In light of a statement from the “Elie Wiesel” National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania regarding the canonizations of Fathers Ilarion Felea, Ilie Lăcătușu, and Dumitru Stăniloae, the Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate makes the following clarifications:
a) Following the principles of religious freedom and church autonomy as outlined in both international legislation (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18) and national legislation (Romanian Constitution, Article 29; Law No. 489/2006 regarding religious freedom and the general regime of religious denominations), the Romanian Orthodox Church, as a recognized denomination, has the right to assess and decide regarding the canonization of individuals from the Romanian Patriarchate, according to its own religious criteria.
During the canonization process, the Romanian Orthodox Church conducts thorough research into the lives of the individuals proposed, focusing on how they transformed their lives.
The canonization process involves recognizing sainthood based solely on substantial evidence and credible testimonies.
Therefore, in recognizing each individual’s sainthood (canonization), several canonical, historical, and pastoral-missionary criteria were considered, including the following:
– Their pure and holy life;
– Their confession of true faith until the end of their life;
– Rigorous asceticism adorned with many virtues;
– Love and sacrificial spirit demonstrated towards those in need;
– Testimony of Christ in communist prisons;
– Gift from God to perform miracles;
– Consistent veneration by the faithful.
b) We also mention that some saints venerated in the Orthodox Church have exhibited attitudes and gestures that are difficult to understand or even contrary to Christian teachings at certain moments in their lives. However, the Church considers the sinner’s change of life and, especially, how they concluded their life without encouraging (sanctifying) any deviations those individuals may have had during their lifetime.
As we see from the examples of Saint Paul the Apostle, Saint Mary of Egypt, and the Prophet and King David, even saints have had inevitable falls.
Therefore, we should focus on how they ended their life—in a high state of perfection—rather than solely on the mistakes or sins committed during their earthly existence.
This is also the testimony of the Holy Scriptures: “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7).
We also clarify that the Romanian Orthodox Church publicly distances itself from any ideological or political affiliations, inviting dialogue with anyone interested in studying the lives of canonized individuals.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
Source: basilica.ro
