Dinu Pillat – a young man rich in spirit

A young man rich in spirit, he came from the famous family of the Brătians. Sensitive and generous by nature, he did everything wholeheartedly.

A fine intellectual, he was a good critic and was an assistant to George Călinescu. He wrote a novel inspired by those difficult years, full of tragic events for the country (1930-1940), a world he did not know, with which he had no contact, but which enchanted him with its spiritual and dramatic intensity. For this draft novel, he and those who read it were condemned as idealists, mystics and legionaries.

In prison, he stood out for his nobility, his intense spiritual aspirations and his chosen culture. He was capable of acts of sacrifice to save the lives of those sicker than himself. He fasted and prayed intensely. He had attained high spiritual experiences. He wore a light from within on his face.

After his liberation, he worked hard and was called back to his professorship by George Călinescu. Thanks to his family connections, he was able to publish without making any compromises. He devotedly cared for his mother, who suffered greatly.

She died of brain cancer.

(Ioan Ianolide – Return to Christ. Document for a New World, Bonifaciu Publishing House, Bucharest, 2012, pp. 310-311)