dichiara che l’ecclesiologia non
6 un altra cosa che un capitolo, ma un capitolo decissivo, dell hristologia” (Vedi G.
Florovsky, op. cit.,p. 11).
196
iniziata attraverso l’Incarnazione. La Chiesa é il quinto atto di questa opera

di salvezza, se l’Incarnazione, La Crociffissione, la Pvessurezione e l’ascen-
sione sono i primi quattro atti”25
Tuttavia, anche il teologo rumeno era cosciente che la realtá della
Chiesa non poteva esprimerla solo dal punto di visto cristologico, per-
ché, “La Chiesa é il Corpo di Cristo solo perché lo Stesso Spirito del
Figlio ha raccolto tutte le sue membra in Cristo, come fratelli di Lui e
come fratelli tra loro e in una relazione filiale di fronte al Padre”26. Al suo
tumo, il teologo russo Vladimir Lossky consacra il capitolo dedicato alia
ecclesiologia dalla sua celebre opera La ricerca sulla teologia mistica della
Chiesa Orientale27 “su quelli due aspetti della Chiesa” sottoliniando che
queste ultime hanno un fondamento dobbia - inradicamento nella cri-
stologia ed anche nella pnevmatologia. La Chiessa é nello stesso tempo
II Corpo di Cristo e la pienezza dello Spirito; L’Incarnazione é seguita
in modo necessario da Pentecoste, e “teologia orientale non pensa mai
la Chiesa fuori di Cristo e dello Spirito Santo”. Cosi, l’uomo sarâ allo
stesso tempo una parte, una membra del corpo di Cristo attraverso il suo
essere, ma lui sará, anche, come una persona, un essere che comprende
in essa tutto. Lo Santo Spirito che Si dimora come una unzione regale
sul essere umano del Figlio, il Capo della Chiesa, si impartisce ad ognuna
membra di questo corpo, crea, dicendo cosi, di piü cristi, di piü unti del
Signore [...]”28. La visione ecclesiale di Lossky é, in fatto, tributaria alia
sua concezione sulla “dobia iconomia”, quella di Cristo, che riguarda lo
stretto essere umano, e quella dello Spirito Santo, che riguarda la stretta
diversitá delle persoane umane.29 Nella Chiesa, attraverso i Santi Misteri,
il nostro essere umano entra nell’ unione con il essere divino (la possibil-
tá aperta dell’assumzione in una unione ipostatica del essere umano in
25
Dumitru Stăniloae, Teologia Dogmatica Ortodossa, vol. 2, Ediztione II,
EIBMBOR, Bucarest, 1997, p.129.
26
Idem, „Lo Spirito e la sobornicită(la catolicită) della Chiesa”, in Ortodossia, nr.
1 (1967), p. 43.
27
Vladimir Lossky, La Telogia mistica della Chiesa Orientale, tradotta da Vasile
Răducă, Efdizione Bonifaciu, 1989.
28
Ibidem, p. 1J57-159.
29
Vedi Ibidem, p. 121- 156; Idem, Secondo il volto e l’assomioglianza di Dio,
traduzione Anca Manolache, Edizione Umanitas, Bucarest, 1998,p. 91-104.
197
e attraverso l’Incamazione del Figlio eterno di Dio), ma cosi “la nostra

persona non si é toccata ancora la perfezione”30, “unione che si é realiz-
zata nella persona di Cristos deve realizazrsi anche nelle nostre persone
attraverso lo Spirito Santo e la nostra libertá. Di qua, le due aspetti della
Chiesa: l’aspetto realizzato e l’aspetto del venire”31.
La distinzione piü grande che il teologo russo ha fatto tra “l’icono-
mia” del Figlio e “l’iconomia” dello Spirito ha incontrato una critica dura
da parte di D. Stániloaie al suo colega dalla diaspora parisiana russa G.
Florovsky. II primo, senza riferirsi esplicitamente a V. Lossky, scriveva: “Si
abitua parlarsi dalla discesa dello Spirito Santo come da un atto attraverso
il quale lo Spirito Santo prende il luogo di Cristo. [...]Di fatto, lo Spiri-
to Santo deve essere considerato sempre come lo Spirito di Cristo (S.n),
dunque non deve veduto in nessun caso separato da Cristo”32 II secondo
teologo l’ha citato proprio Lossky in due volte nei suoi studii ecclesiologici,
monstrando cá “la Chiesa é fondata su queste due misteri collegati: il Mi-
tero della Cena e il Mis tero di Pentecoste”. E nello Spirito Santo si realiza la
dimora del Signore glorificato ai Suoi per sempre (Gn. 14,18).
Essendo foccaliozata sul’ idea della comunione divino - umana, non
solo al livello indidivduale ma anche personale, la teología ortodossa ha isi-
statto, di fatto, piü sempre sull’aspetto della Chiesa di ambiente nella quale
le persone umane entra in uniuone con tutte le tre Persone della Santissi-
ma Trinitá. L’accentuazione della dimessione trinitaria dell’ecclesiologia si
rifletta con la distinta chiarezza in modo particolare nel pensiero di Padre
Stăniloae, per cui la Santissimà Trinitá costituisce tanto il modello quanto
il principio esistenziale della Chiesa. Questa rifletta la reciprocitá perfetta
dall’ambiente della Santissimà Trinitá: essa pressupone una dimesione ver-
ticale, interna, una relazione viva con Dio, sulla base della quale la Chiesa
si manifeta e l’apertura esterna, orisontale. Per Padre Dumitru Stăniloae
l’uno degli atributi dello Spirito è si conserva l’unità nella diversitá della
Chiesa e l’unità tra i fedeli e La Santissima Trinitá. “Non si puo concepire
30
Ibidem, p. 163
31
Ibidem, p. 167. Corne sorgente della grazia, delle energie noncreate divine e che
divizano, lo Spirito si offre a ciascuna persona umana, ma Lui diventa la persona umana
della Chiesa. In verità, lo Spirito Santo non contienne in Lui gli ipostasi umani, cosi
come Cristo contienne l’essere, ma si offre particularmenete a ogni persona (P. 174).
32
Vedi D. Stàniloaie, Dogmatica Ortodossa, vol. 3,p. 130.
198
la Chiesa fuoori della Trinitá, come una Chiesa esclusiva di Cristo, oppure
esclussiva dello Spirito Santo33, la missione della Chiesa essendo quella
della prezenţa ipostatica, l’iconica di Dio nel mondo - una presenza non
dominante et inhibante, ma chenotica. realizzando il passagio simbolico
del mistero trinitario nel mondo e la quela del mondo nel misterio. Attra-
verso questa si compie Topera salvatrice di Cristo - in senso di continuità e
di attualizazione: Nella Chiesa “ insieme a tutti ci impartiamo con il Figlio
e con lo Spirito Santo il sorgente assoluto e fondamentale della nostra
esistenza, cioé Padre, ma non secondo la natura(di Dio), come il Figlio e
lo Spirito, ma secondo la grazia”.”34Come medio (ambiente) comune della
salvezza e della divinizazione (perfezione) dell’umanitá, come locus in cui
si compie il piano eterno della Trinitá, la Chiesa si riflette come “icona”
trinitaria in interro cosmico, perché non solo essa ma interra la creazione
é Topera della Santissima Trinitá, tra loro essendo dunque una relazione
ontologica. II desiderio del Creatore é che intero il creato sia trasfigurato
attraverso la grazia, ma mentre la missione dello Spirito Santo seque che
porti intera Creazione in unione con Cristo., il Logos divino: “Lo Spirito
Santo é colui che ristabilisce attraverso la Sua fluenza divina, l’unità inde-
bolita tra gli elementi della natura creata, ma un’unità che non li confonde,
proprio tramite il fatto che la ristabilisce nel Logos incarnato, nella strut-
tura divina nella quale si comprende perpetuo tutti gli elementi e tutti i
sensi”35. Dunque, la Santissima Trinità si costituisce come principio vitale
della Chiesa, il fattore che li conféra a questa la dimensione teandrica, di-
vino - umana: La Chiesa è una “società” che include delle persone umane
e delle persone divine.
La qualità della Chiesa di Corpo di Cristo e di “icona” della Santis-
simà Trinità determina anche le sue specificazioni fondamentale36, sinte-
33
D. Stăniloae, „La sobornicita (la catolicita)”, in Ortodossia, nr.2 (1971), p. 179-
180.
34
Idem, „Le relazioni trinitarie nella vita della Chgiesa”, in Ortodossia, nr.4 (1964),
p. 521.
35
Idem, ,,Lo Spirito Santo e la sobornicita (la catolicita) della Chiesa”, in Ortodossia,
nr. 1 (1964), p. 46 -47.
36
Giustino Popovici, op. cit., p.41: ,,le specificazioni della Chiesa suno[...] di fatto
le specificazioni di Dio-Uomo Cristo, e attraverso di Lui anche le specificazioni della
Divinita in Trinita”.
199
tizzate in formula dogmatica del Sínodo Niceo-Costantinopolitano 325-

381). Come abbiamo precizato, Timportanza di quelle quatro atributi
della Chiesa ricordate qua - unità, santità, catolicità ed apostolicità - è stata
sempre riconosciuta dai teologi ortodossi per l’inteso coretto della natura
della Chiesa.37 In questo senso scriverà Vladimir Lossky: “Noi crediamo
in una sola Chiesa, santa, catolica ed apostolica. Quiesta è la tradizione
cristiana sulla Chiesa, insegnata dai Padri, affermata dai Sinodi, conservata
dalla Cristianità a lungo dei secoli. Nessun fedele non cessarà (pregeta)
qualche volta di testimoniare questi quattro atributi della Chiesa che lui le
sente vere, proprio questo istinto della verità, di questa facultà che noi pos-
siamo chiamarla “innata”, propria a tutti i fïgli della Chiesa, istinto oppure
facoltà che si chiama fede. Comprendiamo - oppure di meno sentiamo,
confuso, ma fondamentale - che, se quardiamo la Chiesa da uno di questi
atributi, essa non sarà più Chiesa e che solo l’accordo di questi quattro
carateritiche, testimoníate in Credo, esprime la pinezza della sua natura38.
A riferimento all’unità della Chiesa, P.I. Popovici scrive: “Secondo
come la Persona Dio - Uomo Cristo è una e unica, cosi la Chiesa, fondata
attraverso di Lui e in Lui, è una ed unica. [...] Dato che II Signore Cristo
non puö avere di più corpi, in Lui non possono essere di più Chiese. [...]
Dunque, la separazionew oppure la divisione delle Chiese dal punto di
vista ontologico non è possibile”39.
L’unità della Chiesa provienne allora dall’unità dello stesso Cristo, una
vita impegnata del amore trinitario. Questo amore divino, eterno, irradia
anche nella comunità della Chiesa, nella unità amorosa tra le sue membra,
facendo “che tutti siano una sola cosa” (Gn. 17, 21). L’unità di tutti gli
elementi del creato, che hanno come fondamento Tunica opera del Logos
divino, fa crescere di più attraverso l’Incarnazione e il Sacrificio di Gesù
Cristo, lo stesso Logos e il Figlio di Padre. L’iconomia trinitaria ha nel suo
piano anche il fondamento della Chiesa come una realtà unica, sostenuta
e promossa dalla “dualità inseparabile dell’opera di Cristo e dello Spirito
Santo. “Che tutti siano una sola cosa. Come tu, Padre, sei in Me e io in
37
Vedi B. Bobrinskoy, op. cit., p. 149: „tutte queste caratteritische ci introdusce
nello stesso Mistero della Chiesa, essendo delle dimensioni vive, che apartemgono
proprioalla natura della Chiesa, della sua ontologia”.
38
VI. Lossky, „Secondo il volto e I’assomiglianmza di Dio”, p. 163.
39
Giustino Popovici, op. cit., p. 41-42.
200
Te, siano anche essi in noi una cosa sola” (Gn. 17, 24) – queste parole del
Salvatore devono essere interpretatti nel senso che “cosi come non si puô
separare le tre Persone dalla loro unità amante, cos’ non si puô separare ne la
Chiesa da Dio e ne le sue membra tra loro, nel profondo del loro essere”40.
La qualità della Chiesa di corpo di Cristo si focalizza sull’Euharistia,
ma la comunione comune ha un significato molto particolare per il man-
tenimento e il consodalimento dell’unità della Chiesa. Questa idea sarà il
punto di partenza, cosí come veUrammo, nell sviluppo “dell’eccleseologia
euharistica”, e P. Stániloaie, benché lo menziona come l’uno tra i piü im-
portanti rappresentanti di que-ía concezione teologica, I. Zizioulas, come
il fondamento patristico, S. Ignati di Antiohia – “L’uno é il Corpo del
Signore Gesü e l’uno é il Suo Sangue versato per noi; l’uno é il pane dato a
tutti e l’uno é il cálice impartito a tutti (Filadelf. 4, 1) tutíavia il teologo ru-
meno considera non solo l’Euharistia esclusivo rappresenta l’unico Mistero
attraverso cui si mantiene e si fa crescere l’unitá della Chiesa. Verso l’unitá
ecclesiale i fedeli vanno avanti “come su una scale attraverso gli altri miste-
ri, Battesimo e la Confirmazione, ma se sono caduti in peccati, attraversa
la Penitenza. Attraverso tutti questi misteri l’uomo si unisce gradualmente con
Cristo che si trova nella Chiesa”.
Ma proprio se i Misteri rappresentano un fatto essenzilae nella realiz-
zazione dell’unitá della Chiesa, nella loro qualitá dei mezzi che conferano
la grazia divina, le energie noncreate divine, acanto a esse si chiede a ri-
guardare le dogme, che hanno il ruolo di conservare la stessa unitá in fede
e nell’insegnamento della Chiesa. L’unitá dogmatica offre il quadro único
e trinitario della Chiesa e rappresenta una condizione sine qua non per la
salvezza dei fedeli: “Se le dogme esprimono l’esperienza di tutte le opere di
Cristo nella Chiesa, il rifiuto di alcune dogme é ugale con il rifiuto oppure
con nonriconscimento di alcune opere di Cristo nella Chiesa, dunque con
il privare di Cristo dell’integritá della Sua efícienza nella Chiesa e nelle sue
membra, ció che significa [...] che Cristo non ha piü una piena efícienza
salvatrice nella Chiesa e nelle sue membra. L’unitá in una fede sicura, fon-
damentata sull’esperienza interna di tutte le opere di Cristo da intera la
Chiesa, é strettamente legato con l’assicurazione della salvezza ottenuta
attraverso la Chiesa”41.
40
D. Stăniloae, Teologia Dogmatica Ortzodossa, vol. 2, p. 170.
41
Ibidem, p. 174.
201
Se la totalitá dei Misteri e la fede dogmatica piena forma un “Tutto”

nella Chiesa, in questo “tutto” deve inclusa anche la gerarchia che serve
tutti i Misteri, senza distinzione, e predica la stessa fede dogmatica. I Santi
Padri hanno sottoliniato da sempre il ruolo del vescovo nella concretiza-
zione dell’unitá ecclesiale42. La definizione di San Cipriano di Cartagina:
“dove é il vescovo, si trova la Chiesa”, atesta il ruolo unificante del vescovo
nella Chiesa, particolarmente in quanto riguarda le divisazioni e le erezie.
Non poche volte a lungo la storia della Chiesa, riuniti nei Sinodi, i vescovi
hanno dato una testimonianza sull’insegnamento autentico, in oposizione
con i diversi insegnamenti falsi degli eretici, lottando per la conservazione
dell’unitá ecclesiale.
Come nel caso dell’unitá, e in stertto legame con questo, la santitá
della Chiesa riesce dalla santità di Dio.43 Questa idea era comune anche
nel pensiero dell’Antico Testamento: Israel, nella sua qualité di “popolo
eletto”, è chiamato il sacerdozio regale e il popolo santo (Essodo 19,6), “il
popolo santo del Signore Dio tuo” (Deut. 7, 6); “La santità del Signore”
Ieremia2,3), compiendo cosi lo stesso comandamento e la chiamata divina
- “Santificatevi e serate santi, che lo, II Signore Dipo vostro, sono santo”
(Lev. 11, 44). In questo cazo la santità, inseparabile della gloria divina,
come l’una delle forme della presenza di Dio, é compresa come mysterium
tremendum, il mistero che crea un sentimenmto di “frisone mistico”, vici-
no di più alia paura oppure terrore.44 Al contrario, nel Nuovo Testamento
la santità si scoprisce anche sulle altre caratteristiche, come amore, affeto
oppure sofferenza, che resutano dalla qualitá dei cristiani di “figli adottivi”
di Dio, secondo la grazia.
La Chiesa, “II Corpo di Cristo”, si ha il sorgente di santità in Suo
Capo, Cristo sacrifícato: “La santità della Chiesa e delle sue membra rie-
sce dalla unione con il corpo santifícato attraverso l’ubbidienza e il sacri-
ficio del Signore. La santità della Chiesa e delle sue membra è la forma in
cui si mostra la stretta unione con Cristo, che si è santifícato attraverso
il Suo sacrificio per noi, essendo senza peccato già in base dell’unione
42
B. Bobrinskoy, op. cit.,p. 160-161.
43
Ibidem, p. 164.
44
Per questo nessauno non aveva il permesso di entrare in Tempio quando si
manifestava qua Dio, a eccezione del Pontfex Maximes ( ma anche questo una sola volta
al anno). Cf. Ibidem, p. 165.
202
ipostatica.45 I testi scritturistici che atestano la divinizazione del Figlio e

la Sua relazione con Padre (Gv. 10, 36, Fatti degli Apostoli 10, 38; 4, 27;
Mt.1, 24) sottoliniano che la natura umana asumata si impartisce della vita
eterna, di amore, di santità, perché dopo, dal Suo Corpo spiritualizzato,
Cristo si assigura alla Chiesa “ “la Sua santità e la potenza di diventare più
santi, di più aperti alla purezza e all’amore infinito di Dio, libera di ogni
egoísmo che si oppore alla santità.46 La santità della Chiesa, cosi come essa
mentienne “insieme-opera” (perihoreza) e l’unità delle Persone trinitarie. I
cristianmio formano “un sacerdoziu regale”, un popolo santo, un popolo
acquisito da Dio (I P. 2, 9). Perché hanno ricevuto il bagno del Battesimo
nel nome della Santissima Trinitá., unendosi con Cristo e insieme nella
Chiesa (vedi Efes. 5, 25-27): “Cristo ha amato la Sua Chiesa e ha dato
se stesso per lei., per renderla santa, purificándola prer mezzo del lavacro
dell’acqua accompagnato dalla parola, al fíne di farsi comparire davanti
alia sua Chiesa tutta gloriosa, senza macchia né ruga o alcunché di simile,
ma santa e immacolata”. Entrando tramite il Battesimo nella Chiesa cia-
scuno fedele arriva alia santitá, che consiste in purificazzione dei peccati,
ma anche nel progresso in una vita virtuosa come “la disponibilitá di co-
munione con Dio”, concretizzata in: trattenuto, moderatezza, pazienza,
intelligenza, modestia, mitezza, bontá nei pensieri e delle buone opere ed
amore di fronte a tutti47. La Chiesa é il lavoratorio in cui lo Spirito di
Cristo ci fa santi, oppure dei volti piü pieni di Cristo. , in Cui si focalizza
come in una persona la santitá e l’amore della Santissima Trinitá.48Se al
Battesimo riceviamo “il sigilo” di Cristo che ci confera la qualitá di “santi”
– bagnati dal peccato degli antenati e dai peccati personali fino a questo
momemto –, dei figli adottivi, secondo la grazia, di Dio, tramite Topera
45
D. Stăniloae, Teologia Dogmatioca Ortodossa, vol. 2, p. 177. Vedi anche I.
Popovici, op. cit., p.43. „Essendosi, da illimitato Suo amore degli uomini, la Chiesa
attraverso l’incamazione, Dio e il Signore Cesú Cristo ha santifícato la Chiesa tramite
le passioni, e tramite la ressurezione, l’ascensione, e tzamite l’insegnamento, e tramite
i miracoli, e tramite la preghiera, e tramite il digiuno, e tramite i misteri, e tramite le
buone opere; in una parola: tramite tutta la Sua vita divina- umana”.
46
Ibidem, p. 178.
47
Ibidem, p. 180.
48
Ibidem, p. 181. A suo tumo, G. Popovici, op. cit., p. 42, nomina la Chiesa
,,il lavoratorio di Dio Umnao della santificazione degli uomini e della santificazione,
tramite gli uomini, a tutte le creature”.
203
dello Spirito Santo ci é offerta la possibilitá di muovere liberi verso l’amore

infinito divino, di attualizzare tramite la fede e le opere buone la grazia ri-
cevuta in noi tramita l’acqua del Battesimo. “La santitá é cosi non solo un
dono, ma anche una missione (s.n), un impegno per i fedeli della Chiesa”.
Essa implica una tensione escatologica che impedisce la santitá di diventare
una caratteristica statica, oferendole, al contrario, un carattere dinámico:
“Cristo rimane sempre disponibile, a base della una decisione che abbiamo
manifestato al Battesimo, di moriré al peccatto et di vivere con Dio, tanto
tempo che noi non la rifiutiamo. Ma come in ogni relazione personale,
Topera oppure la menifestazione di amore, deve che si effetua continua-
mente, da ambedue parti. Soltanto affermandoci continuamente tramite
delle opere la nostra atitudine verso Cristo, arriviamo che ci godiamo di
tutto quello che Lui ci ha dato potenzialmente e anche quello che noi non
abbiamo conosciuto prima”. In questo modo ogni cristiano riceve tramite
il Battesimo la santitá da Chiesa in tatalitá a Pentecoste, con capacitá di
crescere, a misura della nostra colaborazione libera al amore divino, nella
comunione con Dio e con gli altre membre della Chiesa. La santitá della
Chiesa aparisce cosi come “una scala grandissima in muovere, che salisce
tutti e sula quale saliscono tutti; su questa scale ciascuno si trova alia altezza
della santitá, vicina a Dio, in un altro grado attraversato dalla Sua luce, dal
Suo amore, nella misura dei suoi sforzi intrattenuti dalla potenza Di Cristo
manifestata tramite la Chiesa”49.
Questa distinzione di “scale” non creano della separazioni tra le mem-
bre della Chiesa, non creano delle divisioni nella Chiesa. Quelli che si
triovano sulle scale piü alte, hanno una rica alta spirituale, possede di fatto
una “rica in modestá” che puó essere utile a quelli che sono meno alti.
Nessun santo non si mette in reliefo la santità e non fa da essa una bariera
nella comunione con gli altri fedeli.Al contrario, nella misura in cui la sua
santità cresce ache la sua apertura verso di essi.
Il fatto che la Chiesa non ha riconosciuto uno suo fedele délia essa in
modo ufficiale come santo solo dopo la morte è un segno che, anche se si
trova sulle scale alte, c’è acora la inperfezione, debolezze, piccoli peccati.
La Chiesa non ha fatto una separazione stretta tra santi e peccatori no gli
ha lasciato dalla comunione con loro, fuori degli eretici e scismatici, che
49
D. Stăniloae, La Teología Dogmático Ortodossa, vol. 2, p. 183.
204
hanno contestato l’insegnamento, cioè le sue norme verso la santità. Dun-

que, la Chiesa deve quardata non come “una società dei perfetti”, formata
solo dai perfetti oppure di puri50, al contrario, nel suo quadro possono
essere ancora tanti peccattori, senza che questo fatto aterari la sua qua-
lità di santa, che proviene dal suo Capo, Gesù Cristzo, “vero dio e vero
Uomo”. Riferendosi alla “realtà vangelica” délia Chiesa a lungo délia storia,
Giustino Poipovici si interroga se per caso il fatto che si trova nella chiesa
una moltitudine dei peccattori nella Chiesa, diminua, fa nocivo, annula la
santità délia Chiesa “La risposta è l’uno preciso negativo: “No, in nessun
modo, affinchè ne diminuata e non incostante è la santità dei Signore Gesù
– il Suo capo. E dello Spirito Santo, la sua anima, e dei suo insegnamento
divino, dei Misteri, e delle sue opere buone. La Chiesa supporta tutti, gli
coprisce con le sue aie e li insegna, per alzarli e di guadarli alla penizenza,
alla salute e il cambiamento divino; ma loro non impediscono la Chiesa di
essere santa”51.
Il terzo attributo délia Chiesa, la catolicità/ la sobornicità, mette in
reliefo il mdo oppure la natura tramite cui si costituisce la Chiesa, una “to-
talità intera organica – spirituale”: “essa è una unità realizzata e mentenuta
tramite la convergenza, la comunione, la complementarietà unanime delle
sue membre, non “tramite una fusioine di tutti in un tutto uniforme”52.
Vladimir Lossky ha giusta ragione quando lui scrive che la sobornicità è
una qualità délia Verita cristiana”, un attriobuto inalerato délia Chiesa.
Lui cerca propiro che presenti in che modo si presenterebbe la Chiesa, se
questa sarebbe mancata dal atrtributo délia cattolicità. “ Subito che noi ci
poniamo il problema, vediamo già un vuoto che si zapa: La Chiesa senza
Verità, senza la conoscenza sicura dei datti délia Revelazione, senza una
esperienza cosciente e inefabile dei misteri divini. Se essa si conservereb-
be l’unità, sarebbe l’unità dei pareri molteplici, prodotti di mentalità e di
culture umane diverse, l’unità che avrebbe come fondamento la costri-
zione amministrativa oppure l’indeferenza relativa. Se essa conserverebbe
la Santità, questa Chiesa mancata dalla certezza délia Verità, sarebbe una
santità inconsciente, un cammino verso la santitá senza luce, nel buio del-
la ignoranza a quello che è la grazia. Se essa conserverebbe l’apostolicità,
50
Ibidem, p. 184-186.
51
Giustino Popovici, op. cit., p. 43.
52
D. Stăniloae, Teologia Dogmatioca Ortodossa, vol. 2, p. 186.
205
non sarebbe altro cher una fedelta cieca di fronte ad un principio astratto,
vuoto da senso.53
La concezione cristiana sulla cattolicitá ha fatto che questo termine
riceva un senso nuovo nel linguaggio della Chiesa, evocando una realtà
diversa da quella che era legata dalla nozione comune di “universale”.54
Da questa causa i teologii orientali di sfumatura slava hanno preferato di
rendere l’addgettivo catoliky tramite “soborniu” (dal verbo adunare, sobir).
Pero, cosi come mostra G. Florovskx, prorio anche “nei documenti piú
antici l’espressione enclisia katoliky non è mai stata utilizzata in questo
senso quantitative, per designare l’espansione geografica della Chiesa. Essa
si riferisce piuttosto all’integritá della fede oppure della dottrina, la fedeltà
di fronte alia Chiesa, la tendenza plenaria, in opposizione con le tendenze
divizante degli eretici [...].55 Ed ancora, importantissimo, la qualitá del-
la sobornicitá non si riferisce esclusivamente la Chiesa nella sua totalitá,
perché il termine “cattolico” non é un nome collettivo. “La Chiesa non è
cattolica soltanto che un complesso delle comunitá locali, essa è cattolica
nei tutti suoi elementi, in tutti suoi atti, in tutti i momenti della sua vita”.
Tutta la struttura viva del suo corpo è cattolico. Ogni membra della Chiesa
é e deve eseere catolica, Intera esistenza cristiana deve essere orgánicamente
“cristianizzata”, cioè reintegrata, concentrata (focalizzata) interioramente.56
Conforme a questo senso, la Chiesa ha Cristo intero con tutti i suoi
doni salventi e divinizzanti e ogni Chiesa locale ed anche ogni fedele Lo ha
intero, solo che rimanga nel tutto il suo corpo. I fedeli non sono unifor-
mizzati, ma loro divengono complementari. La Chiesa aparisce come “una
unanimité perfetta delle persone, nella quale si conserva nonannullata ogni
persona, ricevendo la potere dal intero corpo e contribuendo con il suo
sprecifico alla richezza e alla vita del intero corpo”.57 Ogni cristiano diven-
ta una “piccola cellula viva dopo il volto di Dio”58 nella quale la catolicità
ecclesiale si rifleta in un grado più grande o pii meno. Dunque, anche se
il contenuto della coscenza è unico per tutti, non significa che esiste una
53
Vladimir Lossky, Seconda il volto e l’assomiglianza di Dio, p. 166.
54
Ibidem, p. 24.
55
G. Florovsky, op. cit., p. 24.
56
Ibidem, p. 27.
57
D. Stăniloae, Teologia Dogmatica Ortodossa, vol. 2, p. 187.
58
G. Popovici, op. cit., p. 44.
206
coscenza unica della Chiesa che si imporrerebbe a tutti in un modo uni-

formo, come una sopracoscenza propria di una “persona collettiva”. La
molticiplitá delle persone umane si conserva nella vita della Chiesa, dove
si trovano più tante coscenze a un grado di attualizzazione della cottolicitá
diversa: più intenso ad alcuni, quasi inesistente agii altri. II paradosso della
cattolicitá consiste in quelli che hanno una “liberté di fronte a se stessi
rileva piü pregnamente “il mistero della cattolicitá: Quelli che sono piü
ancorati nella Chiesa, piü coscienti della uniuone nel Corpo di Cristo,
sono piuttosto piü liberi dalle loro limitazioni individuali, la loro coscenza
personate é piü aperta alia Veritá.59
Se secondo Giustino Popovici “la sobornicitá divino-umana nella
Chiesa”, si sostienne e si si serve tramite la Persona eterna viva a Dio-Uo-
mo Cristo”, Che rapresenta “l’anima della sobornicitá della Chiesa”60,
per Vladimir Lossky la sobornicitá della Chiesa tienne esclussivamente
dall’opera dello Spirito Santo. Noi non dobbiamo svalutare la condizione
pnevmatologica della Chiesa, ma che la accettiamo totalmente, sul piede
dell’egualitá con la condizionme cristologica, se vogliamo trovare la veritá
fondamento della cattolicitá della Chiesa. Cristo é colui che ha ristaurato,
pulito, ricapitulato la natura umana, pero lo Spirito si rivolge alie persone,
comunicando a ogni ipostaso umano della Chiesa la pienezza virtuale della
grazia, facendo da ogni membra dal corpo di Cristo un collaboratore(si-
nepsis) cosciente di Dio, un testimone personale della Veritá.61
Dumitru Stániloaie, citando I Karmiris, secondo cui “l’intera Chie-
sa” deve intesa come una grande unitá spirituale mística”, riconosce an-
che lui che la pienezza e la comunione della Chiesa come sobornicitá
tiene dallo Spirito Santo, “Che tutti noi siamo stati batezzati in un solo
Spirito, perché siamo un solo corpo” (I Cor. 12,13. Ma alio steso tempo
non dimentica affermare che, uguale anche nel caso dell attribute dell’u-
nitá oppure della santitá , “tutta la Chiesa” (cioé la sobornicitá) ha come
fondamento e come sorgente Dio, o Cristo che dimora in essa e operante
in essa tramite lo Spirito Santo. II dono e Topera di ogni membra della
Chiesa hanno come fondamento tanto “Ticonomia del Figlio quanto
anche Ticonomia dello Spirito”, e il carrattere dinámico e diverso della
59
Vladimir Lossky, Secondo il volto e l’assomoiglianza di Dio, p. 185.
60
61
Vladimir Lossky, Secondo il volto e l’assomoiglianza di Dio, p. 171.
207
sobornicitá riguarda “l’intera oppure la pienezza di Cristo nella Chiesa

tramite lo Spirito Santo”.62
II quarto attribute della Chiesa, Tapostolicitá, ha come fondamento
Cristo. Lui é stato Colui che ha eletto i dodici apostoli, il primo gruppo
di uomini che hanno creduto in Cristo”, e alio stesso tempo quell gruppo
tramite Cristo si é fatto conosciuto a tutte le generazioni che sono avvenute
e che avveranno”63. Ricevendo il servizio da Cristo, Santi Apostoli appari-
scono come “i primi dii(dio) uomini secondo la grazia”, giascuno di loro
essendo “Un Cristo ripetuto” oppure “un Cristo prolungato”64. La Chiesa
inizia proprio tramite gli Apostoli, oppure, con TApostolato di Cristo, se-
condo le Sue parole: “Come Mi ha mandato Padre, anche io mando voi
(Gv. 23, 21). Dunque lui é il Pastore, loro sono simili. Lui é Profetta, simi-
le sono loro; Lui é martire, cosí saranno loro. II loro mandato apostolico si
fa tramite lo Spirito Santo, nello spirito di Pentecoste permanente”45.
Degno da retenuto é l’idea che il Salvatore non ha accordato il servizio
apostolico ad una singóla persona, ma ad un gruppo “che, ricevendo in
mdo unitario la stessa imagine integrale ed autentica della Persona e della
Sua opera, la possa trasmettere in modo unitario ai seguaci, avendo loro
e i loro seguaci, nella ricevuta e nella trasmissione unitaria dell’imagine di
Cristo, l’assigurazione della ricevuta e della sua assigurazione integrale e
vera”. I dodici Apostoli dovevano essere cosi uguali; se la Chiesa é costruita
sul fondamento degli Apostoli e dei profetti”, il suo fondamento ultimo,
“la pietra del capolo ongolare” é lo stesso Gesü (Efes. 2,20). Tutti gli Apo-
stoli costruiscono la Chiesa che ha “dodici pietre di fondamento e in esse
dodici nomi, dei quelli dodici Apostoli del Agnello” (Apoc. 21, 14). A
lungo della sua storia, la Chiesa si é mantenuta tramite la successione apo-
stólica del vescovato in comuniione, oppure la grazia dello Spirito Santo
ricevuto dagli Apostoli a Pentescoste e trasmesso al vescovato, e per questo,
ai sacerdoti e ai fedeli65.
In estratto l’apostolicitá costituisce, nella visione di P. Stániloaie, da
tre componenti.il primo aspetto: Gli apostoli formano il primo gruppo di
uomini che hanno creduto nella divinitá di Cristo, fede sforzata sopratutto
62
D. Stăniloae, Teologia Dogmatica Ortodossa, vol. 2, p. 188 - 191
63
Ibidem, p. 192.
64
65
Vedi D. Stăniloae, Teologia Dogmático Ortodossa, vol. 2, p. 192 - 193.
208
dal fatto che loro L’hanno veduto personalmelte Cristo risorto. Senza la
loro fede e loro testmonianza sulla Resurezione del Signore la Chiesa non
sarebbe potuto prendere essere, non potrebbe durare e crescere66.
II secondo aspetto: Tramite gli apostoli “conosciamo Cristo cosi
come é stato, conosciamo il suo insegnamento, tramite cui Lui stesso
Si é spiegato e ha indicato il cammino della salveza e della perfezione
dell’uomo. Dopo la Risurezzione si sono scritti gli evangeli, senza che
queste presentino un altro Cristo; il loro vocabulario non é l’uno inven-
tato. “Tuttavia alcune forme di essprimere il senso della Persona e dell’
opera del Salvatoire, che sono contenute nella predica e dei scritti degli
Apostoli, le apartengono loro, ma non sono mancate di legame e di im-
parentato a quelle úsate di Gesü. Cosi, la predica e il scritto degli Aposto-
li su Gesü hanno da una parte apposta originalitá di espressione, dunque
é apopstolica in senso proprio, ma da un altra parte essa si incuadra pie-
namente nel contenuto, nelle forme dei sermoni e degli insegnamenti di
Gesü verso di loro”. Importantissimo che lui solo tramite Gli Apostoli,
e questo conferisce loro una qualitá única nella Chiesa, nonereditata dai
loro seguaci.67
Il terzo aspetto: L’Apostolicità rileva la funzione unica di Santi Apo-
stoli di fondamento délia Chiesa: loro sono stati i primi che hanno ri-
cevuto Lo Spirito Santo a Pentecoste e L’hanno ricevuto senza una me-
diazione umana. Facendosi i primi mediatori umani visibili dello Spirito
Santo, oppure di Cristo stesso tramite lo Spirito santo, loro sono con-
firmaţi nella qualité dell’apostolato nontrasmissibile, che significa perô
anche la qualité di primi predicatori e i primii che trasmittono la grazia
integrale dello Spirito Santo. La Pentecoste è il punto di partenza délia
successione apostolica: Gli Apostoli trasmitono i doni e le opere ai vesco-
vi, questi ai sacerdoţi e tramite loro, oppure independenţi da essi, a tutti
quelli che credono in Lui.
La relazione délia successione apostolica con l’interpretazione coretta
dell’insegnamento, ricevuta anche tramite questo servizio, determina an-
che una possibile esauriente dell’apostolicitâ. Queto significa il legamento
delle gnerazioni in tuitta la tradizione che vienne dagli Apostoli, perché
66
Ibidem, p. 194.
67
Ibidem, p. 194-195.
209
essa è la Rivelazione intera, ma anche la grazia e la spiritualité che vengono

nonintterrotto dallo Spirito di Cristo tramite loro.68
Conclusione
Questo studio si è diserato di chiarire, senza fare una presentazione
“archeologica” oppure strettamente storica, la visione sulla Chiesa nella
Santa Scriitura, ma anche il riscoprire e il rivalorificare di essa, con diverse
implicazioni, nella teologia ortodossa contemporánea. L’una tra le dire-
zioni esenziali in teologia dei secoli XIX - XX, e non solo ortodossa, ha
constatato in ricerca di “riformare” la visione ecclesiale, allo scopo di fare
di più adatta che risponda al mondo moderno secularizzato, dominante di
incertezza e la revisione di tutti i valori, una conseguenza dalla teologia “la
morte di Dio” (Fr. Niewtzsche). Ricordando qua i movimenti di questo ge-
nere dal Catolicesimo e dal Protestantesimo – l’aggiomamento del Secon-
do Conclio Vaticano, relativo alla teologia dialettica protestante –, direm-
mo che nella teologia ortodossa si è registrata una simile cerca significativa
tramite il movimenti neopatristici”. Essa si è definita i punti essenziali in
occasione del Primo Convegno delle Facolté di Teologia Ortodossa (Atene,
1936) tramite la voce del grande teologo e patrologo Georges Florovsky,
che ha isistato per il rifiuto délia “pseudomorfosi” (l’influenza occidentale
esercitata sulla teololgia ortodossa in generale e sopratutto a quella russa in
speciale), e ha affermato concomitante la nécessité del ritorno ai sorgenti
patristici e bisantini: “Dobbiamo che riaccendi di nuovo il fuoco creatore
dei Padri e che restauriamo in noi stessi lo spirito patristico”.69 Nella nostra
opinione, Ia comprensione del senso e della missione attuale della Chiesa
come “il Corpo di Cristo”, “la vite”, “familia” di tutti i cristiani etc. Non
68
Cf. Ibidem, p. 197. Tramite e dagli apostoli la vita dei cristiani diventa una „
permanente Pentecoste cristocentrica: Lo Spirito Santo, tramite i Santi Misteri e le sânte
opere buone, trasmettono Gesil Salvatore a ogni fedele, Lo fa tradizione viva, la nostra vita
viva”. Iustin Popovici, op. cit., p. 46.
69
Vedi i due refferati sostenuti a questa occasione: „Le influenze occidentale in teologia
russa” e „Patristica e la teologia moderna”, a H. Alivisatos (ed), Procès - Verbaux du Premier
Congrès de Théologie Orthodoxe, pyrsos, Atene, 1939, p. 212- 231 e p. 238- 242. Degli
detali nella opera del mio giovane colega della Facoltà di Teologia Ortodossa „Andrei Şaguna”
da Sibiu, Ciprian Toroczkai: La tradiozione patristica nella modernità: L’eccleseologia
del Padre Georges V. Florovsky (1893-1979), nel contesto dei movimenti neopatristici
contemporanei, Edizione Andreiana, Sibiu, 2008.
210
si puô fare che tenendosi conto dell’etos della Chiesa primaria - sorgente
e criterio per la teologia di oggi e quella futura. Gli autori del sec. XX, ai
quali pensieri ho adoperato di abbondanzza in questo studio, possono cosi
costituire un esempio che la teologia ortodossa rimane viva in seguito,
sviluppando ogni tema teologica - cosi come si è visto con l’ecclessiologia
– in stretta legame con le altre grandi teme teologiche (qua in legame con
triadologia, cristologia e pnevmatologia).
211
The Parish: Ecclesial Environment
in Pastoring Alcohol Addicts
Introduction
The Church, as Body of Christ, is in a permanent state of mission be-
cause mission is an essential dimension and component of it. Were it not
missionary the Church might cease to exist1.
In general, it is shown that the Church’s mission has a double task: it is
‘external’, i.e. it takes into account those who are not part of the Christian
community, and ‘internal’, i.e. it is moving towards the members of this
community. But the two issues are inextricably linked, just as the mission
is inextricably linked to the pastoral ministry. „It is... evident that from the
outset mission and pastoral care are interpendent and mutually fulfilling.
They both constitute one and the same task. Consequently, polarizations
such as ‘inside’, ‘outside’ ., between mission and pastoral care are, espe-
cially today, totally unjustifiable. It is not possible to overlook the need for
serious internal pastoral care, but neither is it possible to allow immediate
pastoral work to paralyze Christian witness throughout the world, nor to
justify missionary inertia”2.
The internal mission of the Church is carried out especially to those
in need, sickness and suffering: “It is not those who are healthy who need
a physician, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9.12). In this study we will
focus on the needs of those caught up in the passion of drunkenness, try-
ing to find theological principles that can form the basis for an efficient
*
Published in European Journal of Science and Theology, February 2013, Voi.9,
Supplement 1, p. 163-171.
1
V. Bel, Misiune, parohie, pastoraţie. Coordinate pentru o strategie misionară, 2nd
ed., Renaşterea, Cluj-Napoca, p. 6.
2
Archbishop Anastasios, Mission in Christ’s Way. An Orthodox Understanding of
Mission, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, Brookline, 2010, p. 76.
212
The Parish: Ecclesial Environment in Pastoring Alcohol Addicts
ministry between the alcoholics. But even as people fallen in passion, they
remain members of the Church. Therefore the priest and the other be-
lievers must be on hand to help the alcoholic and his family to overcome
this dependence. The mutual assistance environment is the parish and the
pastoral work, where alcoholics are involved, should be performed at the
specific level of local church. The priest and the faithful have at hand sac-
ramental and pastoral means to lead a life of bodily and spiritual purity,
which requires a ceaseless struggle against sin and sickness (and therefore
against alcoholism).
On drunkenness in the Scripture and the Holy Fathers
The Orthodox Church is based on biblical and patristic sources in
condemning alcohol abuse. The Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers
are unanimous in confessing the harmful effects of the alcohol on both
body and soul. Thus, the “drunkenness multiplies the wrath of the fool-
ish”, “shrinks virtue and gathers wounds” (Wisdom of Jesus Sirach 31.35).
Christians should be “filled with the Spirit”, not get drunk with wine
(Ephesians 5.18). To note that not the alcohol is condemned, but the
abuse!3 “And wine that maketh glad the heart of man” (Psalms 103.16),
but the Church accepts the consumption of wine, especially as social role4.
The same opinion is found marked in the patristic writings, especially
the ascetic-mystical ones. Commenting on the quote from Isaiah 29.9,
John Chrysostom says that drunkenness itself – in here it is mentioned also
a “non alcohol drunkenness” – is the worst, making man unreasonable5.
The same Holy Father believes that man fallen in the passion of drunken-
ness gets a demonic side: “drunkenness is demonization willingly”6. Al-
though obviously it can not be generalized, in the sense that any alcoholic
is under demonic influence, however “the passion of drunkenness is the
seen sign of our defeat in the unseen battle with the spirits of darkness”7.
3
I. Negru, N. Amariei and F. Frantz, Pastoraţia persoanelor dependente de alcool,
Basilica, Bucuresti, 2012, p. 19.
4
Ibidem, p. 51.
5
Ioan Gură de Aur, Cateheze baptismale, Oastea Domnului, Sibiu, 2003, p. 83.
6
Idem, Omilii la Facere, Institutul Biblic si de Misiune al Bisericii Ortodoxe
Române, 1987, p. 372.
7
I. Negru, N. Amariei and F. Frantz, Pastoraţia persoanelor dependente de alcool, p. 21.
213
Consequently, the appeal of Clement of Alexandria sounds like this: “You

must protect yourself from drunkenness as from hemlock, because both
lead to death”8.
The spiritual dimension of alcohol dependence
Considered both drink and drug, alcohol is dangerous at both indi-
vidual and social level. Alcohol abuse can lead to chronic diseases such as
cancer of the oesophagus and liver cancer; the same, prolonged consump-
tion of alcohol can lead to destruction of the stomach, pancreas, small
intestine, and damage to the nervous system functioning9. Do not forget
that any use of alcohol increases the chances of serious accidental injury.
Psychologically, drinking is a common cause of insomnia, and a form of
anorexia may also be associated with alcoholism.
Deepak Chopra points out that we cannot draw a definite line be-
tween the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual element of our na-
ture10. If externally alcoholism leads to disruption of work, financial and
legal troubles or problems in the family, internally, alcoholism produces
disturbances such as: removes the priorities, emphasizing a single one,
satisfying the need to drink; as time goes on, the tolerance to alcohol
increases and ever larger quantities are necessary to fulfil the desired ef-
fect; the same, as alcohol tolerance increases, the unpleasant or painful
symptoms, that occur when it is missed, multiply (tremor, insomnia,
agitation, anxiety and confusion); alcohol abuse causes inner conflict
and despair. It is a process that involves various factors and has several
stages. The same author noted evokes the results of the researcher from
Yale University, E.M. Jellinek, which have led to the identification of
four stages of alcoholism.
In the first stage, the subject feels a decrease in stress and in blood
pressure when consuming alcohol. After a period of six months to two
years, the future alcoholic, in order to live that state of relaxation, begins
8
Clement Alexandrinul, Pedagogul Institutul Biblic si de Misiune al Bisericii
Ortodoxe Române, 1982, p. 263.
9
J. McKay and S. Hiller-Sturmhofel, Alcohol Research & Health, 33(4) (2011),
p. 356.
10
D. Chopra, Overcoming Addictions. The Spiritual Solution, Romanian translation,
Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2003, p. 55-56.
214
to drink almost every day. Thus, there is a higher alcohol tolerance than
that of an ordinary person.
In a second step, sudden blackouts or memory loss begin to appear.
During this period, the subject begins to realize that he has reached a new
phase, and this activity is associated with tension and guilt. Therefore, he
might start to drink more and more secretly.
The third stage marks the transition from a behaviour more or less
controlled to a totally uncontrolled one. The need of alcohol consump-
tion becomes irresistible. The alcoholic replies tensions and problems with
drink, immediately and reflexively; he may even cause or invent incidents
to justify alcohol consumption. Often the addict begins each day with a
drink and spends his evenings becoming drunk. It is a phase that can last
for several years, during which he is still able to keep his job and be socia-
ble, although the relations with those closest are increasingly tensed.
The fourth stage is considered by Jellinek as the chronic phase of alco-
hol dependence11. It is marked by long periods of intoxication. During this
period may appear serious physical and mental health problems, problems
in interpersonal and professional relations and even legal issues. “Even a
brief removal of alcohol causes unpleasant symptoms and generators of
fear and the addict drinks to avoid them. Alcohol tolerance diminishes
suddenly and even small amounts of alcohol lead to drunkenness”12.
To note is that sometimes alcoholism is closely related to man’s spir-
itual dimension. Jellinek’s research – and not only his13 – have shown that
a majority of alcoholics (around 60%) go through an experience that has
important implications for the successful treatment of alcoholism. “When
these people are gripped by deep despair, they suddenly experience a spirit-
ual awakening. They begin to appeal to a higher power that would emerge
them from the depths in which they have sunk. A small number of alco-
holics live even a dramatic moment of revelation, like a religious conver-
sion, and they recognize that they are the hands of an ultimate destiny. In
other words, they live a moment of ecstasy”14.
11
E. Rieth, Alkoholkrank?, Romanian translation, Hora, Sibiu, 1999, p. 30-73.
12
D. Chopra, Overcoming Addictions. The Spiritual Solution, p. 64-66.
13
B. Thompson, Christianity Today, 27 (1983) p. 28; J. Bunn, B. Booth, C. Cook,
F. Blow and J. Fortney, A. J. Public Health, 84(2) (1994) p. 211-214.
14
D. Chopra, Overcoming Addictions. The Spiritual Solution, p. 67.
215
Using the researches mentioned above, Deepak Chopra shows that

this transcendent phenomenon is decisive in the successful treatment, i.e.
long term, of alcoholism. We note the emphasis on the spiritual dimen-
sion of alcoholism, but we question the relevance of therapeutic methods
stated by Chopra from the perspective of Ayurvedic medicine. Instead,
we will present the pastoral work for people dependent on alcohol from a
theological-Orthodox perspective.
The Orthodox pastoral work for alcohol addicted believers
The Orthodox mission has a full character: it is Liturgical-sacramental,
mystical-ascetic, and social-communitarian15. Through ministry, preach-
ing and diaconal mission, priests have the duty to establish, maintain and
continually strengthen the spiritual integrity of the parish. They should
inspire in the believers the consciousness of belonging to a common body.
Among the general projects designed to bring together the priest with his
community, must be included also helping those who are sick and in suf-
fering. This means that the priest must know the believers. It is not allowed
for the priest or the other members of parish to live anonymously between
persons dependent on alcohol. The problems of the parish are of all believ-
ers in that parish, as Apostle Paul wrote: “the members should have the
same care one for another”, because “whether one member suffers, all the
members suffer with it...” (1 Corinthians 12.25-26).
In a paper recently published under the auspices of the Romanian
Patriarchate, several strategies were highlighted at the level of the parish for
intervention in the case of an alcoholic parishioner. In there are empha-
sized some steps that the parish priest must take in identifying and helping
those fallen in alcohol addiction. First, he has to know those members of
the parish who drink excessively. They stand out quite easily, but other-
wise the priest ought not to hesitate to do everything to find them. Those
suspected of being alcoholics or those around them should be asked how
much and how often they drink. The Sacrament of Confession or other
occasions (such as pre-marital counselling) should be used to establish a
relationship with that person. Once the problem has been identified, the
priest should be aware of its possible cause: family or spiritual problems,
15
V. Bel, Misiune, parohie, pastoraţie. Coordinate pentru o strategie misionară, p. 6.
216
‘moral conflicts’ or feelings of guilt, etc. There are established ‘four im-
portant questions’ that might be helpful in the assessment of drinking: 1)
Have you ever felt you should reduce the amount of alcohol you consume?
2) Do you mind people criticize your drinking? 3) Have you ever felt bad
or guilty about your drinking? 4) Have you ever drunk first thing in the
morning? If the parishioner answers yes to one or more of these questions,
then there is the risk of serious problems with the alcohol16.
Identifying the existence of the problem of an abuse of alcohol must
be immediately followed by assessment of the severity of the problem
and its nature, temporary or permanent. Summarizing, the following
three categories may be established: 1) those who only are at risk of
having problems; 2) people currently experiencing alcohol-related prob-
lems; 3) those who may be addicted to alcohol or develop symptoms of
alcohol dependence. Depending on the state in which he is, the priest
may offer the parishioners the best advice and agree with him a strategy
to solve the problem of alcohol. Broadly, the priest, as a spiritual father,
should express concern about the state of the parishioner. The believer
should be presented with the real situation is, how alcohol affects his
behaviour. It should be recommended also total abstinence from alcohol.
Of course, many times it may happen that the subject may not recog-
nize or minimize the seriousness of the situation in which he is found.
Change is possible only with the awareness of the fallen state in which
the dependent on alcohol is.
Next we will refer to the possible strategy that can be adopted at the
parish level to straighten the situation. Before, however, we must say a
few words about the believers who are not alcohol dependent but who are
at risk of developing such problems later. It is a category that should not
be viewed with superficiality, but must be given the full attention of the
priest. It is worth that he recommends the limitation of alcohol consump-
tion (even if there is nothing wrong with alcohol, it can sometimes be a
problem). For the sake of their bodily and spiritual health believers ought
to change their habit of drinking. An important role may be the aware-
ness of the positive effects diminishing the quantities or abstinence from
16
I. Negru, N. Amariei and F. Frantz, Pastoraţia persoanelor dependente de alcool,
p. 111.
217
alcohol would have, both on a personal level as well as social and ecclesial.
The priest will ask them to analyze the causes leading to unhealthy drink-
ing episodes, as well as be aware of current issues and their more or less
obvious relation with alcohol consumption17.
Much more difficult is the pastoral work for the parishioners on which
are present the symptoms of alcohol dependence. To them, the priest must
be categorical reminding them that alcoholism is a primary disease, pro-
gressive, chronic and fatal. If they are addicted to alcohol they will not be
able to control its use but for short periods of time. Also, if they choose to
continue drinking, they will have permanent problems caused by alcohol
abuse. The priest should not be discouraged by the attitude of believers
who have problems with alcohol, but are not ready to change. Pastoral
work of persons addicted to alcohol can be a slow and difficult process.
The important thing is to begin a process of change in which the priest to
present both concern, about the state of the parishioner, and permanent
readiness to help him change. According to the rule ‘hate the sin, but love
the sinner’ the priest must declare and show love to those in this condition
and their families. Maintaining a friendly relationship with them, he will
have to pray and wait for the moment when the alcohol addict is ready to
accept help and begin the recovery program.
During the recovery of the persons addicted to alcohol the priest will
give them the following advice: he will guide them to a specialist program
for further evaluation; he will direct then to a treatment program or to
Alcoholics Anonymous; he will engage them in making decisions; he will
discuss with them the alternatives; he will possibly arrange a meeting with
someone in the recovery area that can be of help (the therapist). Counsel-
ling will be an empathetic discussion, not a confrontation. The priest will
show his confidence in the ability to change of the person in front of him,
and will emphasize his responsibility in the process of changing the way
of living18.
Even if the alcohol addict agrees to change his life and enters a reha-
bilitation program, it does not mean that the problem is completely solved
or that the responsibility of the priest ends here. He will have to maintain
17
Ibidem, p. 117-118
18
Ibidem, p. 118-119.
218
contact with the one in the recovery program. For those that reduce the
amount consumed or have a short-term abstinence program, he will have:
to remind them that it is available if they need help; to provide his encour-
agement and support during each visit by reviewing their progress since
the last meeting, by encouraging patients in their efforts, by statements
that reinforce their positive change and by evaluating the maintaining of
motivation; if necessary, to set some additional meetings; to guide them to
treatment program or to Alcoholics Anonymous; to recall that, for most
people who have problems with alcohol, the only solution that works is
entirely represented by total abstinence from alcohol. Very important is
educating people addicted. Then they must be helped to make new friends
or be included in a group from the church similar to Alcoholics Anony-
mous. If there is a relapse into alcoholism, the priest should not be dis-
couraged or let those in need be discouraged. Recovery is a process that
takes time. Again, the key is to provide guarantee that he is always close,
that his help is always available19.
Fighting the passion of alcohol, at the level of the parish, requires the
intervention of the priest in several ways. First, he must be informed of
the dangers represented by alcohol as progressive illness, and the thera-
peutic resources. When relevant, i.e. when he identifies in the community
a person with excessive alcohol consumption, he should not hesitate to
guide him to a rehabilitation centre. It is up to the priest what therapeutic
method to suggest: a Gestalt-Therapie20, a Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy
type21, or the Twelve Steps therapy22. The priest should not be afraid that
these programs - such as Alcoholics Anonymous - would mean a betrayal
of his liturgical ministry or an evidence of the lack of faith from the be-
liever. Belonging to Alcoholics Anonymous does not contradict and does
not minimize the quality as a member of the Church because AA does not
claim to be a church or religion. Father Meletios Webber emphasizes that
the Twelve Steps ‘will never replace the Gospel as Christ’s call’ and Alco-
19
Ibidem, p. 119-120.
20
M.C. Clemmens, Getting Beyond Sobriety: Clinical Approaches to Long-Term
Recovery, Romanian translation, VIDIA, Bucharest, 2012.
21
D.R. Hodge, Social Work, 56(1) (2011), p. 21-31.
22
M. Webber, Steps of Transformation: An Orthodox Priest Explores the Twelve Steps
of Alcoholics Anonymous, Romanian translation, Kolos, Iaşi, 2008.
219
holics Anonymous meetings are not a substitute for participation in the

liturgical life of the Church.
An alcoholic believer is therefore still in need of the advice and prayers
of the spiritual father, as well as the communion of the Holy Mysteries.
His healing requires the Mystery of Confession, the Sacrament of Holy
Unction and the
Mystery of the Eucharist (an important role has the Sacrament of
Holy Unction). Through the Sacraments the believer receives the grace
of the Holy Spirit of Christ, the eternal uncreated energy of God-Trinity
through which he acquires real human identity, personal communion with
God. As Father Bria said, “The Spirit rests in us to restore this personal
identity, making our humanity, which is destined for death, i.e. the man
outside who passes, the temple of the Holy Spirit, i.e. the man inside that
is renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4.6). Therefore, the Mysteries are
the sacramental way of permanent descent of God to us, in our midst,
in our neighbourhood or village. Here, Christ speaks to us and heals us
spiritually, in the Holy Spirit, in the Church which is established locally of
all its members, that profess the true faith, receive the grace, take part in
the public divine services, and become more spiritual through prayer and
responsible, conscientious work for the benefit of the community, which is
and is continually made, through consecration, communitarian-Catholic
Body of the living Christ.”
For Father Bria is relevant the vision of Saint John Chrysostom on
the many ways of salvation that Christians practice under their universal
priesthood received through Chrismation:
The inner Liturgy, individual, that reveals the man become ‘temple of
the Holy Spirit’ through the Sacraments of initiation and who, through
personal prayer, unifies the multiple aspects of Christian life: faith, facts,
virtues.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist celebrated by the consecrated hierar-
chy and con-celebrated with the parochial congregation. Its purpose is
the sharing with the believers of Him Who brings and Him Who brings
Himself, ‘The bread that cometh down from Heaven’ , thus becoming wit-
nesses of Christ in the world.
‘Liturgy of the Brother’, a human Liturgy determined by the real pres-
ence of Jesus Christ amidst all, men and women, who lay in unbearable
220
living conditions - poverty, sufferers, orphans, widows, exploited, in those

without shelter, food and comfort. (Of course, in here we can easily in-
clude those who are fallen in the passion of alcohol as well as those around
them.) All these three Liturgies have in fact equal value before God23 [15].
The pastoral work of the priest in front of alcoholic parishioners re-
quires honesty to himself, to his attitudes and prejudices towards alcohol
consumption. Only with impeccable conduct the priest can avoid situa-
tions in which he himself needs help. Responsible drinking should be an
absolute imperative for the priest. This way he will become credible and
an example to follow when he condemns alcohol abuse in his sermons.
The testimony through the quality and sanctity of life is the most effective
means of mission. Because nothing is more attractive and more convincing
but the Christian, the community or the holy, that provide a concrete ex-
ample of fulfillment of the meaning of life and irradiate tranquility, peace
and love. And this more so in a society that cannot provide coherence and
meaning in life.
The priest will influence the most those closest: his council members
and parochial committee. It is important them to be ‘allies’ of the priest
in determining a responsible attitude of the congregation towards alcohol
consumption. A priest who is not a drunkard is a positive model of behav-
iour even on the occasion of certain events that typically imply a greater
quantity of alcohol: weddings, funerals, feast celebrations, etc. The priest
should not lie to himself and believe that through alcohol consumption
would become closer to his parishioners. There are other ways more con-
sistent with the evangelical precepts for him to be sociable. Moreover, with
every opportunity he has, the priest must condemn alcohol abuse.
Conclusions
The Orthodox Church can not remain indifferent to its believers’
fight against alcoholism, both illness and addiction. This was the belief of
the Romanian Patriarchate, which in 2008 initiated a National Anti-Drug
Program, whose stated goal was “the establishment of counselling centres,
the training of professionals in the area of addictions, and information
23
I. Bria, Liturghia după Liturghie. Misiune apostolică şi mărturie creştină - azi,
Athens, Bucharest, 1996, p. 107-108.
221
sessions embedded in the Pastoral courses of the Theological Institutes

and the Religion classes taught in schools/ high schools” [www.ortodox-
antidrog.ro].
Implementation of the principles contained in this program should
be a priority for any priest in his parish. Thus, he can choose one day a
week to celebrate the Akathist to the Mother of God - Inexhaustible Chal-
ice, even if only a few people attend it; he can display on the church door
or at the bulletin board general information about the harmful effects of
alcohol and practical ways of healing; he can even edit and print brochures
with this information; he can have discussions with interested believers,
either during the Sacrament of Confession, or on other occasions; he may
invite speakers from the parochial council, who work in alcoholism recov-
ery programs or in support groups of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Through all this activity, the priest can prove his thaumaturgical ca-
pacity received through the ordination grace - a full recovery, both in body
and soul. A contemporary Greek theologian, Georgios D. Metallinos,
referred to the parish as to a ‘spiritual hospital’ whose understanding is
set under a single purpose, unique and invariable: deification (theosis) of
its members24. The Orthodox vision proclaims the Christian life both as
“teaching” (mathema) and ‘passion’ (pathema), so as a revealed way of
living, through the Incarnation, as “the good news” (see Galatians 2.20:
“Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me”). To speak of salvation is equivalent to
expressing a commitment in the process of healing, healing of the human
existence. Holy Fathers called this process asceticism, which has not only
an individual sense, but full communitarian one: talking about salvation as
a ‘cure’ (therapeia), an appropriate therapeutic conduct, the heart should
‘be purified’ (release) of passions so that it can be enlightened by the Holy
Spirit. The perfection of each believer refers to his dimensions within the
Church, because the one united with God and filled with the uncreated
divine grace can “really love (selflessly) all his neighbours, brothers in hu-
manity, and create with them an authentic and pure community”25. In
fact, this community is the Church, the living Body of Christ built from
multiple members subjected to the healing process, i.e. the restoration of
24
G. Metallinos, Parohia - Hristos în mijlocul nostru, Deisis, Sibiu, 2004, p. 23.
25
Ibidem, p. 24.
222
our spiritual health. The climate of such a process it provided by the par-
ish: a place of healing and restoration of the whole man, a ‘spiritual hospi-
tal’ where, through the Sacraments of initiation, a re-born man is able to
live in a new life and community that has Christ as its centre. Only having
Christ as ‘head’ the life of the believer can be charismatically transformed
in prayer, gratitude, doxology26.
26
Ibidem, p. 25.
223

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Critical Reflections on Christian Mission

Published with the blessing

Andreiana Publishing House

Cover 1: Martyrdom of Saint Ignatius of Antioch from the Menologion of Basil II

Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naţionale a României

Baptism as „rebirth” and „renewal”....................................................... 10

Ecumenical Dialogue in the Perspective

The Teaching on Ecumenism and on other

Mission and Ministry – the vision of Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae................. 49

Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos’ Contribution

La contribution de l`archevêque Anastasios Yannoulatos au

Ecclésiologie sacramentaire originaire et la crise liturgique

On Manliness in Christ, “The New Adam” at St. Cyril of Alexandria����117

Preaching the Gospel and Establishing Local Churches.

The Kievian Theological Education – A Model

L’ethos della Chiesa Primaria

T﻿he Parish: Ecclesial Environment

The crisis facing the contemporary society today – despite what is

have an Altar”10. Then adds: „I am God’s wheat and I want to be crushed

was celebrated in Sardis, nor he develops some theological issues on the

voked descends raised above the baptismal water as if he recognized his

Disciple of Pantene and its successor in the School of Alexandria,

Patristic testimonies of the first two centuries, outlined in this study,

şi mişcarea ecumenică (Romanian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Movement)”,

The Communist regime in Romania has produced profound changes

Orthodox Theology from “1 decembrie 1918” Universităţii of Alba Iulia:

ganization, an ecumenical reflection organization of theologians from all

• The Place of Orthodoxy in the Ecumenical Community;

The teaching staff from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of Sibiu,

ism only as part of their teaching of Church History, Missiology, System-

of all.” It constitutes another attempt, like those made in Patristic

• Well articulated presentations of Orthodox positions on major

biblical, historical, systematic and practical ones are taught in a polemic

similar humility and courage in speaking honesty and forthrightly about

Missiological studies can contribute significantly for a better under-

Dan-Ilie Ciobotea, “The Role of liturgy in Orthodox theological educa-

In 1978 Father Dumitru Stăniloae published in Orthodox Youth and

the Church aims at enlarging the authoritarian power and is practiced in

by Christians in the first Christian millennium. The image of an effective

Value of Orthodoxy today

communion with Christ (not as a mere human institution). Of course, Fa-

complicated) nowadays human relationships – as did the Apostle Paul, as

of Jesus Christ during Liturgy and Holy Sacraments constitute a means to

MMB, Iasy, p. 51.

opportunity to celebrate the sacraments, restricted; the priests were impris-

The Relationship between Christianity and the Other Religions

centuries) is a “taunting and under-estimated” one, Islam being viewed ex-

which gives Archbishop A. Yannoulatos rightly, great value, as it experien-

Orthodoxy and Human Rights

The concept of person is a key concept in Eastern Orthodoxy regard-

too many loopholes, too many possibilities to violate human rights –

Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos precisely defines culture based on

For every Christian attending mission is an existential command that

dox vision must be thus ubiquitous47, not “partial” or sectarian. Christians

The characteristic features of the Orthodox mission are exposed tak-

a 1971), Modérateur du Comité Mondial pour Mission et

en 1944 et l`installation au pouvoir du dictateur Enver Hox-

vues et de journaux; il a organisé une typographie, une fabrique de cierges,

Le rapport du christianisme avec les autres religions (spéciale-

soit qu`elles sont toutes semblables, soit qu`on pouvait généraliser ce

lieu du IX-e siècle) est l’une „persiflante et sousestimative”, l’Islam étant vu

Il semble que le plus important héritage que les orthodoxes pour-

On Manliness in Christ, “The New Adam” at St. Cyril of Alexandria��117

The Parish: Ecclesial Environment