Romanian Nun Crucified
According to an AFP report in USA Today, a 29 year old Romanian Orthodox priest crucified a 23 year old nun because she was "possessed by the devil." Either that, or because she publicly insulted him at a mass. The priest, Father Daniel, is the superior at the Holy Trinity monastery in a primitive area of northeastern Romania. Apparently four other nuns helped and have been charged with him in her death. There seems to be no limit to the evil found in dark corners of the world, often masquerading as religion.
12 Comments:
Sick and abhorrent. It sounds like the embarassing episode on Sunday might've had something to do with it.
It's shameful, the fact that the patriarchate refuses to address this is a disgrace.
and I couldn't resist emailing the patriarchate and telling them so.
All Orthodox Christians grow up being told that their faith is the closest to Jesus (I remember being told that countless times as a child), not that I think this is true, it's all a ruse to control the masses.
Exorcism via execution via crucifixion? Nice, don't these sick bastards read the bible? Christ healed the demon possessed, and was crucified for doing so (among ohter things).
I doubt it's an Orthodox Christian thing. I think it's a crazy priest who would rather be a cult-leader thing.
That's some wild stuff, Tom. Dark corners indeed.
I don't know if it's any interest, but after my email hissy fit (as a Greek Orthodox 'person'), I got the following message as a reply from the Romanian email address for the patriarchate:
UNDELIVERABLE MAIL
Your message to the following recipients cannot be delivered:
Patriarhia@dnt.ro:
maildrop: maildir over quota.
I can imagine how flooded they are.
Cvrk, Karl Marx said "Religion is the opiate of the masses." Not opium. Try to be a little more precise; words matter.
L'etranger, when you said you'd sent a message to the Romanian Orthodox Patriarch, I admired your attitude but doubted that you would achieve any result. Are you sure that Father Daniel has strayed very far away from the teachings of his religion regarding Satan, possession, and such? And even if he murdered the young nun to avenge an insult, it certainly wouldn't be the first time possession and accusations of witchcraft have been used to justify that sort of thing.
John, you may be right. But sometimes I have difficulty drawing the line between out-of-bounds cults and established religions.
I know that the Christian church does have protocol concerning excorcism but a priest can't perform an exorcism as they see fit and in this case he overstepped the mark. His determination concerned itself with a disagreement he had with the nun or an argument that took place.
Churches never respond to individual people, they only respond of there is a significant public outcry over the matter, like the way the Roman Catholic Church responded in regard to sexual abuse cases a couple of years ago and even so, its priests weren't prosecuted, many out of court settlements were arranged (here in Australia) and the priests didn't even have to undergo any formal counselling like a common sexual abuser would (an everyday person).
The view of the Church on Satanism and exorcism is archaic, based in superstition and churches do try to stipulate that superstition is a sin, so for exorcism to exist as a valid practice in the Christian Church, it's like saying the Church acknowledges the existence of a separate 'metaphysical' evil labeled Satan which, to many people, is a superstition.
No one truly knows (in cases of supposed possession) whether or not there was actual possession because there is such a thing as autosuggestion where a person can convince themselves of many things (compulsive liars do this, then there is Munchausen's Syndrome and auto-hypnotic suggestion) and these things aren't supernatural.
I agree, the Church will use whatever defense mechanism or excuse in order to maintain its control over its followers. If the major religions dissappeared off the face of the Earth altogether what would people believe in? We're seeing a change at this point in time where a certain sector of people don't know what to believe in and they join cults or at worst, believe in aliens (like the Raelian cult)
L'etranger:
You are correct in saying that the Church (Whether the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, or other "mainstream" Christian Church) condemns superstition. But then you apply your own definition of "superstition" and not the definition held by most Christian institutions.
Correct me if I am wrong, but you consider any belief in the immediate presence of supernatural beings capable of influencing our lives as superstitious. You would include fairies, elves, ghosts, demons, angels, and possibly saviors who are God incarnate among your list of superstitious beliefs.
Most Christians denominations and churches have a narrower definition of "superstitious beliefs". They see superstition as any belief that human actions or natural events can have an arbitrary, supernatural, and irresistable effect which will then cause other natural events to unfold in a specific way. In short: magic.
To Christians, superstition would include good luck charms, the use of "sure-fire" prayers to achieve specific ends, attempts to conjure demons, or attempts to seize salvation by saying certain prayers or wearing specific religious emblems.
However, the Christian understanding of superstition does not rule out actual belief in demons or angels, their ability to act upon us as they are permitted by God, or our ability to ask God either to bind those demons or send His angels to help.
So, where's the post about the Orthodox Church's swift repremand of this priest and his cohorts, their immediate review of policy to prevent similar things from happening again, and the fact that he was in poor standing with the Church already? Maybe the dark corners of this world are the places where Christians singled out for ridicule for their beliefs.
Are you sure that Father Daniel has strayed very far away from the teachings of his religion regarding Satan, possession, and such?
As an Orthodox Christian, I can tell you he did stray from Church teaching, as evidenced by the Romanian Church's response.
Daniel, you just posted it. Thanks.
I don't ridicule Christians for their beliefs, nor do I ridicule any other form of religion. Individual people sometimes, yes. And believe me, evil does lurk in dark corners of the world, and it does often masquerade as religion. That doesn't make the religion bad, necessarily, although there are certain doctrines of faith (possession being one example) which can be taken to extremes to justify what is in fact evil.
Cvrk, my apologies. "Opium" is, indeed, the correct word. Words still matter, even when I screw them up!
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