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

and with two cannons on each side, as if it would have been judged the generalstaff of Gingis Han’s hordes” 76 . The ridicule of the situation is plainly depicted.The guards were trying to instil into the Christian inmates the feelings thatthey were a serious danger for the society; they had to reach the level ofconsidering themselves enemies of the people. Fr. Iustin relates how the inmateswere guarded: “The fence enclosing the space was 2.5 metres in height with wireson top. There were turrets placed at a distance of 25-30 metres from each otherwith the machine guns in view” 77 .Besides the above mentioned means, humiliating the Christian prisoners andinstilling into them a feeling of uselessness was largely practiced. For instance, Fr.Iustin remembers how the personal integrity and the social position of the prisonerswere suddenly upside-down: “from a normal, correct human being, one suddenlyfound himself the outcast of the society, an `enemy of the people`, `iron guardist`,`villain`, and many others” 78 . A certain humoristic flavour is visible in thefollowing words of Fr. Iustin; however, beyond this there is a terrible realitydepicted: “`You villain, don’t move from here!` It was then that I got acquaintedwith this term,`villain`, which accompanied me for sixteen, seventeen years. I hadno other name, except `villain of the people`” 79 .The guards were often mocking at the Christian inmates. Here is an exampleof a dialogue between the guards and the inmates:“Hey you! How long is your sentence?Five years!In five years there is no time for the ink to get dry on the sentencing disposition.And you, how long is yours?I have twelve years.The more the better, but from the way you look, you deserved twenty four” 80 .Moreover, many times the guards boasted with the number of victims theytortured or the gravity of the wounds caused by their beatings. However, thesedialogues took place in the presence of the inmates.76 Z. Oancea, op. cit., p. 61.77 A. A. Gheorghe, op. cit., p. 82.78 Ibidem, p. 72.79 Ibidem, p. 67.80 Ibidem, p. 75.167