Excuse me?! Indeed we live in 2020, but truth be told the world has gone haywire and nothing is as it used to be. We will never get back to that kind of “normal” and we will have to learn this. There is a need to change our mentalities, the way we think, and the way we work. We have to unlearn and teach ourselves the new “normal”.
What does IPS Teodosie think?!
On that thought, I’ve recently read an article in a Romanian news site about the IPS Teodosie who said (and you can see the video here – in RO language) that going to a Catholic Church, if no Orthodox Church is around, is wrong. It’s a sin!
What did the Roman Catholics back home say?
The Archbishop of the Roman Catholics in Bucharest replied that they were unpleasantly surprised by what IPS Teodosie said. Well… you and me both, brother… and we are not the only ones surprised and mortified about this public opinion.
Where do I stand? Romania & Poland
Let’s set the facts straight for my particular case, so you don’t think I am biased or… something…
1. According to the 2002 census, 86.7 percent of Romania‘s total population was Orthodox, 4.7 percent Roman Catholic, 3.2 percent Reformed, 1.5 percent Pentecostal, 0.9 percent Greek Catholic, and 0.6 percent Baptist.
2. According to 2015 demographics, 92.9% of Poland‘s population is Roman Catholic.
I was born in Romania, in Iasi (the equivalent of cultural Krakow). The region is called Moldova and not once have I been confused by fellows from abroad, asking me if I speak Russian – confusing the region in Romania called Moldova with the country Moldova, once part of Romania.
Ștefan cel Mare and the churches
Well, Romania had once a fantastic one of a kind ruler called: Stefan cel Mare (aka Stephen the Great). He also fought the Polish people 😉 Fun fact: The Battle of the Cosmin Forest (1497) (Romanian: bătălia de la Codrii Cosminului; Polish: bitwa pod Koźminem) was fought between the Moldavian Prince, Ștefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great), and King John I of Poland (John I Albert) of the Kingdom of Poland. Guess what? It was a huge victory for Moldova!
Romanian people and Sobieski
Besides that, one of my favorite citadels back home is the Neamt Citadel. Rumored to have been built in the 13th century by Teutonic Knights, Jan 3rd Sobieski tried to take it over. 25,000 men-strong army of Polish king John III Sobieski came across Cetatea Neamţului (Neamt Citadel), defended by less than 20 men. The Poles attacked the stronghold, believing that it contained necessary provisions. After over a week of siege, the small Moldavian garrison surrendered. Legend has it that, moved by the determined opposition from such a minuscule force, the Polish monarch granted life and free passage to the Moldavians in the garrison and gave them ranks in the Polish army.
Making it up to the Motherland
Anyway…back to my main story: Stephen the Great was a small person but strong essences do come in small bottles… he loved to fight for his country and he liked women. So he had a beautiful lady waiting for him always, besides his dutiful wife.
How did he make it up in front of God and Motherland? By fighting the Turks, the infidels, and by building churches. For each battle, he took part in, even if he won – lost – or if there was a draw, he would raise a Church nearby. This was a way to show the common folk his connection to God, which invested him to take care of Moldova.
#Iasi #romaniaThe Church and its clean hands
Church has always run hand in hand with the political issues, no matter how much they deny it or try to disguise that. And that happened (and still happens) inside both the Orthodox and Catholic Church. They always try and have the upper hand, they always try and reach for the supremacy.
Which Church do I belong to?!
I’ve been raised in an Orthodox environment. Went often to Church and I’ve always liked that. The feeling of peace and quiet and… joy when you enter a church. Of the odd feeling of your skin getting goosebumps when one listens to the choir. The separation of women on one side and men on the other. It was boring/tedious to do it all standing… as the ceremony tends to be quite long. But you get to observe the people, focus on the icons, catch the Sundays slowly entering the church… sometimes it is magical!
In my second year of University I’ve been baptised again to the Protestant branch – the names are not important… denominations as well… at the time I did not see the point of having old priests mumbling about sermons and not understanding a word. Or worse, listening to the priest from the Orthodox parish we were under, constantly asking for money each Sunday instead of saying words of wisdom for the next week…
I believed (and still believe) that there is no need for a middleman – the priest in this case. You can pray directly to God, rather than asking the Saints (like Saint Paraschiva) to pray for you. Talk to Him directly! He listens, he takes note – he just answers in different ways.
Orthodox & Catholics in Krakow
I moved to Poland, to Krakow, in the summer of 2011. Poland is very similar to Romania – a country filled with believers ( even if only by name). There are as many churches in Krakow as there are in Iasi – possibly even more… they sprout at each corner and they are all very old and very Catholic. But guess what? They have open doors for everyone to come and join in the Mass.
There is one “prawosławny” Church in Krakow – that’s Greek Catholic, the closest branch one would have to the Orthodox Church. The service is held in the Polish language and in Russian. The church is quite small but I’ve never stayed during a service there… yet people tell me it gets packed.
Inside the parish of St. Mary’s Church (PL: Kosciol Mariacki) we have a Romanian priest, that does every 2 weeks the Mass for us in the Romanian language. It is a blessing and I find this comforting. I’m married to a Polish lad, that studied to be a Catholic priest. I’m married to a Catholic family, so I get to experience double Easters, for example.
Do we not believe in the same God?!
The video of IPS Teodosie got me baffled completely… we are in the age and time where we should have more compassion and be more open minded than that. How could he say that if a man, during his stay in London, cannot find an Orthodox Church, he should not go to the Catholic one, as this is a sin?! Are we not all reading the same Bible? Do we not believe in the same God and the Holy Trinity? Do we not all ( Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic) preach that LOVE is the most important of all???
When I saw the video in question I felt as if someone threw a rock at my head… Does the Bible not say:
Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
And last but not least… Mark 12:28-30 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Yours always truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug
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