Teologie și educație la "Dunărea de Jos"

PREOCUPĂRI LITURGICE ÎN CORESPONDENŢA EDITĂ A EPISCOPULUI MELCHISEDEC ŞTEFĂNESCU

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In Romanian Orthodoxy, the 19th century was dominated by several figures of hierarchs with pregnant theological and scientific concerns, among which the personality of Bishop Melchisedec Stefanescu is outstanding. Much has been written about this hierarch of the Lower Danube and Roman in recent decades, with a predilection for his spiritual life, his liturgical, missionary, and pastoral ministry, and
his theological and historical work. The present study is occasioned by the appearance of two volumes of correspondence of the great hierarch with personalities of his time, published by the Archdiocese of the Lower Danube. The liturgical aspects that I try to highlight in the following pages reveal a hierarch who was concerned with seminary theological education. The liturgical aspects that I try to highlight in the following
pages reveal a hierarch who was concerned with seminary theological education (for which he personally and completely wrote or translated the first systematic manuals), fascinated by liturgical worship (to the enrichment of which he contributed with proposals for church books translated into Romanian and Latin) and attentive to the godliness of the people (to which he almost brought competent hagiographic
research). To these must be added his brilliance in what is meant by “ecclesial polity”, that is, fidelity to universal Orthodoxy in general, and his tenacious struggle, with doctrinal, canonical, and traditional arguments, for the affirmation of Romanian Orthodoxy. From all of them one can see the scientific intuition and prophetic vision of this hierarch, to whom we of today are so indebted

Evoluția iconografiei creștine în secolele VI‑VII

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The II-III centuries represented the period of the birth of Christian sacred art through Christians imitating the custom of pagans, from whose ranks most of them came, to decorate their graves, sarcophagi or mausoleums with images and even by borrowing some pagan symbols and themes, to which they obviously gave a new, Christian meaning, to which, of course, exclusively Christian themes were added, most
often of biblical origin, most of them having a narrative-historical character. In the 4th-5th centuries, under the careful supervision of the Church, a synthesis was made regarding the themes addressed, by abandoning some, by taking over others from the imperial imaginary, prevalence acquiring a dogmatic character, from the desire to express and through the mediation of figurative art, not only through the poetic, transposed into songs, the truths of faith formulated at the first four ecumenical synods, but also in
terms of styles. In this second stage of the history of Christian sacred art, especially in the 5th century, as a result of the synthesis achieved in the capital of the empire between the two great artistic currents that manifested themselves in painting, the Hellenistic Alexandrian and the Syro-Palestinian, was formed the Constantinopolitan painting school and the stylistic features specific to this school crystallized1. The present study aims to point out the main characteristics and developments of Christian sacred art in the Byzantine Empire starting from the time of Emperor Justinian I until the outbreak of Byzantine iconoclasm

APARIȚIA ȘI DEZVOLTAREA VIEȚII MONAHALE ÎN RĂSĂRITUL CREȘTIN ÎN PERIOADA ANTICHITĂȚII TÂRZII

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This study provides a short overview of the origins, evolution, and characteristics of monasticism in the Christian East during Late Antiquity. The first part examines the Christian ascetic movement from the 1st to the 2nd centuries AD which served as the basis for the development of monasticism. Then, the main
monastic centers in the eastern regions of the ancient Christian world – Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, the city of Constantinople, and the diocese of Thrace – are described. The study outlines their distinctive characteristics and their key representatives, such as saints Anthony the Great, Pachomius the Great, and Macarius the Great in Egypt; Hilarion the Great, Gerasimus of the Jordan,
Sabas the Sanctified, and Theodosius the Cenobiarch in Palestine; and Basil the Great in Cappadocia. The assessment confirms the view that monasticism emerged independently and almost simultaneously in several locations across the ancient Christian world (Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor). It also highlights the impact of the lives and teachings of certain monastic figures of the time on the development of
monasticism in other provinces.

O CONTROVERSĂ INEDITĂ DIN RUSIA SECOLELOR XV‑XVI PRIVITOARE LA AVEREA BISERICEASCĂ:

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During the years of the Renaissance, issues surrounding the relationship between the Church and the State as well as between the Church and the world at large came into high relief throughout Europe. The status quo of the Middle Age was both widely questioned and vigorously upheld by opposing groups. At one
end of the spectrum of opinion concerning these relationships were groups like the Spiritual Franciscans, who advocated ecclesiastical poverty and the renunciation by the Church of all secular power. At the opposite end of the spectrum of opinion were organizations like the Inquisition, which sought to expand the temporal power of the Church and to use that power against the Church’s enemies. One manifestation
of this debate occurred in Russia, where the Orthodox Church was split between the Possessors, who advocated the ownership of land and serfs by the Church and a close relationship of the Church with the State, and the Non‑Possessors, who advocated the spiritual poverty of the Church and a distancing of the Church from secular powers.

MĂNĂSTIREA MAVROMOL DIN GALAȚI.

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A monastic settlement of monks, the only princely building in the city of Galaţi, built by voivode Constantin Duca of Moldavia in 1702, which has survived until our time, Mavromol Monastery, today a church of myrrh, has a history that is not yet sufficiently known. Recent incursions into the archive of the Vatoped Athonite Monastery, carried out by Dr. Florin Marinescu from Athens, to which are added some documents from the
same archival fund received by Fr. Eugen Drăgoi from Galați, through the kindness of Reverend Efrem, the abbot of Vatopedu, bring rich and interesting testimonies about the past of this monastery, important pieces of documentary material for a necessary monograph of this monastery from Galaţi.
The present study – of which we are publishing here the first part - utilizes previously unknown information, which emerges from Vatopedi documents belonging to the second half of the 18th century (years 1767-1786), regarding the properties of the Galățean Mavromol and some of the unknown servants of the former monastery in the city of Danube in Moldavia, an important fair in that century

Sfântul Martir Antim Ivireanul în slujba spiritualității și a culturii românești .

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Antim Ivireanul, also known as the Holy Martyr Hierarch Antim Ivireanul, was a remarkable Romanian author, typographer, engraver, theologian, bishop and metropolitan of Georgian origin. In his youth, he was captured by the Turks and taken to Constantinople, but was later released. Between the years 1689‑1690, the Holy Martyr Constantin Brâncoveanu brought him to Wallachia. His activity was essential for the
promotion of Orthodox spirituality in this region. Through his sermons and teachings, Antim Ivireanul provided the faithful with a deep understanding of Orthodox doctrine and an authentic model of spiritual life. By establishing and managing printing houses, he contributed significantly to the production and distribution of literary and religious works, thus consolidating the national cultural heritage.

După 30 de ani.

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L’article contient une analyse de l’évolution du fait religieux contemporain en Roumanie, depuis les années 1990. On a pris en compte la dimension théologique, sociale et, surtout, générationnelle. Le but a été de surprendre les principaux changements qui se sont produits depuis et esquisser un portrait et inventaire de l’état de chose d’aujourd’hui. L’article se termine par une question ouverte et un appel au dialogue et une meilleure compréhension de la relation de l’Église avec les médias et la société roumaine, afin de faire face aux défis du monde contemporain.

Pelerinajul religios.

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This article aims to first present the history and development of religious pilgrimages within the Orthodox Church of contemporary Romania. The starting point is the foundational moment of these pilgrimages, marked by the bringing of the head of Saint Andrew the Apostle to Iași and Galați in the 1990s.
It is followed by a sociological analysis of the main elements that define pilgrimage today: ambient music, the distribution of free food, the management of the space in which it takes place, and the interaction with local authorities and the population. The discussion also includes new norms and operational restrictions from the secular world that influence the development of pilgrimages and their future evolution. Pilgrimage
is and will remain the most important form of public and popular religiosity in contemporary Romania.

„Universitatea Vârstei a Treia “

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Identity exclusion is where we avoid exploring alternatives and accept, often uncritically or without deep analysis, any principles, values, or directions that are “transmitted or directed“ to us, most often by public authorities, society, or certain groups. Aging has become the dominant and most visible aspect of population structure dynamics globally. In the face of this large phenomenon, there can be several types of
responses: social assistance, including the important role of the Church and formal education, the silver economy, a concept of positive identity and social inclusion for seniors and, why not, a leisure university that can play multiple social roles, a voice that puts seniority at the center of public perception. This article presents the Third Age University, a pioneering project in Romania, and the positive role played by the Archbishopric of the Dunărea de Jos within the social‑cultural university initiative in Galați.

Parohia , terenul de activitate pastorală a preotului

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The parish is the proper ground for living and developing the Christian life in Orthodoxy. It is the material and spiritual field of the priest’s pastoral activity and the medium for the manifestation of the religious life of the faithful. Between the priest and the faithful there must be a harmonious collaboration, in the sense that the priest must watch and follow carefully the evolution of the state of mind of his parishioners
and apply the most relevant pastoral means, in order to make them authentic believers, devoted to the Church, aware of their Christian roles and duties. In the living and true parish, the priest works together with his believers for the realization and acquisition of the kingdom of God (John 18, 36; Luke 17, 21). Without such collaboration and without an awake conscience, the parish loses its supernatural character and essence and remains a mere administrative reality. Without the consciousness of liturgical and
church unity, the parish remains a unit lacking dynamism. Therefore, the role of the priest in the parish is to transform this spiritual ground into a true oasis of spiritual living in which the Spirit of truth, justice, love and divine holiness can pulsate (Galatians 5, 25).

Taina Bisericii – Taina Vieții

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There are many definitions of the Church. Among all, that of Father Dumitru Stăniloae is the closest to our approach, because it highlights the Truth according to which the Life of the Church and the Life of man are One and the Same Life: “The Church is the reflection of the Life of the Most Holy Trinity in humanity“. That is, the Life of the Most Holy Trinity also becomes the Life of Man and of all the creation. One Life lived from different perspectives: uncreated and created.

Mintea umană (νοỸς) în teologhisirea Sfântului Simeon Noul Teolog 1

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The work entitled “The human mind in the theologizing of Saint Simeon the New Theologian. A patristic response to contemporary anthropological research” has as its fundamental objective the highlighting of the references that the Byzantine mystical theologian, Saint Simeon the New Theologian, makes in relation to the human mind (νοῦς), based on his spiritual experiences.

TESTAMENTUL

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In the present work, we have addressed a theme that seems very topical to us, given that, more than in previous decades, we encounter death, a great and mysterious passage from this world, which does not end our responsibility for the gift of which I received from God, namely life. From this perspective, we tried to discern a legal form of manifestation of man’s will after death ‑ the testament, through the content
of which we can better understand these great people who wrote history, reading, preserving, improving and passing on the cultural heritage that our cultural identity is built. Thus, after analyzing the document from a legal point of view and reconstructing its evolution from the diate form to the testament form, I also chose some case studies, based on documents drawn up by Saint Theodore the Studite, Metropolitan Stefan of Ungrovlahia and Bishop Iacov Stamati of the Huși.

PRIMELE EVALUĂRI BIOMETRICE ALE COPIILOR ROMÂNI, ÎN VEDEREA DETERMINĂRII STĂRII DE SĂNĂTATE

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In this work, we have proposed to present the steps taken, during the interwar period, by the doctor Petru Râmneanțu, to create Tables for the height, weight and determination of the nutritional status of Romanian children aged 5‑15 years. These actually include the first national biometric assessments of Romanian children (22,250 children participated, from all over Romania), in order to determine their
health status. The tables, summarizing the anthropometric measures, were published in the “Eugenic and Biopolitical Bulletin” edited by the Eugenic and Biopolitical Subsection of “Astra” and the Institute of Hygiene and Social Hygiene, Cluj. The author of the research did specialization studies at “John Hopkins” University
in Baltimore, USA and was well aware of the efforts made in other European countries. He used the Add‑Index machine for calculations. The results of the study also led to several conclusions, among which the fact that the low standard of living in interwar Romania (1936) has a negative impact on the physical development of children.

VIOLENŢA ÎN FAMILIE

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All stages of history, both Antiquity and the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, but especially the period of modernity, have known terrible episodes of violence, wars, conflicts and tragedies. In all Empires and in all religions of the world the phenomenon of violence is found between peoples, ethnic groups, provinces,
aristocracies, nobles and slaves. Political, philosophical, literary, theological texts include, equally, the drama of this scourge of violence, even from the most sacred human space, that of the family. The Jewish texts of the Old Testament outline and reflect the limited value of all goods, placing above all these temporal values the very life of man. Thus, the need for its defense and preservation, imposing it through the 6th commandment of the Decalogue: “thou shalt not kill”. The Old Testament biblical writings show us models of thinking and doing embodied through the way of manifestation of the personalities that make up the holy history A sentence earlier, in the Decalogue, we find the imperative to honor the father and the mother. The care and concern for the parents is included in the 5th commandment, through the words: “Honor your father and your mother, that it may be well with you”. live many years on the land that the Lord your God will give you” (Isa. 20, 12). So, the prohibition to kill becomes the official civil and sacramental imperative of the entire legislative body of humanity can also be found in the Law of Talion from the text of Exodus, chapter 21. “If two men fight and strike a pregnant woman and she abandons the child or without
any other injury, the guilty party shall submit to the compensation that the husband of the woman will demand and he he will have to pay according to the DECISION OF THE JUDGES (Exodus, 21, 22), “and for any other injury, then he must pay soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot...” Exodus , 21, 23‑24). Talion’s law “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, death for death...” – applicable to any bodily injuries introduces the idea of compensation: the one who causes an evil must suffer the same evil, having mainly a preventive purpose, to prevent the commission other facts of the same kind.

Muzica psaltică – medicament pentru vindecarea de necredință și remediu pentru suflet

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The psaltic music – a means of healing disbelief and suffering and a remedy for the soul. The psaltic music represents the sum of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of the mastery and the spiritual life of the holy chanters. Far from being just an artefact created to embellish liturgical life, church singing is, essentially, a treasure of faith, expressed in the life of the Church through word and sound. Starting from this premise, namely the truth of faith confessed through music, some of the Church Fathers considered singing a panacea for the soul, which can contribute to the healing of passions and the healing of the sin within our souls. Therefore, the music of our Church is simultaneously a means of divine knowledge through the content of the words of faith, and a spiritual remedy for healing from the wounds caused by the illusion and sin of disbelief. In recent years, there has been increasing talk about the role of classical secular music in the therapy of the human soul as well, so all the more, we aim to consider how important church singing is for healing disbelief and for the salvation of the soul. Through Orthodox chanting, the truth of faith transmitted through the refinement of musical sounds touches the mind and the entire human being. The holy chanters have chiselled and developed the Orthodox chants specifically to support the spoken prayer in the life of
the Church. Therefore, in our research, we will focus on highlighting the role of church music in cultivating the spiritual well‑being of the Christian lives, a crucial element in their effort towards salvation.

Disciplina teologică „Medicina Pastorală“ în analiza Inteligenței Artificiale. – Relevanță, scop, impact, oportunitate –

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Our study starts from the premise that “always the one who is outside a system observes better what happens in the system, than the one inside the system”. So we try, over a few pages, to identify and nuance the opinion of someone “outside the system”, namely the “opinion” of Artificial Intelligence1 about a theological discipline considered by many to be obsolete, but which was of great importance in the theological education of the past. The prospect of reintegrating the subject2 , as an optional, in the contemporary Euro‑Atlantic pedagogical context is interesting. In carrying out this approach, we were guided by some suggestive questions and interpreted the answers generated by Artificial Intelligence3
(software three).

Repere pastorale și liturgice în legătură cu realitatea morții. Un demers dialogal duhovnicesc adresat aparținătorilor persoanelor suferinde trecute la Do

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In the context of the furious amplification of bodily suffering against the background of the widening of the range of recognition of a list of diseases increasingly pressing for contemporary man, who is often racked by the projection of departure from this life and the despair of soul generated by the imminence of meeting God “in the mystery of death”, the present material aims to mirror some of the most important
coordinates that Orthodox theology shares as a universal value about the reality of death and the eschatological perspective. It is precisely the eschatological detail as the image that is created by faith in the Church’s act of worship that becomes the key to overcoming any difficulties that each of us may experience in the inevitable condition of waiting for the final moment of this life. But this perspective is materialized starting from the liturgical text contained in the Church’s Book of Worship, where a series of aspects are highlighted which become so many ways of pastoral care available to the contemporary priest in his relationship with the suffering person, as well as with his relatives who feel the effects of the loss of a loved one most strongly, a reality which is strongly evident in the current social physiognomy, which has gone through so many trials that have each time generated a real sense of powerlessness in the face of illness
and death.

Ars Medica Et Cura Pastoralis.

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The writings of the Holy Fathers reveal a variety of attitudes towards medicine, from forms of recognition of it and extreme trust in doctors’ prescriptions to reasons for mistrust; However, there is almost always a Christian concern to legitimize medicine as a useful tool for healing, but at the same time to consider it a gift from God who instituted it. Numerous testimonies also convey the metaphor of Christ “medicus”,
variously expressed and spread both in the East and in the West. From the union of Christian care and professional medicine were born the first hospitals, also inspired by the Christian hospitality and philanthropy available in various settlements in both the East and the West. The new structures established themselves as treatment centers and effectively assumed a monopoly on universal medical practice.

ROLUL MEDICULUI ÎN OPERA SFÂNTULUI VASILE CEL MARE

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Starting from the challenges of the last years, in which people faced the Covid pandemic and its consequences, and turning our thoughts to those who take care of those in suffering, for whom, as a sign of homage, it was dedicated to them in the Patriarchate Romanian, the year 2024, we returned to the work of Saint Basil the Great, and to his perspective on the role of the doctor in society. Thus, in The Great Rules1, he includes medicine among the arts given by God to men, as a “help to their weak nature”, and the “use of its benefits“ must be “ordered to the glory of God and as a model of the care of souls”. The physician is the one skilled in the art of medicine, “as a model for the healing of the soul, so that by it what is superfluous is cut off and what is needed is added”.

Sfântul Mucenic Trifon

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The Holy Martyr Tryphon was originated from the Phrygian area, from the village of Lampsac and lived as a true Christian, preaching Christ. Among the various miracles performed by Saint Tryphon, we recall the one in which he expelled a demon from the daughter of the Roman emperor Gordian at only 17 years old. The
devil appeared to everyone metamorphosing into a black dog with eyes like fire. This deed led to the conversion of the abbey to Christianity, along with many other dignitaries. He was martyred during the reign of Emperor Decius, the persecutor of Christians in the year 250. In iconography there are several types characteristic of Eastern art. His figure according to the Erminia of Dionysius is that of one: young,
beardless, with curly hair. A series of symbolic elements stand next to his face, such as: the Holy Cross, vine leaves, palm leaves, sickle, falcon, flowers, geese, etc. In Western painting, two reference names complete the study, Vittorio Carpaccio and Giarolamo da Santacroce. At the end of the study, we consider that the iconic variants from the Eastern area with their distinct typologies and symbols, stand next to Western painting, which, through specific means of accentuated figurativeness, define an interesting, unique
and welcoming artistic repertoire for those who persistently bend in understanding the representative artistic and hagiographic phenomenon dedicated to the confessor of Christ, Saint Tryphon.