Paşte Fericit
The Constitution of Romania provides for freedom of religion by stating (in Title II, Chapter 2, Article 29, Section 1): “Freedom of thought, opinion, and religious beliefs may not be restricted in any form whatsoever. No one may be compelled to embrace an opinion or religion contrary to his own convictions.”
In the 2002 census, 86.8% of the population declared they were members of the Romanian Orthodox Church. In the same year, the Romanian government gave $2,750,000 to the Romanian Orthodox Church (in addition to the untold amounts collected from parishoners) and approved construction permits for 128 new places of worship. And they draw the biggest crowds on Paşte (Easter).
Who runs the show?
Pimp Daddy Toader Arapaşu. Y’all bettah recognize! He’s got more bling bling than Snoop Dogg and Nicolae Guţa combined. He be straight reprezentin’ that eastside communism. Word is bond, playa.
Toady, as his friends call him, was born a poor black child in a village somewhat near the Ukrainian and Moldova borders. As the tenth of 11 children, he was attention starved and irritable for most of his formative years. At the ripe age of 13, he shipped off to a hermitage where may have gotten his first taste of pedophilia.
In 1945, at the age of 30, he graduated from university and got himself a paying gig as night shift lead for a church in Iaşi. The next year he was promoted to assistant manager in Iaşi and started going to university again. During this period, he got a little uppity with his superiors and let his true colors show when be started opening his big yap in support of communism.
Was it philosophy? No, ol’ Toady was merely a scumsucking opportunist who saw the writing on the wall. The Russians were already in control of Romania and he could see that wasn’t going to change, so why not sell out the nation and start saying nice things about Central Committee? True dat, dawg.
So, the church leadership laid the smack down on Toady for licking the boots of the Soviet puppetmasters and justifying the murder of Romanians. They busted his rank back down to night shift lead and Toady was all kinds of pissed of about that. He found some other red-star gangbangers and joined their little posse being run by pro-communist Justinian Marina.
They openly attacked the leadership of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the press, grabbing headlines and getting themselves noticed by the Soviets. It paid off big time, too.
Within a year, the communist party was firmly in control of Romania and the Orthodox Church got an extra large enema. Thousands of priests opposed to communism were imprisoned in labor camps, shipped off to Siberia, or just plain shot. The commies immediately replaced them with the pro-communist shills that had anticipated this political maneuver all along.
Dats right, homies. Our boy Toady was tapped by the communist dictators in 1948 to rise up from rags to riches when Justinian Marina was named the new Patriarch by the new communist government. And just like that, Justinian rewards his communist ally Toady by making him an assistant bishop. Straight up!
See, now, that’s what I’m talkin’ about y’all. If you wanna be a baller, you gotsta learn the fly moves from the bruthas that done come before you. This is how you get power, baby. WWJD? Selling out the nation and start preachin’ slavery. Sho u right, sho u right.
During this time, the new leaders like Justinian Marina and Toader Arapasu persuaded the communist government to dismantle its biggest rival - the Greek Catholic Church. Seeking to consolidate their control over the people via religion, the communist government approved the Romanian Orthodox Church’s absorption of the Greek Catholic Church by law and seized over 2,600 churches from the Greek Catholic Church.
A couple years of show-and-prove, then Toady got promoted again. This time he was responsible for a theological university, so he could indoctrinate all the young christians as to why the communist dictators were good for the people and how christianly the murderous purges were. By 1962, he was promoted to Bishop of Arad.
Now, in 1963, the Cuban Missle Crisis had just been defused, the Vietnam war was going on and Kennedy was about to be shot. The ruskies were looking for new ways to get loyal communist agitators into the United States to help organize people against freedom. They saw a good opportunity in Toady and the communists tried to ship off to America so he could become the leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church over there. They tried to make it look like a legit church leadership appointment and kept his espionage mission on the downlow, but those capitalist pigs in America didn’t buy it. They already knew Toady was an opportunistic creep bent on global communist domination and rejected his visa application.
Some years later, he rose to the ranks of Archibishop a short while before Comrade Marina kicked the bucket. That put Iustin Moisescu in charge of the Romanian Orthodox for about 9 years. After that? Yup, Ceauşescu decided to reward Toady for his effectiveness in helping the persecuting Romanians and ensconcing the dictatorship.
In 1986, village idiot Toader Arapaşu was appointed by the secular communist government to be a religious leader called a Patriarch who wears fancy gold crowns and misleads the faithful masses into believing the communist oppression was actually a good thing.
He got to have a lot of fun, too. Working closely with Ceausescu, the Patriarch got a first hand chance to help destroy many of the churches of Romania, while cheerfully punishing any priest who spoke out in favor of preserving the buildings. In Bucureşti, twenty six wonderful historical buildings with interesting architecture were blown to bits as a result of this willing cooperation. Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Weeeeeeeeeeeee, how fun!
Sadly, it all came to a tragic end in 1989 when revolution broke out. Knowing the angry mobs of Romanians would surely lynch him, he dropped everything, resigned from his government appointed position as Patriarch and fled to Sinaia to save his own hide. That’s some mighty powerful guilt, y’all.
Not that he suffered much. In Sinaia, he stayed at the church’s castle where the King or Romania once lived and surrounded himself by a boatload of expensive jewels originally belonging to the Cantacuzino family. He stayed there hiding out until the smoke of 1989 cleared.
Once he realized the revolution was a fake conducted by his buddies in Securitate, he was happy to find out the new dictator Iliescu wanted to keep some continuity for appearances sake. A little backroom bargaining went on and, in 1990, Toady the Patriarch was reappointed by the government again despite criticism of his homosexuality (the result of being manhandled by priests at the age of 13) as hypocritical for a leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church. But money and power count for more, so he kept on wearing the fancy dresses, Liberace jewelry, and funny hats.
How much do you figure that dress cost? Looks like Versace to me.
Eight of the over 2,600 Greek Catholic Churches have been returned. Of the approximately 1,500 Hungarian churches appropriated, less than 100 have been returned. That’s some nice jing jing for Toady and his post-communist communist friends in the Iliescu PSD mafia.
The Patriarch’s website still glorifies the “militant” efforts of Nicolae Balan and others working with the communists to force other churches to “reunify” with the Romanians Orthodox Church. Additionally, it openly laments the events of 1989 which allowed other churches to come back to Romania and decries the right of these churches to spread the word. You can truely see that Toady is a loyal communist even today.
A small group of nuns have been protesting against Arapasu’s past corroboration with Securitate during the communist times. In retaliation, the nuns have been beaten. And that, my American friends, is who was leading most of the Easter ceremonies here in Romania.
When you have freedom of religion, being informed is always nice. Paşte Fericit, Teoctist!
April 24th, 2006 at 9:51 am
It’s not like he’s the only gay commy priest that got real high and is still there. The Archbishop of Alba Iulia - lookie here- http://www.romanialibera.ro/editie/index.php?url=articol&tabel=z29102005&idx=81
almost became head of the whole Transylvanian church.
April 24th, 2006 at 9:53 am
Darn, the link was cut in half.Google Andrei Andreicut if you’re interested, that should do the trick.
April 24th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Homosexualitaty has a long history within the Romanian Orthodox Church… It’s part of the core sets of traditions. ;-)
–Bogdan
April 24th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Oh, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to find out other priests in the Romanian Orthodox Church are gay. That kind of thing has been standard issues for the Christian Church for eons.
I don’t mind that they are gay, either. Of course, the active pedophilia that secretly goes in on churches is a bit digusting. What bites me is the hypocrisy. The openly advocate the persecution of homosexuals except within the confines of their own club.
Looks like Andrei was, of course, yet another Securitate lover. It’s amazing these people aren’t more embarrassed about it. It’s even more amazing that Romania tolerates their continued leadership.
And it’s most amazing that many followers don’t even want to recognize the truth of it. Just bury their head in the sand and keep listening to these lying demons who sold out the country.
April 24th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
I don’t know if his robes are Versace but i do know that when I lived in Bucharest we went to a convent where they make this fabric and that year Versace actually did buy 100’s of metres of this church fabric for their collection.I bought a couple of metres but never knew what to do with it!
April 25th, 2006 at 9:53 am
So fantasy becomes reality? Haha, I couldn’t have predicted it better.
April 25th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
check out the gang sign he’s throwin up in picture two! what kind of ride does he pimp?
April 25th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
check out the gang sign he’s throwin up in picture two! what kind of ride does he pimp?
April 26th, 2006 at 1:01 am
Bruthaman gotz himself a 67 Monte Carlo flippin switchez. U kno how DEY do, G money.
April 26th, 2006 at 1:01 am
Bruthaman gotz himself a 67 Monte Carlo flippin switchez. U kno how DEY do, G money.
September 3rd, 2006 at 1:42 pm
you all are stupid people
January 28th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
[…] And so it is I bear witness to you of an unholy practice currently occurring in Bucureşti, if not elsewhere. Oh, if only we could call upon our religious leaders to save us from certain corruption then we might not have had our assumptions shaken and stirred. […]
June 12th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
[…] your complacency. Leave issues of moral turpitude to your betters such as the flamingly effeminate Patriarhia Teoctist and his ensemble of unmarried, co-habitating men who wear […]
July 8th, 2007 at 10:30 am
It’s depressing to see things like this and what is just as bad is to see people bad mouthing the Orthodox Church. Orthodox Church has a history of homosexuallity? Do you think this makes you sound smart?
You’re fools and this is all very sad. Every part of it.
July 23rd, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Where did you learn your English? In a remoted village striked by starvation situated somewhere in the former Panthalassic Ocean? Damn these (ro)Americans, they always think that are superior to others. I spurn you as I would spurn a rabid dog.
July 30th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
go back to america!
ZHTO H VORIO IPEIROS!
July 31st, 2007 at 10:29 am
Esti un obsedat si asa vei ramane…
DACA nu te DECIZI sa devii mai mult decat ai reusit pana acum…
Ah! si o nota: american nu vei putea fi niciodata (un emigrant cu cetatienie, asta, da, dar nu american!) si nu mai esti vrednic sa te numesti nici roman…
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:13 am
much love, alex! si respect pentru ca tii ochii deschisi. :)
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:04 pm
This is an abuse of the Constitution and of the freedom of speech. Furthermore, this is a mockery to a great man. You people have nothing better to do than piss on the image of a man of God?..Pt romanii implicati in aparitia articolului….sunteti niste labagii fara viatza care stau 24 din 24 la calculator si o freaca la rece….asta inseamna pt voi libera exprimare ratatilor? Un sfat prietenesc….iesiti in oras si agatati femei, nu downloadati filme porno de pe net
August 4th, 2007 at 4:04 am
Are you trying to suggest something is wrong with telling the truth? Are you saying it is more important to prop-up a facade of holiness that it is then “wrong” to admit the truth about Arapasu being a close communist collaborator or a hypocrite for attacking homosexuality when he himself was gay?
I think that’s precisely what freedom of speech is for: to allow intelligent people to see through the lies and communicate knowledge to others.
August 13th, 2007 at 7:54 am
Pozele cu Ceausescu, PF. Teoctist si Hitler, eunt un mare ademar! Nu stiu de ce, dar sunt!!! Poate sursese secrete bisericesti sunt mai previzibile… Poate se gandeste viitorul DANIEL, pardon, patriarh, sa ne dezvaluie si noua dosarele de colaborare cu securitatea! O sa le scoata la vedere…. timpul….cand vor fi obiecte de muzeu…
Asa vremuri asa pastori…
Doamne da-ne si noua pastori, ca de lupi, suntem toba de satui…!
Fr. Nicolaie -Braila
August 13th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Why is this website called ROMERICAN? are you ashamed of being romanian? Majoritatea oamenilor aici sunt romani nu ar fi mai bine sa vorbim in limba romana, limba natiei noastre. d-ai in masa-n c*r pe americani, ce au facut ei pentru noi. nimic. rad de noi si ne fac tarani, si voi faceti un site si o faceti pe americani prin jicniri aruncate la biserica noastra. asta ati invatat de la americani? sa ne ingrasam ca ei pana suntem obezi si sa aruncam religia la gunoi? ei zic ca sunt in tara libertatii, ce fel de libertate este asta? o libertate in care in care fiecare bucata de decenta si onoare este aruncata la gunoi? daca asta e cazul atunci eu voi fi roman pana la moarte si voi fi mandru. ce a zis bogdan pe 3 august este un mare adevar si ma bucur ca sunt romani care inca mai au mandrie sa fie romani.
August 14th, 2007 at 4:53 am
And one more thing, you thinkjust because you left romania your somehow superiour to us? I’ve been living in Great Britain for 8 year and i am a british citizen as well as romanian but when people ask i say im romanian. The fact that you use all that “Y’all” shit doesn’t make you clever or funny, stop trying to prove how american you are, your not american and your not romanian what are you then? A runt who knows how to use the internet. Also fuck you, you absolute cunt, how about that for freedom of speech.
August 18th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Dominic- Way to go! Your reading comprehension is incredible… except, well, you know, not.
Had you been reading, you would know Sean is from the US, he came to Romania, and this blog is about his experiences here.
Also, as for your whining about the Church - um, what? Who’s saying anything about throwing religion to the garbage? This post is about how the Romanian Orthodox Church has been bad for Romania. About shady deals and corruption and misery all done by the Romanian Orthodox Church. The answer to it is not to throw in the towel and give up on it. The answer is to clean up the corruption and make something we can look up to.
Decency and honor? You wouldn’t know those if they bit you on the ass, because you have shown neither in your comments thus far. You’ve been so quick to just jump on this complete stranger to you, for what you thought were his motives, without even the slightest bit of decency that would’ve demanded that you make damn sure you’re not hurting another human being for something they didn’t do. And doing it all under the cloak of anonymity offered by the Internet. That’s honor. Sure it is.
As for freedom - freedom is what you make of it. But I suspect you’ll never understand that. You’re trapped behind the wall of your own misconceptions and ideas about the world and you’ll never amount to anything in this life. I’m sorry for you, I truly am.
Furthermore, I think you’d hate me if you knew me - I’m a Romanian, and I use English on websites that speak English because that’s the rules of the house. Oddly enough, I speak Romanian on Romanian sites. And I keep an English-language website. I don’t believe in the Orthodox Church, though I believe religion is a personal matter that’s solely between me and God, and other people and God, and that nobody should interfere with it. You’d probably call me a heathen, a monster, so quick to deny that which is different because it’s different, and not for any other real reason.
In short… you’re nothing but a bigot. Nothing I can say will probably ever help, so by my own admission, this comment is useless. I don’t care. As long as there is the slightest chance there’s a human being behind those comments, one who might listen and understand and change as a result, that alone makes it worth it to try. At least once. I’m too much of an idealist to believe people could never change. That will eventually change, I’m sure, but until then, enjoy my attempts to change the world.
Thank you,
Narc - online persona of Octav Sandulescu.
August 18th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
By the way, I make no claims of having any decency or honor. I don’t respect bigots.
August 19th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
oh your such a hero oh enlightened one, i’ve been waiting for some1 to call out to watever humanity i have left in me… boohoo
August 20th, 2007 at 12:13 am
but that aside, i do understand that religion is a personal thing but people that dont believe in god try to force their beliefs upon other just as much as religous people do. and yes i can understand the church has probably many corrupt elements but those accusations are being reflected upon the orthodox religion as whole not just the corrupt elements. the fact that you call me a bigot makes you one as well as it sounds your trying to be as judgemental about the people that do believe in god. so im being a bit patriotic big deal, im only saying wat alot of people are thinking, why should romanians put up with americans coming over here and making judgements on us. im not a bigot i do wish people could get on no matter what americans and romanian etc but in the real world they dont, americans (not all but most) think themselves as better, especially then some peasantry like the romanians as they would consider us. and mate, dont be so shocked at people being a bit extreme about their views and being a bit outspoken and controversial
August 21st, 2007 at 5:54 pm
[unnecessary and pointless asshattery dutifully removed -R!]
September 16th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Dominic, you made my week. I haven’t seen anyone make such a total ass of themselves in a forum like this for years! I must favourite this site!
April 14th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I must say as a Romanian I am shocked to see all this, it is very sad, Romania is really a great country, the problem is that some people are making it bad, and too much freedom from this country lets people to just publish over the internet whatever they want without any involvement of the law, I must say if you don’t like Romania, the Otopeni International Airport is open 24/7, and can be used at all times Without problem, but this bad addiction of living just to publish outrageous things about this nation bring the sad reality of some Romanian people that instead of finding a decent job, they lay around the computers, wasting Romanian welfare, but on the other hand complaining about salaries, which of course they don’t earn because of too much computer and sometimes stupidity! SAD. I am a citizen of Romania, I work and i pay all my bills and still enjoy my life, without thinking of strategies of how to NOT pay taxes, or Not respecting other people. Sunt un Roman si sunt mandru, consider ca tara aceasta ROMANIA ofera multe posibilitati in care multi prefera sa dea cu piciorul, nu ne mai saturam cu putin, intotdeauna vrem mai MULT, din pacate asta ofera lumea deocamdata, nu mai exista mai mult.