Luciana: “We are not in our essence a cowardly, lying, thieving, corrupt people, as others try to label us”

In fact, the most moving book I have read is “Return to Christ. Document for a New World”, written by one of the most prominent Romanians, Ioan Ianolide. I read and cried; I cried and read this particular book that I would never have believed to exist. I didn’t know that such books had been written, I didn’t know about the atrocities of communism, because at school our teachers didn’t teach us such things, or perhaps they deliberately hid them from us. For some time now I have been searching for the truth, for the true history of our people, which is far too difficult to find.

I remember that in high school, still under the communist dictatorship (up to and including the 10th grade), our Romanian language teacher “enlightened” us on how it was possible for our Lord Jesus Christ to multiply the loaves and fishes. They said that everyone would have something to eat, but they would fight to take it out for fear of not sharing, and that Jesus Christ would persuade them to take out their loaves and fishes. Such nonsense and lack of creativity! At least the lie would have taken a different, more credible form, but it is well known: the evil one is not creative, he only changes and repeats the same scenarios.

I confess that this book, although it is a description of the most terrible tortures inflicted on the most delicate and sensitive souls of the Romanian elite of that time, tortures that could only have been invented by an evil mind, brought me much joy and hope in my soul. Since then, my heart has been filled with the hope that, through God’s mercy and love for the Romanian people, these confessors of the faith have passed on to their descendants the strength and the desire for the faith, for the dignity of the Romanian nation, and that the good Lord will send us a light, a righteous man to shepherd this people so sorely tried. He is living proof that we are not, in essence, a cowardly, lying, thieving, corrupt and neglectful people, as others try to label us.

Then the good Lord allowed me to read another book, equally moving and wonderful at the same time, “Testimonies from the Swamp of Despair” by Dumitru Bordeianu.

As for sharing the true story with others I know, I regret to say that I tried to share some of the articles I read, especially those that moved me deeply, with my friends and colleagues, pointing them to the relevant websites, but to my surprise and disappointment, no one shared the joy of discovering them, as if they had no impact on them.

The only one who touched me was my daughter, who is in 12th grade, with whom I cried when I told her some extracts from this wonderful book (the woman with 3 children who, standing 50 metres away next to an illuminated post, waved their handkerchiefs at their father, locked in his cell, who could only caress them with his eyes; or a prisoner who, on Saint Dumitru’s Day, on the birthday of a colleague who was out for a walk, approached the barred window and threw her a large loaf of bread weighing 1 kg, whispering a greeting: “Happy birthday!”. As punishment, she was taken to the police station and beaten to death).

I will certainly continue to look for people who resonate with my feelings and experiences, but there are fewer and fewer of them.

What could be more poignant, more compelling, more eloquent than the martyrdom of these holy confessors in Communist dungeons? I am proud to be Romanian, I never wanted to leave this country, now I don’t even admit the idea. The Romanian land is sanctified by the blood of the martyrs who sacrificed themselves so that today we could know the truth and choose our path in full knowledge. I have found my place on this earth, in this small land of the Good Lord.

Now I live only with the hope of salvation and the longing for the Mother of God, for Jesus Christ, our Saviour of all.

We are living in hard times, not only materially, because that is not important, but spiritually; we are horrified by the many reports of murder and wickedness. I don’t know how many of us watch with interest the programmes that openly promote pornography and prostitution, gossip and witchcraft. We are pushing our own children into a great abyss from which I do not know how they will emerge if we do not teach them to distinguish between right and wrong, if we do not teach them to value faith, love of their fellow man, truth.

My maternal grandfather disappeared on the battlefield. My mother was born in 1944 and never knew her father. My grandmother never received any news: she never knew what had happened to my grandfather, she was left alone at the young age of 32, but she raised her four children with faith and devotion.

With all this pain and dissatisfaction, I am at peace. Thanks to you and others like War on the Word, the Arsenie Boca Foundation, the Pitești Phenomenon and many others, there is no longer any doubt in my soul about the way of faith, I know that this is the way to salvation, to Christ the Lord. I am the richest man in the world: The good Lord has revealed the truth to me, I have faith, hope and love.

Thank you for informing us and for always being with us!

May the Good Lord and the Mother of God give you the strength to continue and protect you!

Respectfully,
(Luciana)