GB 7-12/2017

This article presents the homily of Patriarch Daniel, given at the memorial service of Patriarch Justinian Marina, officiated at the Radu Vodă Monastery in Bucharest, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his passing to the eternal ones, on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 2017. The most important characteristics of the service of Patriarch Justinian are reiterated: his pastoral, missionary, spiritual, cultural, and social work. All this represents even today, for hierarchs, clergy and believers, a bright and inspiring model of fidelity and ministry of the Saviour Jesus Christ and His Church.

The testimonies of the Holy Fathers regarding the theological meaning of suffering and healing express personal feelings and resolutions in the face of this fact of human nature, which is suffering, while maintaining a perfect unity of teaching, just as the Holy Gospels preserve the unity of the Spirit and preaching whilst underlining at the same time the personality of the Holy Apostles and Evangelists. In this study we propose to present a few models for solving the problem of suffering and its manifestations in: Clement of Alexandria, St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Makarios, St. Gregory of Nyssa.

Censorship of the religious press during the communist regime in Romania (1945-1989) is currently a delicate subject for the sensitive ears of many scholars in the secular and theological space. In this study we have tried to bring to light, through the novelty of information and archival documents recently discovered, the following aspects regarding the censorship of the Orthodox church press, in general, respectively in the journal Glasul Bisericii, in particular, namely: 1) the establishment of communist censorship and the control of the press and the printing; 2) provisions regarding the theological press in the Church legislation; 3) the typology of censorship of Orthodox Church journals; 4) the mechanism of censorship of the religious press; 5) censorship of the Orthodox Church press during Patriarch Justinian Marina (1948-1977).

St. John the Theologian presents in chapter 17 of his Gospel a true theology of the union of man with God and of the fundamental premises for the accomplishment of this event. Through our research, we aim to determine what is the paradigm of Christian union and to specify some elements related to this topic, aiming to carefully weigh each word and recognize its true value.

The rapid evolution of science and technology in the last two centuries has brought with it important changes in the social life of mankind, causing the abandonment of certain habits and changes of others, contributing to the destruction of certain myths and to the change of living conditions. In this article, we will start from the definition of key terms such as consumption and consumerism and their analysis from the perspective of social theology. We will then look at the context in which they might interfere with the theological space and how the Church might Christianize them.

The advancing of choral music in the Romanian space is largely related to the composition and conducting activity of Gavriil Musicescu, a complex personality who decisively marked both the history of Romanian music and the creation of his successors. This article points out the main biographical moments of maestro Musicescu and his remarkable contribution to Romanian choral music.

Patriarch Justinian Marina carried out his pastoral activity during the communist period. Many of the directions drawn by His Beatitude are still relevant today, which gives them a universal character over the years. This article, which includes texts published during 2017 in Lumina newspaper, deals with the following topics: the importance of women in Christianity, singing together in Church, the benefits of prayer. Finally, the Patriarch’s exhortations for the future servants of the altars are recalled.

In the pastoral letter theare are underlined the importance of the debate subjects and reflection issues agreed by the Holy Synod for the year 2017: The Homage Year of the Holy Icons, of Iconographers and Church Painters and the Commemorative Year of Patriarch Justinian and the Defenders of Orthodoxy during Communism in the Romanian Patriarchy. The pastoral letter has been read in every church from the Romanian Patriarchate during the first Sunday from the Lent of the Nativity of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Prof. George Enache (Faculty of History, Philosophy and Theology of the University Dunărea de Jos from Galați) spoke to the present clergy about the situation of the Romanian Orthodox Church before 1945, the personality of Priest Ioan Marina in the interwar period, the politics of the popular democratic regime towards the Romanian Orthodox Church, the portrait of the providential Patriarch Justinian and appreciations of contemporaries regarding the activity of the third patriarch of Romania.

This text presents the personal testimony of a witness of the communist prisons, Father Nicolae Bordașiu. Father Bordașiu discusses both the difficult moments in prison, with their transformation into sacrifice and „blessing”, and how Patriarch Justinian helped him, and other former political prisoners find a job after their release.

In this chapter are presented three addresses given by His Beatitude Father Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at some important moments in the life of the Church and Romanian society: the 500th year anniversary of the consecration of the church of Curtea de Argeș Monastery, the 100th year anniversary of the restoration of patriarchy in the Russian Orthodox Church and the death of King Mihai I.

The chapter includes the Work Agenda of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and news from the dioceses of the Metropolitan Church of Muntenia and Dobrogea, from July-December 2017, such as: the visit of Patriarch Kiril in Romania, various symposia and conferences held in diocesan centres, commemorations and thematic exhibitions.

The date of September 30, 2017 marks 10 years since Patriarch Daniel was enthroned. The articles in this chapter highlight the most important directions of ministry continued or begun by Patriarch Daniel. Also, the interview given on this occasion, on December 24, 2017, on national television is transcribed.