20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

Manuscripts from the works of Saint Vasile the Great ... 199believe that this Sofronie was a professor that may have functioned atthe Neamt Monastery Seminar between 1843 and 1848 27 . We exclude thepossibility that this Sofronie may be the same Sofronie, the former bishoparchimandrite of Cozia Monastery 28 , as well as the possibility that he mayhave been the brother of Gherasim, the Archbishop of Roman (1803-1826),a Sofronie who was an archimandrite and a Father Superior of Cetatuia-IasiMonastery and who was in the Orient to study at Greek schools 29 . We havethe belief that Sofronie, the translator of the manuscript Hexaimeron fromNeamt Monastery was from Neamt and, in 1854, was already with God,aged 80-83. This supposition is based on the fact that, in 1854, thehieromonachs Cleopa the typer and Nichita the corrector, referring tothe Metropolitan Sofronie Miclescu, said that they have difficulties withthe printing of “the words” of the deceased Sofronie the archimandrite 30 .These “words” are no other than the “words” from Saint Vasile theGreat Hexaimeron. Death put an end to Sofronie’s intention of printinghis translation. His followers were not capable of doing this and, at theircomplaint, the Metropolitan Sofronie decides that instead of “the words”of the archimandrite Sofronie there should be printed the Prologues afterthe Slavonic ones, whose correction was submitted to the father confessorChiriac from Secu.The analysis of Sofronie’s manuscript reveals to us a translator thatknows Greek and hermeneutic rules very well. The value of this translationcannot be fully established unless compared with other similar worksand by following the Greek text. What appears to be original and worthmentioning is the fact that the translator has made explanatory notes forevery word or discussion, as it appears from the preface as well “To thereaders”, which we mention in the annex, well formed and written. Thenotes made by Sofronie present him as a true “psalm reader”, whichmeans a true professor in theology 31 . Having the intention of printing this27Ierom. Dionisie I. Udisteanu 1937, The monachal seminar. Historical studyand annexes. Contributions to the history of monk schools, Cernica: 37-41. Only NeofitScriban is named as a professor, without naming the heads of the other two departments.28Gabriel Strempel, op.cit., 115, 147, 367, 368.29N.C. Enescu 1966, Private schools in Moldavia and abroad during the phanariotreign (1714-1821), in vol II, “From the history of Romanian pedagogy. Collection ofstudies”, Bucharest, 13330Diac. I. Ivan (1963), From the relations of the monks in Neamt Monastery withthe Church and the russian society in the second half of the 19 th century, in M.M.S.,XXXIX, no. 9-10, 62.31Only the “first word”, “after the number within” has 70 notes – f. 11 until f. 68.The notes have astronomical, cosmographical, calendaristic details. Some notes are very