Romanian Old Calendar Orthodox Church
The Romanian Old Calendar Orthodox Church (Biserica Ortodoxă de Stil Vechi din România), or sometimes called the Romanian Traditionalist Orthodox Church or True Orthodox Church of Romania, is the Romanian True Orthodox Church which is Headquartered at Slătioara Monastery in the Village of Slătioara in the Suceava Region of Romania. It was first just the Old Calendar Movement and Bishopless Synod being ran under the unofficial leadership of Hieromonk Glicherie Tănase for almost 30 years before being joined by Bishop Galaktion Cordun in 1952 whom would formally collectivize the Synod and became the First Metropolitan and First Hierarch of the Synod which aims to continue the Romanian Orthodox Church in opposition to the Romanian Patriarchate (BOR) which adopted the New Calendar in Late 1924 and has dabbled in some Ecumenistic Activity in the past 100 years since then. It has Churches all across Romania, with a Concentration around the Carpathian Mountains, and has around 1.5 to 2.5 Million Laity and Membership in Romania.
Contents
[hide]- 1 Beginnings of the Romanian Old Calendar Movement
- 2 Journey for Support and Ordination of New Bishops
- 3 Rebuilding of Parishes, Shift to Communist Period, and Gaining New Bishops
- 4 Death of First Hierarch Galaktion and Elevation of First Hierarch Glicherie
- 5 Death of First Hierarch Glicherie, Collapse of the Communist Ceaușescu Regime, and Rise of Pluralist Romania
- 6 BOSVR Synod in Modernity
- 7 External Links
Beginnings of the Romanian Old Calendar Movement
The Old Calendar Movement of Romania can be linked to the days of the Calendar Change itself back in November of 1924 when numerous Parishes decided to continue top operate and run on the Patristic Julian Calendar (Old Calendar) instead of adopting the Revised Julian Calendar (New Calendar) and this was met with tolerance at first until a few years later in 1926 where the Romanian Patriarchate started to push the New Calendar more on various Parishes which didn't adopt it in 1924 and put some pressure on some of them. Of the Old Calendar operating Parishes and Churches there was, among them was a Hieromonk named Glicherie Tănase (21st February/4th March1892 - June 15th/28th 1985) who was the most notable opponent of the New Calendar Change and the direction of the Romanian Patriarchate. After the 1926 Pascha Celebration, where Patriarch Miron Cristea unpopularly called for celebrating on the Gregorian Pascha which was a violation of the First Ecumenical Council, him and his good Spiritual Brother Hierodeacon David Bidașcu and 2 other Monks would decide to leave Neamț Monastery and Procrov Monastery and flee to the Forests of Romania around the Carpathians and then going out to build up New Churches and retain some other Old Calendar Operating Parishes.
Journey for Support and Ordination of New Bishops
In 1929, Hieromonk Glicherie would set out to Journey to Mount Athos and then to the Holy Land to see the Patriarchate of Jerusalem for support of the Old Calendar Movement in Romania. During his travels and visit and short stay at the Holy Mount, Hieromonk Glicherie found mass support among the Monastics and Clerics of Mount Athos for him and the Old Calendar Movement that was continuing in Romania and when he went to travel and stay within Jerusalem and the Holy Land, Patriarch Damius Kasiotis of Jerusalem blessed him and said his words of support for him and the Old Calendar Movement which sought to continue the Romanian Orthodox Church and oppose the New Calendar Reform that took place in the Romanian Patriarchate. In the later half of 1930, Hieromonk Glicherie would return to Romania for 4 years and trying to keep the flock strong during waves of undermining and persecution from the Romanian State and some Bishops of the Romanian Patriarchate. Then in 1934, after hearing the coming and formal collectivization of a Greek Old Calendarist Synod under Metropolitan Chrysostomos Kavouridis of Florina, the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece, Hieromonk Glicherie took with him 3 other Clerics, Hierodeacon David and 2 Monks for translating, and went to seek Ordinations for Bishops for the Old Calendar Movement in Romania which was currently Bishopless and only had Priests and Monastics. While some Bishops of the GOC of Greece were supportive and desired to help out Hieromonk Glicherie and the Romanian Old Calendarists, they had to wait until Metropolitan Chrysostomos came back from his journey to Jerusalem which was being delayed as he was held up in Cyprus due to the United Kingdom and Liberal Greek Government of the time.
Rebuilding of Parishes, Shift to Communist Period, and Gaining New Bishops
The 1940s saw both a new Patriarch, Archbishop Nicodim Munteanu, a new Government, a Constitutional Monarchy with Authoritarian Reign of Ion Antonescu and the Iron Guard, and a new Monarch, King Mihai I Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. During this time period, BOSVR saw a mass decrease in mistreatment and persecution under the New Government and BOSVR continued, from the late 1930s, to rebuild and build New Parishes and open some prior ones which were temporarily shut down for use by some Local Officials. During this time, Hieromonk Glicherie was helping to build and consecrate New Parishes and it was also during the very early 1940s where Slătioara Monastery got the finishing touches and became the officially confirmed Headquarters of the Romanian Old Calendar Orthodox Church.
Death of First Hierarch Galaktion and Elevation of First Hierarch Glicherie
On July 8th of 1959, First Hierarch and Metropolitan Galaktion Cordun would pass away during the night time and would be buried in the middle of the night with very small gathering of some Monastics as a proper funeral service wasn't available at the time due to the then increase in some surveillance by the local Communist Police and Officials then. After his death and burial, soon after Archbishop Glicherie Tănase would be popularly selected among the Holy Synod and take up the mantle as the next First Hierarch and Metropolitan of BOSVR. Metropolitan Glicherie would reign from 1959 to 1985 and would be known as the most Popular and well loved of the First Hierarchs of BOSVR thus far along with being a Cleric of the Church which has done alot for the Old Calendar Movement in Romania while enduring Regimes of Carol II and the Communist Government.
Death of First Hierarch Glicherie, Collapse of the Communist Ceaușescu Regime, and Rise of Pluralist Romania
On June 15th (June 28th New Style), The 25 year Reign and Leadership of Metropolitan Glicherie Tănase of Slătioara came to an end, just 4 years before the Romanian Revolution against the Communist Ceaușescu Regime. Many Clerics and Laity alike came out to the Funeral Service to mourn him as a beloved First Hierarch, Spiritual Leader, Great Builder, and Faithful Confessor which was led by the next First Hierarch Archbishop Sylvester Onofrei.
BOSVR Synod in Modernity
The Romanian Old Calendar Orthodox Church today remains Headquartered at Slătioara Monastery in the Village of Slătioara and continues going strong and being known today as among the top True Orthodox Jurisdictions which bolsters strong numbers of Membership and Laity by itself as they hold an estimated 1.5 to 2.5 Million Members / Laity in Romania. They have over 80 Parishes, and growing, across Romania and also have a number of Parishes Abroad in Italy, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Austria. The Current First Hierarch is Metropolitan Evloghius Nica of Fălticeni (2024- ) who was elected relatively recently as the new First Hierarch as he was elected just after the short 2 year reigning Metropolitan Demosten Ioniță of Covasna who was among the number of Spiritual Children Saint Glicherie Tănase had.
The Current Holy Synod of BOSVR is made up of the following Bishops:
• Metropolitan Evloghius Nica of Fălticeni • Archbishop Flavian of Râşca • Archbishop Sofronie of Suceava • Archbishop Glicherie of Iași • Archbishop Dionisie of Galați • Archbishop David of Păiseni • Archbishop Antonie of Bacău • Archbishop Iosif of Slatina • Archbishop Teodosie of Mileanca