Every nation in Europe glories in its monuments to faith and civilization. For centuries now, pilgrims and art lovers have lingered in reverence before the dazzling domed temples of Byzantine Ravenna, the Gothic splendors of Canterbury and Chartres, the sinuous harmonies of the Baroque churches of Saragossa, Vienna and Prague. But few tourists have yet made their way to Moldavia, a distant province of northern Rumania, where some of the loveliest churches in Europe are clustered (see color pages). The churches of Moldavia are exceptional not only for their beauty but for how they are treated by the Communist state. While most of the churches in neighboring Russia are closed or have been turned into museums, the doors of virtually all Rumania's churches are open wide to the worshiper.
To visit the Moldavian churches and to investigate the unusual status of religion in Rumania, Contributing Editor Patricia Blake recently toured the country. Her report:
WHEN the leaders of world Communism pay state visits to the fraternal Rumanian Socialist Republic, they are often startled to find President Nicolae Ceauşescu flanked by bearded dignitaries in sumptuous clerical robes —usually Patriarch Justinian, the primate of the Rumanian Orthodox Church and Dr. Moses Rosen, the Chief Rabbi of Bucharest. Such affronts to the militantly atheist ideology of Communism have been frequent occurrences since Ceauşescu came to power in 1965. High-ranking prelates are now elected to the Rumanian National Assembly. Some members of the Rumanian Communist Party's Central Committee regularly attend Easter services in Bucharest. Clergymen of every denomination receive part of their salaries from the state.
Religious devotion seems at high tide. In the capital, as in virtually every town and village of Rumania, citizens can be seen devoutly crossing themselves as they pass before the Orthodox churches, all of which are crowded with worshipers. Furthermore, the government has spent 192.2 million lei ($10.7 million) on the renovation of hundreds of churches across the country.
No Change of Heart. This permissiveness derives from no spiritual conversion on the part of Rumania's Communist rulers but from considerations of national self-interest. In 1948, right after the Russians brought Communism to power in Rumania, the new government duly followed the Soviet example by clamping down on all religions, including the predominant Orthodox Church. Hardest hit were the 1,560,000 Uniate Catholics, who are in union with Rome, but practice the Byzantine rite. The Uniate Church was outlawed, its five bishops and most of its parish priests arrested. Many died in prison. In a second spasm of repression in 1958-60, hundreds of Orthodox priests, monks and lay members were flung into prison. Even Patriarch Justinian was briefly placed under house arrest.