The return of Greek Catholics to Orthodoxy in 1948

This is one of the controversial topics of recent Romanian history, but also perhaps the least known in the archives of communism. The return of the flock that left in 1700 was a desire of the Orthodox hierarchy of the Transylvanian region even before the War of Reunification.

Also, in the interwar period there were many voices calling for the return of Greek Catholics to Orthodoxy. But the Greek Catholics were perhaps too caught up in the Latin dogmatic pattern, a situation which did not allow them to think about a return to the Orthodox Church.

But it was 1948, with its familiar political circumstances, that brought this ecclesial desire to fruition. Beyond any subjectivism and researching the documents in the archives we can say that 1948 was an imitation of the moment of 1700.

The determining factor and the motivations were also political. In 1700, an empire came to Transylvania and forced the Romanians to break away from Orthodoxy and to join Rome.

In 1948, a political regime imposed from Moscow brought the Romanian Catholics back to their mother Church.

In both cases, the political factor resorted to force when deemed necessary.

(Adrian Nicolae Petcu – Ziarul Lumina)