ANUARUL ACADEMIC 2003-2004 - Facultatea de Teologie "Andrei ...

unexpected possible answer to the atheist propaganda, to the so-called scientificmaterialism, to the idolatry of the matter.The value of the body resulted from following the steps of the Savior’searthly life, Who came to integrally restore man, both body and soul. Due to thehigh value of the human body, everything related to it is important. All theatrocities happend in the communist prisons in the former socialist countries inEurope, must not be forgotten, although it is difficult to describe and to understandwhat really happened there.It is very important to mention that, although Fr. Stăniloae experienced thetragedy of living for five years in several communist prisons, it is in that period thathe received the gift of unceasing prayer. He never mentioned or complained aboutthe cruelty of those years, except when, “smiling”, he confidentially told to OlivierClement: “An experience like many others, yet a little more difficult for myfamily”, adding that this was the only period in his life when he could almostpermanently practise, “maintain” Jesus’ prayer 34 .2. Describing the indescribableCommunist atheism in Romania and not only in Romania, saw itself as analternative to the teachings of the church. The religious manifestations were forcedto limit themselves to the private area. Therefore, an elimination of the religioussymbols from the public arena was done so that the communist state might controlboth the physical and the spiritual needs of its citizens. The Communist ideologypresented itself as a new form of religiosity. Consequently, the prisons and thecontrol over the Church were used to convince people of the “advantages” of thenew system. Orthodox, Protestants, Catholics were imprisoned in this ecumenismof suffering for Christ. A terrible process called “re-education” was practised inmany prisons. The main aim of the leading system was to diminish and evenprevent any kind of religious manifestation, as it opposed the Marxist ideologywhich was materialistic 35 .34 Dumitru Stăniloae, Rugăciunea lui Iisus şi experienţa Duhului Sfânt , Cuvânt înainte [forword] deArh. Gheorghios Grigoriatul, Sibiu, Editura Deisis, 1995, p.15.35 A very important book, a collective work, published by the Romanian Patriarchate is: Martiripentru Hristos, din România, în perioada regimului comunist, Bucureşti, Editura Institutului Biblic şide Misiune al Bisericii Ortodoxe Române, Bucureşti, 2007, 803p. A large number of Orthodox priests157