Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania

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The Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania or True Orthodox Church of Romania is a resistance, Old Calendarist Synod, which broke off from the Church of Romania, holding that the latter is in error.

History

In 1924, Metropolitan Miron of the Church of Romania introduced the New Calendar or Gregorian Calendar for use in the Church. Although most Romanians accepted the change, the skete of the Protection of the Theotokos in northern Moldavia rejected it. In 1925, led by Hieromonk Glicherie (now canonized as Saint Glicherie of Romania, the Confessor), some of the bretheren left the skete to start an Old Calendarist group. When, in 1926 and 1929, Metropolitan Miron ordered Pascha to be celebrated according to the Gregorian Paschalion, a large number of faithful, including Russian émigrés, left the Church of Romania and joined the Old Calendarists. By 1936, the Old Calendarists numbered about 40 parishes.

Beginning in 1935, at the order of Metropolitan Miron, the Old Calendarists were under persecution. By 1940, ten Old Calendar priests had died in prison, and all of the Old Calendar churches had been shut down. St. Glicherie was imprisoned, but, at the beginning of World War II, released.

By 1950, with the release of St. Glicherie and other priests from prison, many of the churches were rebuilt. In 1955, Metropolitan Galaktion left the Church of Romania to serve the Old Calendarists, and immediately ordained new priests and deacons. However, he was soon arrested, and placed under house arrest in Bucharest. While under house arrest, Metropolitan Galaktion ordained three other bishops, including St. Glicherie, who, in 1957, became the head of the True Orthodox Church of Romania.

Hierarchs

  • Metropolitan Vlasie, President of the Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Romania
  • Bishop Demosten of Neamts
  • Bishop Ghenadie of Bacau
  • Bishop Pahomie of Vrancea
  • Bishop Teodosie of Brasov
  • Bishop Sofronie of Suceava
  • Bishop Iosif of Botosani
  • Bishop Flavian of Ilfov

Status

Since 1980, the Synod has been in full communion with the True Orthodox Church of Greece (so-called "Callistoites"), then with the Holy Synod in Resistance (so-called "Cyprianites"). The Synod also maintains communion with the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria (Bishop Photii), and with the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia (ROCOR).

Demographics

Headquartered in the Monastery of the Transfiguration, Slatioara, Moldavia, the Synod has 130 parishes, 13 monasteries, 21 sketes, and publishes two periodicals, Traditia Ortodoxa and Catacombele Ortodoxiei. 160 priests (including 115 married priests and 45 hieromonks) and 26 deacons serve the Synod's faithful. 290 monks and 510 nuns dwell in the monasteries.

External Links