REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

144
Remembrance in Time
Regarding the regulation of the religious services 4 since 1954, up to 1962, the
communist regime will impose another regulation, targeted on church assignment, in fact
some worship-unit closure, a legislative initiative that determined the Baptist ministers’
opposition before and after the transposition thereof, through the threats undergone by the
Baptist representatives. Ordinating deacons for refilling the pastors’ lack and suing some
arbitrary decisions of the authorities stand for other modalities whereby we can speak of
religious anticommunist resistance. By presenting herein the resistance and protest
actions of the Baptist churches, we with to contribute to a better understanding of
Romania’s former communist regime and of the way in which the Church, as society’s
component part, answered the actions of the regime of communizing the peoples’ souls.
Iosif łon deems that the “forms of resistance, from simple passivity, to overt
disagreement and rejection manifestations, were the rays of light in that awful dark.” 5 In
the opinion of the professor Daniel Mariş 6 , “Christian faith remained as last spiritual
resource for making possible the resistance against the moral capitulation, for those living
in Romania under the most repressive communist regime.” 7
Without minimizing the role of the religious-resistance actions of the leaders or of the
religious communities, we must mention that, in some cases, the liberty and success
obtained by Church were apparent because, in fact, the State allowed certain relaxing
moments so as to be used as a relief valve. On the other hand, one must also consider the
external pressures undergone by the communist State from international organisms that
advocate for the existence of religious freedom, as well as by international mass-media,
as a consequence of the testimonies and messages of some religious leaders 8 compelled or
determined by the authorities to leave the country.
Resistance remains this way an admiration-worthy phenomenon for those having risked
their own liberty to save or obtain others’ liberty.
A first aspect we will dwell upon is the Baptist ministers’ attitude and their opposition
against the regulation of the religious services.
1. Baptist pastors oppose the regulation of the religious services
Among the State’s actions targeted on variegated regulations of Baptism’s life, whereof
the regulation of the religious services, the religious personnel was affected, its activity
being reduced; therefore it would initiate various protest forms.
In this case, the self-defence measures started from the Baptist Christian Churches’
leadership, as shown in a note of 23 August 1953, where the mention was made that
Baptists did not issue a circular for reducing religious services on Sunday, “motivating
that the believers of their religion do not work on Sunday.” 9
4
The regulation of the religious services stipulated that Evangelic churches were only entitled to officiate
religious services on Sunday morning and Saturday evening. Exceptionally, a religious service was
admitted on Sunday evening for Lord’s Supper, children blessing and other similar events.
5
Iosif łon, Confruntări, Ed. a 3-a, Editura Cartea Creştină, Oradea, 2009, p.7.
6
Professor and rector of the Baptist Theological Institute from Bucharest.
7
Daniel Mariş, “Change to a post-communist society in Romania, the effects upon Evangelical
Christian communities” in Daniel Marius Mariş, Theological reflections upon the practice of
faith: Extended essays in applied theology, Editura Universitară, Bucureşti, 2009, p. 41.
8
Among the religious leaders, we mention: Richard Wurmbrand, Iosif łon, Pavel Nicolescu,
Aurel Popescu.
9
ASSC, collection Direction Studies, 1952, file 93, f. 11.