Archbishop of Tomis Teodosie embarks on row with Gov’t over St. Andrew’s pilgrimage
The Archbishop of Tomis sent an open letter to PM Ludovic Orban and to the Cabinet on Thursday, slamming them for the pilgrimage ban. Teodosie said in the letter that he won’t allow that the right to honour Saint Andrew to be “trampled by those who have no fear of God and who worship an absurd science that disobey the human being in his entirety: body and soul”.
“What will you do? Beat us, fine us, arrest and execute all of us who will go to pray at the Monastery of Saint Apostle Andrew’s Cave, on the day we are celebrating him? Will you sic the judiciary and police forces on us, against your own brothers and sisters to achieve your settled goals?”, reads the letter.
Teodosie mentioned the events of December 1989 when people, discontent with the abuses of the communist rule, gathered at Timisoara, in front of the house of the reformed minister László Tőkés, with Teodosie saying a smaller injustice was being done against Tokes back then as compared to the “injustice done today against our legitimate wish to have our faith and dignity respected”.
The high-ranking priest threatened that people might take to the streets again, just like in 1989.
“Don’t underestimate the desire of people in Constanta and in other corners of the country of shouting in the street again <God with us>, in order to pray and live free, without a new dictatorship. An additional trace of wisdom might render to you and your collaborators the humanity and faith in your souls in the final hour, that the reasons of the pandemic seems to have darkened”.
It is not the first time that Archbishop Teodosie is taking controversial stances during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 16, the next day after the state of alert was enforced in Romania, Teodosie gave the communion to several children on the steps of the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Constant, using the same chalice and spoon.
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