rolul social-pastoral al monahismului_engleza

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The Social and Pastoral Role of Monasticism in the Romanian Society

Archimandrite Emilian Nica, PhD

Abstract

The present article provides an overview the role that monasticism has played in the

history of Romania as a factor contributing to the development of society, by providing guidance

and proclaiming and promoting the values of Christian life Emphasi!ing the biblical teachings

of Christ, the ultimate e"ample of service, and the writings of Church #athers, the author

discusses the role past and present role and place of monasticism in the Romanian society,

especially in terms of its engagement in the social and pastoral area

Abr$g$

%&article offre une image d&ensemble sur le r'le (ue le monachisme a )ou$ dans l&histoire

de la Roumanie en tant (ue facteur (ui contribue au d$veloppement de la soci$t$, par

l&orientation et l&affirmation et la promotion des valeurs de la vie chr$tienne En r$it$rant les

enseignements bibli(ues du Christ, l&e"emple supr*me du service au b$n$fice du peuple, et les

$critures des P+res de l&Eglise, l&auteur discute le r'le pass$ et pr$sent du monachisme dans la

soci$t$ roumaine, en ce (ui concerne l&engagement dans le territoire social et pastoral

Introduction

onastic life can be referred to as being -a special way of see.ing perfection in

Christianity by professing one&s total commitment to following Christ into the holiness of /is

Church Those who opt to live with Christ in the holiness of the ecclesial community have ta.en

on the tremendous responsibility of being bearers of Christ, christophoros, en)oying the freedomof their own choice01 2ithout e"aggerating, )ust by observing the features of monasticism, one

can argue that -The 3aviour /imself was the initiator of monastic life, giving it uni(ue spiritual

value and starting our )ourney towards perfection04 5n this respect, we shall recall Christ&s

attitude towards the rich young man 6atthew 178 19:44; who had obeyed all the

commandments, yet to attain perfection he had to abandon all his wealth The %ord Christ told

1 Rev Augustin Rusu, Dimensiunile duhovniceşti-spirituale ale monahismului ortodox


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him8 5f you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have

treasure in heaven Then come, follow me. 6atthew 178 41;

-5n every person, be they Christian or of another religion, living on the earth, there should

be a monastic element 2hen Fesus Christ said8 GAnyone who loves his father or mother more

than me is not worthy of meH 6atthew 1I8 B; or G5f anyone would come after me, he must

deny himself and ta.e up his cross and follow meH 6atthew 198 4J; or G?e perfect, therefore, as

your heavenly #ather is perfectH 6atthew K8 JL;, he did not spea. to monastics, as there were

none in those times0 /is commandments were directed at everyone, including those who were

married onastic virtues, -such as humility, obedience, purity, patience and even the

indifference to material things are all (ualities worthy of a genuine family 3t Fohn Chrysostom

states that it is a delusion to thin. that certain things are for the lay only, while others are for

monastics0J Even though there are two paths leading to the same Mingdom, the virtues

enumerated above are re(uired of both monastics and lay persons

5t is well.nown that among Church members, those who belong to the monastic

community, the mon.s and nuns who have devoted their whole life to the 3aviour Christ occupy

a foremost and highly significant place in Christian life and the activity of the Church

-onasticism, as a way of life founded on a special spiritual calling, participates in the life and

activity of the Church in the world and has greatly contributed to the defence of the right faith,

the growth and enrichment of =rthodo" spirituality and to the social and pastoral care of society

of all historical periods0K -onasticism emerged in history as a new dimension of the life in

Christ at a time when in the Christian world surfaced a series of movements towards reducing

and neglecting certain Christian moral values09 onasticism is essentially the ecclesial

organisation of the observance of ospel counsels 6of which three stand out, ie8 freely chosen

poverty, chastity and complete obedience; aim to guide those who yearn to attain perfection

The uni(ueness and -beauty of monastic life lie in the distinction between counsel and

commandment0B Commandments are binding for every one and their -observance isnecessary for salvation and for the love of od and for one&s neighbour0L -2hoever has my

commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me /e who loves me will be loved by my

#ather, and 5 too will love him and show myself to him0 6Fohn 1J8 41;O Counsels urge one to

Archimandrite Roman ?raga, Foreword to Nicolas 3tebbing, Purtătorii Duhului – duhovnicie şi duhovnici înOrtodoxia românească, translated into Romanian by Rev Dan 3andu, Editura Deisis, 3ibiu, 4IIK, p KJ 5bidemK Rev Dumitru Radu, nvă!ătura despre "iserică, n QndrumSri isionare0, E5??=R, ?ucureti, 17L9, pJIK9 Rev Augustin Rusu, op.cit., p 9JB Rev Dumitru Radu, op. cit.L 5bidem

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completely renounce the world in order to pursue Christ freely8 they are -urgings that appeal to

our will, in order to achieve the higher good, the perfection of love0 7O -Do not love the world or

anything in the world 5f anyone loves the world, the love of the #ather is not in him #or

everything in the worldUthe cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what

he has and doesUcomes not from the #ather but from the world0 61 Fohn 481K19;

-The life of a monastic consists in the actual realisation of three counsels8 1 freely

chosen povertyO 4 chastityO complete obedience, called evangelical counsels, as they are

founded on the %ord&s ospel and are an item of evangelical moral

1 The counsel of freely chosen poverty is founded on the 3aviour&s words8 -5f you want to

be perfect0 6ar. 1I8 41O atthew 178 41;

4 The counsel of chastity is given by Christ during the discussion with the Pharisees and

the apostles on the issue of divorceO he also refers to eunuchs 6atthew 178 1I, 178 14;

The counsel of obedience emerges from the overall spirit of Christ&s teaching8 Q5f anyone

would come after me, he must deny himself and ta.e up his cross and follow me0

6atthew 198 4J, 1I8 B : LO %u.e 1J8 49;

3elfrenunciation means the abandonment of the ego, of one&s selfimportance and of the

desire to be dominant The following of Christ means total selfsacrifice in obeying /im01I

onastic vows have deep historical roots and arose out of the need for order, at the time

when Christian monasticism passed from a mainly anchorite organisation to a cenobitic

6communal; one first in small and then larger monasteries onastic vows encapsulate what one

may call the battle plan in the struggle against the seven deadly sins thus named by 3t Fohn

Cassian

1 =bedience means not placing trust in oneselfO while it must absolute, commandments

must not be absurd

4 #reely chosen poverty is viewed as a virtue, a life norm, an ideal to attain and not as a

situation to avoid 5t does not mean evading the duty of labour 5n Christian =rthodo"y, the vow of chastity is reserved for mon.s, while priests are free

to either marry or be celibate

-onastics live in monasteries, abiding by special rulings, based on the Church&s

spiritual e"perience ac(uired in the Apostolic and patristic times011 The prominent fathers of

Christian monasticism include8 3t Paul of Thebes, 3t Anthony the reat, 3t acarios of

Ale"andria, 3t acarios of Egypt, who were representatives of anchorite 6eremitic or recluse

7 5bidem1I 5bidem, pp JI9JIB11 5bidem, p JIL


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living; monasticism, while 3t Pachomius the reat, 3t ?asil the reat, 3t ?enedict of Nurssia,

3t Fohn Cassian were the forerunners of cenobitic monastic life 6life in monasteries;

-The Romanian people has a special monastic calling which goes bac.014 to the earliest

Christian centuries, after the /oly apostle Andrew preached the ospel on the territories that

now form Romania During those times many Christians in the historical region of Dobru)a

chose the monastic way of life, among them 3t Fohn Cassian, 3t Dionysius E"iguus, 3t

ermanos, collectively .nown as the -3cythian mon.s0 -The general features of Romanian

monasticism are considered8 the balance between eremitic and cenobitic life, the tradition, the

adaptable style of life rather than rigid rules, with alternating worship, labour, ascesis and

contemplation 5ts main contributions relate to8 a; artistic creativityO b; cultureO and c; the

promotion of a national ecclesial, cultural, social and pastoral life onasteries emerged as

centres of the emerging state authority 6they acted as citadels, fortresses of prayer and of defence

against enemies of the state; and of feudal economy, while also promoting ?y!antine arts,

manuscripts and printings, first published in 3lavic and increasingly in Romanian, and generally

supporting the national unity of Romanians01

enerally, Romanian mon.s are not isolated They are present everywhere8 in

monasteries, in parish churches, in diocesan centres, in cultural and pastoral centres, in the cities

and in the public milieu

A feature of Christian =rthodo" monasticism is that -it is not ordered by rules, but rather

by the spiritual father and the disciples around him 6V; 5t is true that 3t ?asil the reat

established in writing several important principles for attaining salvation, which inspired 3t

?enedict in setting strict rules 6V; There are general and local monastic rules in =rthodo"y,

determined variously by the abbot, the bishop and generally by the local spiritual conte"t0 1J #or

e"ample there are in general certain differences between the monastic rules applied in a

monastery located in the mountains and those of a monasterycathedral in a city -The monastic

community attaches importance both to the serving of people and to asceticism ?oth attitudesaim at banishing selfishness and attaining holiness, through constant service and love of

people01K

-The openness of Romanian monasticism reflects the fraternal love, which characterises

the life of the monastic community founded on od&s love for man The parado" of the

14 Archimandrite Roman ?raga, op. cit.1 #ărturii de s$in!enie românească – #onahi îm%unătă!i!i din secolele trecute


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missionary vocation of monastics lies in their life and wor., as they renounce the world, dedicate

themselves in solitude to od and brings to the outside world the testimony of their spiritual life

and e"perience, sharing with the world the spirit of love and beauty discovered by serving and

living together with Christ019 5t is indeed necessary to e"perience life in a monastery and

afterwards serve the Church and its social, cultural and pastoral activity This is also a condition

for those who desire to go into seclusion and live a solitary life

Development

Romania has been blessed by od with many monasteries The fathers who founded or

later reordered Romanian monasticism include 3t Nicodemus of Tismana, 3t ?asil of Poiana

arului and 3t Paisius of Neamt They believed that the essence of monastic life did not lie in

ascetic virtues, as these may be practised by lay people also The specific aim of monasticism is

the social and pastoral relationship, creating a new world within this world yet also beyond this

world onastics act as lights guiding the world towards salvation or as models of virtue that

show the path to spiritual growth1B The %ord Fesus Christ is the e"traordinary living model for

the pastoral actions that monastics carry out among the faithful, especially in Romanian

monasticism ar.&s ospel, chapter 9, states that the %ord Fesus Christ fed a multitude of

around K,III people with five loaves and two fish Wet before satisfying their hunger with food,

he nourished them with the word of od, the words of eternal life According to the apostle

ar.8 -2hen Fesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they

were li.e sheep without a shepherd So he began teaching them many things ?y this time it

was late in the day, so his disciples came to him This is a remote place, they said, and itXs

already very late 3end the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside andvillages and buy themselves something to eat Ta.ing the five loaves and the two fish and

loo.ing up to heaven, he gave than.s and bro.e the loaves Then he gave them to his disciples to

set before the people /e also divided the two fish among them all They all ate and were

satisfied After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray0 6ar. 98 J9, J1, J4, J9;

3t ar.&s account shows the many acts of Christ our 3aviour8

his pastoral wor., ie teaching the multitudes about the mysteries of odO

19 Dan Yamfirescu, Paisianismul, un moment românesc în istoria spiritualită!ii europene, ?ucharest, 1779, p B11B 5bidem, pp B1B4

K


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his social and philanthropic wor.8 /e fed them, multiplying the loaves and the fishO /e

healed their sic. 6cf atthew, chapter 1J;O

his prayer which ma.es the connection with odO Christ went on the mountain to pray, he

retired from the world into the tran(uillity of the mountain

The e"ample of the %ord Christ is followed in monasticism in general and in Romanian

monasticism in particular

onasteries have been called -mirrors of the .ingdom of heavens0 for their beauty and

also -laboratories of resurrection01L due to their very dynamic religious life

5n Romania, -there are thousands of faithful who go to monasteries not as tourists but as

pilgrims who see. a higher dimension of their earthly lives017 As such, the cooperation between

the parish and the monastery is very close

=ne way of understanding the pastoral relationship between monasteries and parishes is

to view it from the perspective of pilgrimage Pilgrimage to monasteries deepens the

commitment of the lay Christian to the life in Christ 2hen parish members face great problems

or sins, parish priests themselves advise them to visit monasteries and meet spiritual fathers who

lead holy lives This is because spiritual fathers have a higher moral and spiritual authority and

people respect their counsel Ta.ing into account the visits that the faithful 6the lay people; ma.e

to monasteries for pilgrimages, to attend religious services or regain peace of mind, Romanian

monasticism carries out a pastoral activity of spiritual guidance towards the .ingdom of od

Although monastics have retired from the world to pray and to see. peace and perfection, they

teach the many people who come to monasteries, serve them and pray for their health and

salvation Even the Church services held at monasteries include prayers for the entire world

5ndeed the sheep 6the faithful; whom the priest shepherds are not his own, but Christ&s8 -Ta.e

care of my sheep0 the Resurrected Christ tells the apostle Paul 6Fohn 418 19; Pastoral care

signifies the spiritual guidance of rational people in the process of salvation8 $reein* onesel$ $rom

passions, %ein* enli*htened %+ the sancti$+in* and redeemin* *race o$ the ol+ pirit and unitin* with od in the uncreated 'i*ht o$ is eavenl+ /in*dom. This uni(ue and eternal wor.

demands absolute devotion and constant care That is why the /oly apostle Paul says that the

shepherds -.eep watch over you as men who must give an account0 6/ebrews 18 1B; 5ndeed,

spiritual shepherds .now that they will account to the Archshepherd Christ about their

faithfulness or indifference to their mission

1L Daniel, etropolitan of oldavia and ?ucovina, Dăruire şi dăinuire – ra0e şi chipuri de lumină din istoria şi

spiritualitatea românească , Trinitas, 4IIK, p LI17 5bidem

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Romanian monasticism has had a highly important pastoral role, as people will come to

monasteries with confidence and hope to be assisted in their spiritual growth and to learn how

they can heal their bodies and souls of sins Almost all monasteries .eep holy relics or miracle

ma.ing icons, which are venerated by the faithful who receive spiritual )oys for their adoration

oreover, there are spiritual elders in monasteries who through their service of od and their

holy lives help the Church in her pastoral mission #or e"ample, 3ihSstria monastery and the late

fathers Cleopa and Paisie, 3ZmbSta de 3us monastery and father Teofil PZrian, Techirghiol

monastery and father Arsenie Papacioc etc, are -sought by the faithful for their philo.alic

spirituality04I, for their constant prayer and the wise counsel they provide

5n past centuries also Romanian monasteries carried out pastoral activities given that8

many localities 6villages; belonged to ma)or monasteries and mon.s attended to the

spiritual needs of those communitiesO

the monastics 6through their etropolitan; were engaged in the pastoral activities of the

diocese 6at the prince&s court;O

in the iddle Ages in Romania, monastics copied manuscripts and printed boo.s on

theological topics to minister the faithful

5n the 1Lth and 17th centuries, well.nown monastics and priests were involved in local

social revolutions

The divine service itself of the Romanian =rthodo" Church has a deeply philanthropic

nature, owing to the memorial prayers for the dead and the offerings given for those who have

passed away41 The /oly Church #athers recommended to the clergy and the monastics to

establish social care institutions, one of the most remar.able achievements being the "asiliad

founded by 3t ?asil the reat The care of Romanian monasteries for people in need was

evidenced since the iddle Ages by the establishment in allachia of hospices at 3arindar and

hergita onasteries, near ?ucharest44, homes for the sic. at the monasteries Co!ia, ?istrita,

/ure!i, Polovragi, Dintrun %emn, 3adova, Tismana, odita, hospitals at Coltea and Pantelimonmonasteries and ?rancoveanu /ospital in ?ucharest, and the orphanage for girls at All3aints&

onastery4 5n oldavia too the local princes, founders and benefactors of monasteries, sought

to set up social assistance bodies such as the homes for the sic. at the monasteries of Putna,

Neamt, Patrauti, 3ecu, Dragomirna, Rasca, 3latina, /oraita, aratec, Agapia, Adam, the hospices

at the monasteries of Neamt, alata, olia, the hospitals at Dragomirna monastery 61Bth century;,4I 5bidem41 Rev 5on icovan, &storia "isericii Ortodoxe 1omâne


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3t 3pyridon 65asi, 1Lth century; and the one at Targu Neamt, under the patronage of Neamt

onastery 617th century;4J All these social care centres, as well as other minor ones, re(uired the

involvement of mon.s and nuns to care for the sic., the wounded, orphaned children, the elderly

and all those in need

/owever, -in 1L9, the Romanian 3tate secularised all the property and assets of

monasteries 6many of which were endowed to the /oly %ands and were headed by ree.

abbots;, ordered the closure of many monasteries and imposed very restrictive measures as to the

legal age for )oining a monastery, ie 9I years for men and KI years for women =f the 4KI

monasteries and s.etes only BK continued their e"istence, the others being turned into parish

churches, prisons or psychiatric asylums At the end of the 17 th century, there were only L4I

mon.s and 4,4KI nuns down from ,KII mon.s and ,IJK nuns earlier in the century0 4K Due to

the harsh measures against Romanian monasticism and the crisis they entailed, monasteries

continued their cultural and pastoral activity even though they could no longer be involved in

social, philanthropic and missionary activities During the #irst 2orld 2ar, many mon.s and

nuns helped the Romanian army on the battlefields and in hospitals as healthcare assistants,

nursing assistants and as military priests who performed religious services =ther hieromon.s

6mon.s ordained as priests; would administer the rites in parishes whose priests had been

enrolled ost monasteries set up field hospitals and orphanages, where nuns and mon.s )oined

by medical staff provided healthcare, material support and religious assistance During the

interwar period, Romanian monasticism -was called upon to be more actively engaged in the life

of the Church The larger monasteries had to establish religious art wor.shops, printing houses to

produce and distribute worship boo.s and publications on religious and moral issues, missionary

schools to combat sects, monastic seminaries, schools for church singers, etc Convents had to

open special training schools for nuns, vocational schools, orphanages, retreat homes for the

elderly, training institutes for charity nuns who cared for the sic. and the wounded during war049

on.s were re(uired to ma.e pastoral and missionary visits to villages to strengthen the spirituallife and preach the teaching of the ospel of the 3aviour

-After the year 17JL, the Church was no longer allowed to be active in the area of

practical service, as in the communist view, the 3tate was supposed to ta.e care of everything 5n

a communist society there are no poor people or any social problems, therefore the Church had

4J 5bidem, pp 4L747B4K #ărturii de s$in!enie românească – #onahi îm%unătă!i!i din secolele trecute


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-no role to play04B During the communist dictatorship, Romanian monasticism went through a

very difficult period, despite all the defending actions ta.en by patriarch Fustinian and other

bishops any mon.s were arrested and sentenced to prison 2hile in detention, some managed

to act as genuine shepherds of souls and keep alive the flame of the faith in Christ and in

His Church The great trial for Romanian monasticism came in 17K7, when through a state

decree and a new highly restrictive regulation, mon.s over 9I years of age and nuns over KK

were forced to leave monasteries and many of these places were closed and some were turned

into asylums, museums or tourist attractions4L ost of the mon.s who were subse(uently

integrated in the civilian life were role models of Christian living for the faithful The communist

regime sought to abolish monasticism, a goal that was hard to accomplish -The regime

confiscated assets, sent mon.s away from monasteries and prevented young people from )oining

monasteries047 and becoming monastics 5t sought to discredit monasticism in the eyes of the

faithful and wea.en its power and resistance against the communi!ation of the Romanian society

During those times of communist terror and control, the Rev Prof Dumitru 3taniloae

was able to publish five volumes of the Philo2alia while #r 5oanichie ?alan of 3ihastria

monastery published boo.s -about Romanian monasticism0I which provided much support to

Christians see.ing spiritual development Even during the communist times, many faithful would

go to monasteries to attend services, to have their children bapti!ed, to receive the sacrament of

atrimony, to confess and receive the Eucharist, because in their parish communities they feared

being trac.ed by the secret police and nonbelievers onasticism therefore carried out a type of

secret pastoral care which ensured the survival of the Church At the fall of communism in

December 17L7, Romanian monasticism was parado"ically in a relatively flourishing state, being

organised around several do!en great spiritual fathers, who had survived persecution and were

held in high regard by hundreds of thousands faithful

on.s always prayed for the world both in times of peace and in times of persecution

and a living bond between monasteries and the faithful in the world 6in parishes; has beenmaintained any times, with the agreement of the local bishop, hieromon.s acted as parish

priests in villages or cities, becoming friends of people -on.s must become friends of people,

)ust li.e Fesus01 Therefore, we can say about monasteries that they must be -places of radiating,

4B Rev 5on icovan, op cit, p 4B4L #ărturii de s$in!enie românească , p 4K47 Protosingelos Petroniu TSnase, Foreword to ensul desăvârşirii în monahism 6The eaning of Perfection inonasticism;, spiritual counsels compiled by on. 5gnatios, part of [Comorile Pustiei& collection, Anastasia,?ucharest, 1777, pp K9I #ărturii de s$in!enie , p 4K1 Dr Antonie PlSmSdealS, etropolitan of Ardeal, 3radi!ie şi li%ertate în spiritualitatea românească , including e"cerpts from Romanian Patericon writings and a preface by Rev Dr

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generous friendship, wholly dedicated to pastoral service04 on.s and spiritual fathers do not

share with the faithful only evangelical teaching, they also help them to become familiar with

Christ the 3aviour and resurrect their souls through the grace of the /oly 3pirit

The daily celebration of the /oly %iturgy in monasteries ensured that od did not turn

/is face away from the downtrodden Romanian people The whole service of the Church

revolves around the /oly %iturgy The core of parish and monastic Christian living is the %iturgy,

the communion with the #lesh and ?lood of Christ, 2ho is the 2ay, the Truth and the %ife

Those who serve the Church use the 3acraments and also the other /oly offices 6blessing the

home, the %esser ?lessing of 2aters, blessing the natural environment; as means and occasions

to pursue the individual and shared pastoral care of Christians A 4I th century theologian said8

-ive me good spiritual fathers and 5 will change the face of the world0 Twentyfive years ago

spiritual fathers were building churches in the hearts of people, while in ?ucharest churches

made of stone were demolished0 The visits that mon.s made among families through the years

brought many spiritual benefits to the faithful Their wellordered visits in the outside world, the

counsel they provided, the commitment to their monastic duties and the spirit of fraternal aid all

had a positive impact among the lay people and strengthened their faith that it was possible to

live their lives according to Christ&s teachingsJ 5n developing and engaging monasticism, our

Church was able to transform the Romanian society and put it on a path towards the higher goals

of life in Christ our %ord The people of this century need monasteries and mon.s willing to

devote themselves to the Church&s pastoral wor. That is why monasteries are open to pilgrims,

while certain monasteries and s.etes have been built in the pro"imity of villages to provide

pastoral, missionary and social assistance to Christian communities

Nowadays the Romanian =rthodo" Church comprises 9B monasteries with more than

L,III mon.s and nuns 5n the Archdiocese of 5asi, the diocese 6in the =rthodo" world; with the

largest number of monasteries;, there are now 1IB monasteries and s.etes with 1,77 members

6L4K mon.s and 1,I9L nuns; They include K9 monasteries, 7 s.etesO JL monasteries for mon.sand 1 monasteries for nunsO J s.etes for mon.s and J s.etes for nuns The great number of

monasteries here is due to the fact that after the fall of communism many monasteries and s.etes

were reopened or established, some in secluded areas, others in cities 6for e"ample there are L

monasteries in the city of 5asi; Also, at the diocesan centres throughout the country, mon.s who

serve as priests and deacons celebrate the holy services and provide spiritual guidance to the

Dumitru 3tSniloae, 177K, p I44 5bidem Daniel, etropolitan of oldavia and ?ucovina, op cit, p L4J /ierodeacon 5oasaf = Popa, 4ia!a monahală la $ântul 4asile cel #are , in the collection [Comorile Pustiei&, Anastasia, ?ucharest, 4III, pp 191B

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faithful ?oth the monasteries in the mountains and those in the cities carry out various pastoral,

missionary and social activities, aiming to preserve Christian values and live out the ospel of

our 3aviour Fesus Christ Parishes and monasteries have organised pastoral care activities for the

benefit of the sic., of alcohol and drug addicted persons, of families where parents are abroad for

wor., of women, to prevent abortion and the use of contraceptives onasteries have also set up

homes for the elderly, social centres and canteens and medical surgeries

Therefore, -the serving mon. is the model of the monastic for the present age A serving

mon. in a serving Church The mon. as a volunteer of service ready to help desperate people,

orphans, elderly persons with no means of support, isolated sic. persons 6a role mon.s embraced

in the past centuries as well, author5s note; The mon. should be an angel with a human face

3uch people are rare, but they are much needed in the world6V; The type of serving mon. is

attainable and may be a progress compared with the traditional model, all while maintaining their

e"ample and not being in contradiction with it This is not something completely new Rather, it

is a type of Christian who is closer to Christ&s teachings The %ord came in the world to serve, he

washed the feet of those who were lesser than /im 6cf Fohn 18K : 1B; and stated that this way

of being was e(ual to perfection0K on.s help the Church in its pastoral mission carried out in

schools, in the army, in hospitals, in prisons, wherever generosity, love, compassion and strength

are needed There are villages located near to monasteries where the mon.s teach religion classes

in school, there are also military bases where mon.s carry out pastoral activities and Church

hospitals where nuns wor. 6certain monasteries have also established dental surgeries where

monastics are employed;, while competent hieromon.s provide services in detention centres 2e

can see that the pastoral dimension of the service of mon.s is closely associated with the social,

philanthropic and missionary dimension of the Church

5n certain monasteries, such as DurSu, iclSueni, Neam\, Sratic, la 3uceava, Alba

5ulia, Techirghiol etc pastoralcultural or pastoralsocial centres have been established, where

children, young people and the elderly are welcome to receive religious, pastoral and socialassistance 2orthy of note are 3he centre $or orphan *irls at Ramet monastery 6Alba county;, the

homes for the elderly established by 3uceava Archdiocese, those at Recea monastery 6uresc

county;, Pasarea monastery 6in ?ucharest;, at aratec monastery 6Neamt county; aratec

onastery organises ocial summer camps for disadvantaged children with outstanding results

in school The 6hristiana Christian edical =rganisation with branches throughout the country

has nuns among the staff members, )ust as Providenta Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment in

5asi These social activities of the church are coordinated by the Departments for socialK Dr Antonie PlSmSdealS, etropolitan of Ardeal, op. cit., pp I4 : I

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assistance of each diocese, while some #aculties of Theology also provide specialised degrees in

3heolo*+-ocial 7ssistance9 =ne can therefore see that the Church cares for the faithful both

from a pastoral and a social point of view -%iturgical piety has no effect unless it impacts the

social behaviour of Christians, the %iturgy being an icon and a paradigm of social litur*+, which

must be effectively applied in the life of society0B

Conclusions

on.s, as people devoted to obedience, chastity and poverty, have put themselves in the

pastoral and social service of the Church, to help each Christian confess Christ, 2ho has became

incarnate, suffered, was crucified and resurrected for our salvation

Romanian monasticism has an ancient tradition and many outstanding figures, who are

the saints of the Romanian people such as8 Fohn Cassian, ermanus, Dionysius E"iguus,

Nicodemus of Tismana, Daniel the /ermit, arlaam and Dosoftei, the etropolitans of

oldavia, Antim 5vireanul, Calinic of Cernica, Teodora of 3ihla, 5oan 5acob and many other

saints, monastics with many virtues and bishops who throughout the centuries -have been the

forever burning candles of prayer, role models for holy life and givers of spiritual, pastoral,

socialphilanthropic and missionary assistance to the people0L At the same time however, our

monasteries now face an unpleasant situation 5n a consumerist society, which caters to bodily

needs, the number of those who assume this mode of life is declining

The calling to monastic life has declined due to various reasons related to the

secularisation of Christian life Nevertheless, Romanian monasteries continue the Church&s

tradition of pastoral and social care of the faithful Even though in our Church there is a

remar.able cooperation between parish and monastic communities in the area of pastoral and

social care, greater collaboration is needed for the Christian education of families 5ndeed, only

genuine priesthood and a serving monasticism will ensure a sound human society, which is muchneeded for the .ind and faithful, yet unfocused Romanian people 2e conclude therefore that

Romanian monasticism, with its resources, can continue to help the Romanian society in its

spiritual development, of serving the %ord and his people

9 Rev 5on icovan, Da!i-le voi să mănânce8 Filantropia creştină – istorie şi spiritualitate , Trinitas, 5asi, 4II1, pp 4II41KB Rev Cristian uraru, Diaconia socială la moment aniversar , in the

volume QPriveghind i lucrZnd pentru mZntuire0 , Trinitas, 5asi, 4III, p 199L Protosingelos Petroniu Tanase V, p K

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Selected bibliography

1 #ărturii de s$in!enie românească – #onahi îm%unătă!i!i din secolele trecute

rolul social-pastoral al monahismului_engleza

Documents