Bishop-martyr Nicolae Popovici, or about the courage to speak out
A remarkable figure of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the 20th century, Nicolae Popovici is relatively less known than he deserves to be. Born in 1903 in the commune of Biertan, in the former county of Târnava Mare, he completed his secondary education at the “Andrei Șaguna” high school in Brașov and his university studies at the Faculty of Theology in Cernăuți, where he also defended a brilliant doctoral thesis on the Eucharistic epiklesis.
For a time he was a professor in Sibiu, and in April 1926 he was elected Bishop of Great Oradea. In his new capacity as bishop, he proved that he was not only a scholar but also a man of action, who knew how to combine word and deed. He was both the master of the flock and its humble servant, imposing himself on everyone by the power of his personal example. At his instigation, 12,000 couples in the diocese of Oradea were married in a civil and religious ceremony, thus receiving the blessing of the Church.
He was also an accomplished orator, often preaching from the pulpit of the Episcopal Cathedral. He knew exactly what to say to comfort and strengthen the hearts of the faithful, and at the same time how to say it so that all could understand the teaching of Christ. As a result, the cathedral was always full and the people of Oradea were especially proud of their vicar.
In the summer of 1940, Romania had lost Bessarabia, northern Bukovina and north-western Transylvania. An important part of the diocese of Oradea was cut off from the country, fortunately for a short time. Aware of the presence and intransigence of Bishop Popovici, who was categorically opposed to anti-Romanian policies, the Horst authorities expelled him from the occupied territory. He settled in Beiuș, where he continued to serve, pray and hope.
The recapture of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, and the establishment of the Romanian Orthodox Mission in Transnistria in 1941, led Nicolae Popovici to leave his flock for a while to spend almost half a year in these territories, struck by communist atheism, to contribute with his strength to the revival of Christian life. If Bessarabia and Bukovina had been under Soviet occupation for only one year, Nicolae Popovici saw in Transnistria, after 20 years of uninterrupted activity, the devastating effects of communism at all levels. That is why he never stopped denouncing this scourge of humanity, both in words and in writing.
The end of 1944 brought Romania the liberation of northern Transylvania, but also the beginning of its communisation. Nicolae Popovici finally returned to Oradea, but the sight of the spread of an inhuman and atheistic ideology in his own country could not leave him indifferent.
It was then that he chose the path of open opposition, convinced that the communist state would not be content with simply subjugating the Church, but would try to destroy it. In his actions he always respected the canons and traditions of the Church. As is well known, the Orthodox Church does not usually interfere in the affairs of the state, but is concerned with the development of religious life. But although it respects the state, sometimes too much, the Orthodox Church has autonomy in decision-making in ecclesiastical matters and the freedom to spread its teachings. When these things are violated by the state, the Church has the right to react. Bishop Popovici has made every effort to expose and stop the abuses of the communist state against the Church. In memoranda to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, he asserted the sovereign right of the bishop to appoint the protopope, demanded that priests should no longer be arrested without the knowledge of the hierarch, and that he should be able to intervene in defence of those arrested. He asked that no more demonstrations be organised on Sundays to disturb the peace of the liturgy. He opposed the unification of the Greek Catholic Church with the Orthodox Church, believing that things done by force are not sustainable. He also sought to limit the influence of the Bishops’ Union, the Communists’ Trojan horse in the life of the Church.
As for his sermons, he consistently refused to follow the instructions of the Ministry of Worship, saying that he could not speak untruths in church. So he refused to talk about the benefits of collectivisation, the struggle for peace and other issues that the communists wanted priests to promote. Instead, he spoke of the greatness of the Christian faith, of hope for the better, of national values.
For the Securitate, which diligently recorded all these sermons, they were nothing more than counter-revolutionary incitement. In the eyes of the authorities, the bishop of Oradea became persona non grata. Under great pressure, the Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church was forced to defrock him on 4 October 1950. All the efforts of Patriarch Justinian to save him by transferring him to Galați were met with the categorical declaration of Dej and Groza, who said that if Popovici was not retired, he would be arrested.
Nicolae Popovici spent the rest of his days, a true exile, in the monastery of Cheia. He died there on 20 October 1960, aged only 57. In 1992, his body was laid to rest in the cathedral of Oradea.
As I said, the Securitate recorded all the sermons of the Bishop of Oradea, so that in his files there is consistent evidence of the courage with which he spoke the truth. In the following, we offer the reader some illustrative extracts from them.
Extract from the New Year’s Sermon, 1 January 1950
“The half century that has passed over us has been the age of sin and atheism. The human mind has invented many things, murderous weapons, tanks, aeroplanes and the atom, so that the ravages of war have destroyed hundreds of thousands of human lives and everything that had been built. Science, culture in this age has been and is in the service of earthly man and not in the service of the One above, for which reason the world has suffered and is suffering. We do not lack science, culture, but we lack Christ, salvation, freedom of body and soul. We do not weep after these 50 years, but we hope that the next 50 years, and especially the year 1950, will bring relief, forgiveness and consolation, according to the Holy Scriptures, to the people who have lost their homes, their houses, their freedom and their souls. We have given and will give what is Caesar’s, but we will not allow what is God’s to be taken away from us; we will give our labour, our sweat, our wealth and, if necessary, our last skin, but we will keep our faith and our heart for God.
Fathers! Take care of your children, educate them in the spirit of the Gospel, because you have a responsibility before God, do not leave them in cinemas and sports fields, where young people are taken by force and where they receive an anti-religious education. Bring them to the Church, where they will receive an education pleasing to Christ. On the eve of the New Year, the Church sends her blessings to all people and especially to our youth, and to the teachers who are responsible for the education of our youth. Courageous teachers, do not forget that you too will be responsible for our youth who have gone astray.
We send our blessing to our hosts who are not left in the church as in the past, to receive the blessing at the beginning of the year. Do not forget and pray and have the courage to follow the example of our great ancestors, Stephen the Great, Michael the Brave, Horia, Cloșca and Crișan, Avram Iancu and other great fighters of our nation. May they be for you a source of bravery throughout your life.
We send the blessing of the Church to the dominion of the country and ask them to protect us in the spirit of brotherly love by deeds and not by words, so that the dominion may be loved by the sons of the country as the father loves the son and each other, all the more so because only a dominion loved by the people can rule forever.
We send the blessing of the Church to our nation everywhere, to the nation that has suffered and is suffering because many have forsaken Christ. We pray to them on the threshold of this holy year not to follow the ways of wandering, but to return to Christ.
We send blessings to the imprisoned, the suffering, those who have lost hope in the future, we send encouragement along with blessings and we tell them: “lift up your hearts; for there is salvation, but only when there is blessing and you will ask.”
All we have said all we could say, and our hot desires, unseen, only felt, can be read in our tears, which is the living language and which speaks better than any. Wipe away your tears and have hope, for this holy year will bring salvation for us and for all who believe in Christ our Lord God.”
“After the sermon ended, the compressed officials from various institutions commented on Popovici’s sermon as follows:”
Archive of the National Council for the Study of Security Archives (A.C.N.S.A.S.), information fund, file 2669, vol.1, f. 71
Note, 9 February 1950
“At the Theological Institute the patrons of theology, the Three Hierarchs, were celebrated: Basil, Gregory and John Chrysostom.
The solemnity was to be honoured with the presence of Patriarch Justinian and the Minister Stanciu Stoian. At 10 am. However, both the Patriarch and the Minister Stanciu Stoian were called by telephone by Gh. Gheorghiu Dej, so they did not attend the celebration; they arrived in time to attend the “small feast” that followed the celebration.
Bishop N. Popovici of Oradea spoke on behalf of the Patriarch. On the lives of the three great Orthodox hierarchs, Basil, Gregory and John, Bishop Popovici spoke about Christian “boldness”.
The subject was treated with “boldness” managing to really electrify the priests and students in the festive hall. Talking about the struggle of the three great hierarchs with the pagan world of their time, about its courage to face all the dangers of political regimes hostile to the Church of Christ, Bishop Popovich easily convinced a reactionary audience that in today’s situation, the priesthood must have an attitude identical to that of these flagships of Christianity…
Particularly impressive was the memory of the bitter dialogue between Basil and the pagan praetor Modestus. Moved by the vehemence and courage with which St. Basil defended his Christian faith, the governor Modestus exclaimed, “No bishop ever spoke to me in this way.” To which St. Basil replied, “for of course you have not yet met a true bishop of Christ.”
Bishop Popovici concluded his speech with a prayer: “Let us pray to the three great Hierarchs to bless from heaven all the supporters and defenders of the Church of Christ and to scatter her enemies”.
The audience burst into thunderous applause. Olimpul Căciulă, librarian at the Theological Institute, commented:
“He spoke like a great hierarch. He rose boldly and courageously to the level of Basil the Great. But he said things that needed to be said”.
And Al. Tudor from the Podu Rece parish in Dâmbovița said:
“He spoke like a Christ. The priests came to embrace him. With such voices, the communists will not succeed in destroying the Church”.
Pr. Justin Moisescu said:
“Popovici spoke a thousand times ‘louder’ than” Ciopron (Partenie, former Bishop of the Army, n.n.) at the opening of the courses. I think “the bald man was missing the beadle’s cap”.
Source: M. Stănescu
Value: serious
A.C.N.S.A.S., information fund, file 2669, vol. 1, f. 52
Extract from a sermon delivered on the occasion of the Holy Easter, April 1950
“Jesus Christ was surrounded by enemies recruited from his surroundings and by the military authorities who persecuted him until his death, and after his death he was guarded by armed soldiers who fell on their faces in the face of the truth, for no one can stand against the truth. The disciples of Christ, for the sake of righteousness and faith, were crushed, mocked, persecuted and subjected to the restrictions of the laws of the time, and some were even killed.
As in the past the Church was victorious, as Jesus buried all his enemies, so the Church will bury all those who fight against her…
Fight to defend the faith of Christ. Fight for the defence of His Church. Do not be afraid, do not be sellers and betrayers of Jesus, love Jesus. Whoever loves Jesus suffers for him and fears nothing”.
A.C.N.S.A.S., Information Fund, file 2669, vol. 2, f. 21
Extract from a sermon given at the Isbuc Monastery on the occasion of a procession in front of a thousand people, May 1950
“Today the leaders are not with God and do not believe in Him, these people will not succeed in their plans, because without God nothing can be done…
People forget God and rise from nothing to positions of responsibility, trying to reach the highest positions without thinking that they can lose these positions, but they can never lose God, because the believers must fight the enemy who is against God. Proof of this are the disciples who were burned alive at the stake and killed in the most terrible tortures. That is why every Christian, every believer, must fight for the faith”.
“At the end of the sermon,” says the informer, “Popovici urged those present to fight on the line of religion against the enemy who does not want to know about God and the sufferings of the Saviour. (A.C.N.S.A.S., informative fund, file 2669, vol.1, f. 130)
(George Enache – Rost Magazine, no. 5 of July 2003)