Justinian Marina | Martyria

Studia Humanitatis No. I (XIX) / 2025 Bishop Iosif Gafton, a gentle and capable hierarch (1949–1984) Rev. Dr. Laurențiu Rădoi

This article presents the life and work of Bishop Iosif Gafton (1896–1984), from his origins in a priest’s family in Puțeni-Tecuci, through his parish ministry in Rotari and Bucharest, to his long tenure as Archbishop of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, highlighting his administrative, pastoral, homiletic and cultural achievements throughout his 40 years in office.

Studia Humanitatis No. I (XIX) / 2025 The Candle of Saint Dimitrie the New of Bucharest, from the Patriarchal Cathedral to the church in Ciunget Fr. Nicolae Moga

On the night of 16–17 February 1918, Bulgarian soldiers stole the holy relics of Saint Dimitrie Basarabov from the Metropolitan Cathedral in Bucharest, and the intervention of the German military authorities, alerted by Metropolitan Primate Konon, led to their recovery on the evening of 20 February 1918. As a token of gratitude, the faithful presented a candle to the reliquary, which was subsequently, through the care of Patriarch Justinian, taken to the church in the village of Ciunget, in Vâlcea County.

Studia Humanitatis No. II (XVIII) / 2024 Bishop Atanasie Dincă, a great psalmist and a man of vocation (1945–1948) Rev. Dr. Laurențiu Rădoi

This article traces the life and work of Bishop Atanasie Dincă (1896–1973), from his origins in the village of Tânganu and his entry into monastic life at Tismana Monastery, through to his roles as abbot at Căldărușani and Cernica, as patriarchal vicar and as locum tenens of the Diocese of Râmnic (1945–1948), highlighting the profile of a remarkable hierarch distinguished by his liturgical ministry, psaltic music and administrative work, who was forced into retirement by the Communist regime.

Studia Humanitatis No. I (XIII) / 2022 The Synodal Bible of 1968 Dan Ciachir

The period of relative liberalisation under the communist regime in Romania, between 1962 and 1968, enabled the Romanian Orthodox Church to achieve several remarkable milestones: the canonisation of the first seven Romanian saints in 1955, under Patriarch Justinian, and the printing of the Synodal Bible in 1968, in a print run of approximately 200,000 copies, made possible with the support of Queen Elizabeth II and the British Bible Society.

Studia Humanitatis No. I (X) / 2020 Bishop Vartolomeu Stănescu – a providential hierarch. Pastoral and missionary achievements Rev. Dr. Laurențiu Rădoi

Bishop Vartolomeu Stănescu of Râmnic (1921–1950) was one of the most active hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the first half of the 20th century, distinguishing himself through the founding of the ‘Renașterea’ Society, the organisation of parish centres, libraries and priests’ residences, the establishment of clergy credit unions, and the revitalisation of monastic life in Oltenia. His pastoral, missionary and cultural work profoundly transformed the Diocese of Râmnic, providing the clergy and faithful of Oltenia with solid frameworks for religious, social and economic development.

Studia Humanitatis No. I (VIII) / 2019 The Spiritual Father, or On Friendship Dinu Săraru

The author reflects on the distinction between mere acquaintance and true friendship, recalling his bond spanning over six decades with the poet Adrian Păunescu and his more recent friendship with Archbishop Varsanufie of Râmnic, the spiritual father who inspired three of his new novels. The figure of Albert Camus and the work The First Man serve as a spiritual touchstone for a literary journey marked by loneliness, betrayals and creative solidarity.

Studia Theologica No. III (VII) / 2018 The legislative proposal of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church of 19 November 1924, concerning the establishment of a school of Byzantine ecclesiastical painting Professor, PhD Mihael Palade

The study traces the stages in the institutionalisation of education in Byzantine ecclesiastical painting in Romania, from the Holy Synod’s decision of 1889 regarding the preservation of the Byzantine style, through the 1926 Law for the Protection of Ancient Ecclesiastical Paintings and the establishment of a school for painters, to the establishment of the Higher School of Ecclesiastical Art in 1940 and the first academic specialisations after 1989, demonstrating that the initiative consistently lay with the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Studia Humanitatis No. III (VII) / 2018 The Church-going Nobleman Dan Ciachir

The article recounts the author’s personal memories of Alexandru Paleologu, highlighting his Orthodox dimension through his encounters with Archbishop Bartolomeu Anania, Father Stăniloae and Patriarch Teoctist, the ‘Credo’ programme on Caragiale and Orthodoxy, the choice of a spiritual father, and the funeral service held in September 2005 at Mavrogheni Church.

Studia Humanitatis No. II (VI) / 2018 The Cross of Râmnic Dinu Săraru

Archbishop Dr Varsanufie of Râmnic has established the Cross of Râmnic award, intended to recognise contributions to the tradition of church-building, monasticism and scholarship within the Diocese of Vâlcea. The award commemorates the history of the Metropolis of Severin, founded in 1370, and the hierarch’s four years of ministry, marked by the establishment of eleven new monasteries and extensive restoration work.

Studia Humanitatis No. II (VI) / 2018 Chronicle of a Canonisation Dan Ciachir

Three significant events in the autumn of 1955 — the liturgical canonisation of the first Romanian saints, the 70th anniversary of autocephaly, and the widespread veneration of saints with relics — are reconstructed on the basis of the chronicle in issue 11–12/1955 of the journal The Romanian Orthodox Church, written by the priest and professor Niculae Șerbănescu. The highlight was the canonisation of Saint Calinic at Cernica Monastery on Sunday, 23 October 1955, in the presence of Patriarch Justinian, foreign Orthodox delegations and an impressive crowd of the faithful.

Related tags