Orthodox Church Culture in Transylvania

Transcription

1 ROMANIAN ACADEMY GEORGE BARIŢIU INSTITUTE OF HISTORY CLUJ-NAPOCA ABSTRACT PhD THESIS Orthodox Church Culture in Transylvania PhD Supervisor: Scientifical Researcher I Degree Dr. Dumitru Suciu PhD Candidate: Pr. Ioan Cozma Cluj-Napoca 2015

2 Orthodox Church Culture in Transylvania Abstract - The present endeavor is a never before seen research related to orthodox church culture from Transylvania during the period , referring in detail to the Romanian Transylvanian presences at the Holy Mt. Athos. I have organized the work proper in three large chapters, attempting to highlight to the best possible the contribution of the Orthodox Church in forming and maintaining the spirituality of the Romanian people in Transylvania. As the conditions during the end of the 19 th century and beginning of the 20 th century, the last decades of Austro- Hungarian rule in Transylvania, had been extremely dangerous for the traditions, culture and being of the Romanian people, the Orthodox Church was one of the stable forces, contributing to the century long consolidation of the Romanian people and the upkeep of its spirituality. It was an important and rich period of events on a political- national ecclesiastic and cultural level. Chapter I entitled: Theological and ecclesiastic literature in Transylvania. Books printed and circulated ( ) shows firstly the ecclesiastic historic context, highlighting the important moments in the life of this parish: gaining full autonomy, by: the movement to separate from the Serbian ecclesiastic hierarchy, the recognition of the Metropolitan, the adopting of the Organic Statute- its fundamental organization law, at the forefront of the movement for achieving these goals being the grand sanctified Metropolitan Andrei Şaguna, who, shortly after the Revolution of had begun the ample restructuring and founding of new institutions work which would help further the Romanians morally, intellectually, and culturally. Some considerations related to clerical books are presented- the first book type appeared on the territory of our present country, firstly as a manuscript, later printed- as well as the ecclesiastic language of the Orthodox Church; the sermon language based on common folk tongue, eliminating the Slav and Greek aspects as they were not known to ordinary people or were not generally used, replacing the Cyrillic alphabet with the Latin one in Transylvania, all this happening during the researched period. The second chapter, entitled: Orthodox monastic and church life in Transylvania during the Austro- Hungarian dualism: Cult, religious items, garments, art and architecture highlights

3 the report between religion and society and timidly attempts to make the step towards modernity at the Transylvanian Romanians in the second half of the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th, aspects concerning the organization of church life, monastic spirituality, ritual, sacred art (architecture, painting, iconography). The Romanian churches were permanently confronted, during the period , with the tendencies of the Hungarian governments to limit their ecclesiastic autonomy and to meddle ever more often in church, foundations and administrative problems of the religious institutions. Eloquent examples are the Trefort Law and the Apponyi Law, the legislation meant to create the cultural zone and many more. In the conditions as the dealings of the Romanian Principalities, Moldavia and Wallachia, during medieval and modern times, with the south- danubian Orthodoxy have been better studied by historians, one cannot state the same thing about the dealings of the Romanian orthodox from Transylvania with the orthodox world from the Balkans, in general and with the Holy Mountain, in particular, this representing a brand new aspect of the chapter and of the paper supported by the documentary contributions about the Transylvanian Romanians and their connection to Mount Athos (correspondence, Transylvanian presences at the Holy Mountain and book circulation), the Romanian element being present there ever since the 9 th century. From the second half of the 14 th century there are attested donations of the Romanian princes and boyars as well as the existence of Romanian monks. At present there are hundreds of clergy divided in two cloisters and many functional cells. Also, many Romanian monks live in the twenty athonite monasteries. One can notice the visit to the Romanian athonite cloister Prodromu of the monk Ilarion Mariş, abbot of the Colibiţa monastery from Bistriţa, who received upon departure an icon of the Holly Mother of God,,Prodromiţa. Amongst the Transylvanian Romanians living on the Holy Mountain Athos one recalls the friar Grigorie Georgescu. In the archive of the Romanian cloister Prodromu on the Holy Mountain Athos, we have found a rich and varied correspondence between numerous Transylvanian Romanians and the abbots of this religious institution, especially with the monk Antipa Dinescu. Our research in the archive and library of the Romanian cloister Prodromu has revealed the between Transylvania and the Holy Mountain, in the second half of the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th, times in which not only people but also letters and books circulated. A consistent quantity of old Romanian books, existing in the library of Prodromu comes from Transylvania and dates from

4 the middle of the 19 th century, from the time of the great bishop and later metropolitan Andrei Şaguna, some books being even older. Next to the Transylvanian monastic presence at Mount Athos, the Transylvanian Romanians have financially helped their Romanian athonite brethren. In the annex of this paper we have reproduced the Friars Register, containing the evidence of the Transylvanian monks at the Romanian cloister Prodromu, concerning the names of 59 Transylvanian dwellers that resided and ascended at the athonite cloister during this period. The third chapter, with the title: Theological orthodox schools, music masters, composers and choirs in Transylvania ( ), show a special part in the reforms of Şaguna, represented by the field of learning. The problem of the chapter must be placed, in our opinion, in this context of the reforms promoted by Şaguna, in which the restoration and reforming of the scholarly institution has constituted a priority in the policy of this great clergyman. Andrei Şaguna allotted a priority to both the confessional village education, as well as to the higher schools destined to prepare teachers and priests for the Romanian orthodox villages of Transylvania. It is related in short in the history of the theological school from Sibiu (Academy/ Institute) during the shepherding of Andrei Şaguna, Miron Românul and Ioan Meţianu, with the evolution of the school legislation, regulations, curricula, teaching staff. The professors and pupils of the institute have brought their contribution in raising the cultural level of the Transylvanian orthodox and have acknowledged their belonging to the great Romanian family. The final of the chapter succinctly presents (biography, works, compositions, founded and directed ensembles) some figures important for the musical life of the Transylvanian Romanians, men of value, who through their musical training an laborious activity have developed the subject Religious music via the training of young theologians, laic and ecclesiastic compositions and coral directing: Dimitrie Cunţanu ( ) considered the patriarch of vocal religious music in Transylvania, Aurel Popoviciu ( ), Gheorghe Dima ( ) the most complex musician of Transylvania, Timotei Popovici ( ) and Augustin Bena ( ), closing with a musical analysis of the last of the three masses composed by the latter. The contribution of the Orthodox Church to the forming and maintaining of the Romanian nations spirituality in Transylvania, has manifested itself through the created

5 literature, largely by some of the most distinguished servants of the church, who protected the people, the language and the faith from the alienation peril, through the language of the first translations of religious texts, as an expression of the national spirituality in this part of the country. We may state that the church representatives in Transylvania have contributed not only to the development of culture and education, but also to the awakening of the Transylvanian Romanians national conscience during dire moments, such as those related to the defense of the faith and national wrights in view of the forced maggyarisation policy. The churches mission manifested itself in this period on multiple levels: national, social, cultural, educational without forgetting the task entrusted by Jesus Christ, namely to announce the will of God and to guide the believers towards salvation. The goal of the church found itself in contradiction with the ones of the Austro- Hungarian Empire, which tended towards a rigorous, almost suffocating control, of each aspect of the lives lead by the Transylvanian orthodox parishioners. The Orthodox Church and school in Transylvania have guided the Romanian community towards an active spiritual life, and also towards spiritual ascension. The actions for the defense of the national and religious identity undertaken by the orthodox clergy in Transylvania, have permitted the bettering of the Romanians status in this part of the country, leading to the accomplishment of the Grand Union of Alba Iulia, on December 1 st 1918.