Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania
The Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania or True Orthodox Church of Romania is a resistance, Old Calendarist Synod, which broke off from the Church of Romania at the time of the 1924 calendar change in the Church of Romania.
History
In 1924, Metropolitan Miron of the Church of Romania introduced the New Calendar for use in the Church. Although most Romanians accepted the change, the skete of the Protection of the Theotokos in northern Moldavia rejected it. In 1925, led by Hieromonk Glicherie, some of the brethren left the skete to start an Old Calendarist group. When, in 1926 and 1929, Metropolitan Miron ordered Pascha to be celebrated according to the Gregorian Paschalion, a large number of faithful, including Russian émigrés, left the Church of Romania and joined the Old Calendarists. By 1936, the Old Calendarists numbered about 40 parishes.
Beginning in 1935, at the order of Metropolitan Miron, the Old Calendarists were under persecution. By 1940, ten Old Calendarist priests had died in prison, and all of the Old Calendar churches had been shut down. Hmk Glicherie was imprisoned, but, at the beginning of World War II, released.
By 1950, with the release of Hmk Glicherie and other priests from prison, many of the churches were rebuilt. In 1955, Metropolitan Galaktion left the Church of Romania to serve the Old Calendarists, and immediately ordained new priests and deacons. However, he was soon arrested, and placed under house arrest in Bucharest. While under house arrest, Metropolitan Galaktion consecrated three other bishops, including Hmk Glicherie, who, in 1957, became the Metropolitan of the True Orthodox Church of Romania.
Metropolitan Glicherie was later glorified by this synod as Saint Glicherie the Confessor. This glorification is unrecognised by the mainstream Orthodox Churches, including the Romanian Orthodox Church, who consider him to be schismatic.
Current Hierarchs
- Metropolitan Demosten of Slatioara, President of the Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Romania
- Bishop Ghenadie of Bacau
- Bishop Pahomie of Vrancea
- Bishop Teodosie of Brasov
- Bishop Sofronie of Suceava
- Bishop Iosif of Botosani
- Bishop Flavian of Ilfov
Intercommunion
Since 1980, the Synod has been in full communion with the Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece presided by Metropolitan Kallistos of Corinth, then with the Holy Synod in Resistance presided by Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili. The Synod also maintains communion with the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria, headed by Bishop Photii. From 1994 to 2007 there was full communion with the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia (ROCOR), but with the rapprochement between the ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate, communion with the ROCOR was severed.
Demographics
Headquartered in the Monastery of the Transfiguration, Slatioara, Moldavia, the Synod has 130 parishes, 13 monasteries, 21 sketes, and publishes two periodicals, Traditia Ortodoxa and Catacombele Ortodoxiei. 160 priests (including 115 married priests and 45 hieromonks) and 26 deacons serve the Synod's faithful. 290 monks and 510 nuns dwell in the monasteries.
