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Onslaught against Christianity is carried out within disloyal war framework which is manipulated by the most influential persons as well as by law agents and administrative employees authorized to decide the trend of events. The interview below was reproduced by magazine “the Orthodox Faith”. PROPERTY LAW triggered various reactions throughout the whole country, especially in Ardeal region. Paying a special attention to television programs with participation of lawyer Aurelian Pavelescu we have also got in touch with some other people who are directly relevant to the problem in question, in order to find out how things really are. Priest Eftimie MITRA from Huta Orthodox Scythe, Bihor County, was pleased to answer some of our questions (Gabriel MEKERES). - Several years have passed since you litigated with Greek Catholic Church upon sharing of patch of land. What are the reasons for the conflict? - If only a patch of land was disputable…February 2nd, 2004 I received a summons to appear in court. Oradea Greek Catholic Episcopate laid claim to land belonging for centuries to the buildings of our scythe. That is the small glade of 8000 square meters surrounded by three hectares of forest. We have never negotiated before. If bill of complaint suggested material interest, we would probably be invited to negotiate it. We are situated 19 kilometers from the closest village at the very top of the mountains. They owe thousands of hectares of land there. No wonder they try their best to solve the problem inside the Court that might help them in conformity with the law to demolish Orthodox sacred buildings. It is a paradox that representatives of Catholicism are fully against any Orthodox step on the territory in question, but, still prefer sitting on the safety valve as soon as they are in front of the reporters and mass media cameras. No wonder, interest guides their mind. - Where did you get that piece of land from? - State gave it to us after 1990 before promulgation of law on property. - Whom did it belong to until 1948? - Until 1948 that piece of land belonged to Catholics. We have managed to do many things since then. We offered them other piece of land instead; we also wanted to ransom it but failed. They did not want to yield. They would not accept other lands. They want us to pay the rent for land we occupy. I will never accept paying the rent to Pope until I live on the territory of my Motherland. - Who gave them the property in question? - They got it from Maria Theresa since Austro-Hungarian occupation. That piece of land belonged to Orthodox peasant John Dudash. He was dispossessed of his land, flock of cows and sheep, house and demesne land because the latter refused to convert to Roman Catholicism. As a result, he was converted into serfdom. All the property formerly belonging to him passed into Oradea Greek - Catholic Episcopate’s hands. Now you see what territory they wish to retrieve back appealing to the court. Property law foresees that the government may request reimbursement for land that has been taken by communists. But nothing is mentioned about the way they came into possession of those lands long ago. Many other Ardeal churches and monasteries have the same problem. - What is your assessment of this state of affairs in the laic world or better to say world of justice? - You have already answered your question. State of affairs is laic. Practically, it's not a fair fight. The war is fought without rules or pity. Some people established in their faith, others belied faith trying to find an excuse using the phrases like “sister Churches,” “patience”, “we should not be extremists” and so on… That means we should yield benevolently both the parish and the churches if we do not want to be criticized by enemies of the people and the church. - You have mentioned recently about unfair fight… - Yes, I have. State undid the damage until 1948. Despite, they unjustly withdraw many of the property items. Genuine documents prove the damage concerning thousands of hectares of forests and pastures was fully undone. National archives of all towns can provide with all the necessary information concerning the compensation. Many people cannot withstand temptation because this problematic land is situated near big summer resorts and has significant value. We found documents stating about the compensation for journalists, reporters, politicians, cadastral engineers, men of influence, mayors, police officers, heads of state institutions, lawyers, notaries, judges. All the damages were reimbursed. Many of those “handsome gifts” were made on the basis of doubtful purchase/sale contracts. That is those persons will serve the interests of Catholicism persisting in Ardeal. The situation becomes quite tangled and it is difficult to find any common ground. It was therefore no accident that interconfessional conflict sprouted at the points where the law was flawed. Catholics are given the preference over Orthodox by the same judges who already got their land back. Proselytism is the other side f the coin. Peasants are offered free of charge wood resources from the same forests to satisfy peasants’ heating as well as construction needs if they convert to Greek Catholic church. One of priests from Greek Catholic church told me personally that if I together with scythe converted to Catholicism I would be empowered to ride herd on restored forests. The priest in question occupied a senior executive position at Oradea Greek Catholic Episcopate. - So, did you accept the offer? - Of course I did not accept the offer. I’ve been offered the foreign car instead. The rigidity of my beliefs was met by blackmail, menace; they tried to bluff me, they called me “intolerable”, “blasphemer”, “malicious”. Various attempts were made to discredit me in mass-media and so on and so forth. This distressed me really bad, but it did not break me down. - So what are you going to do? - I am going to contact Bucharest not Ardeal Police Department for Corruption Criminals if they continue in the same vein. We haven't got a prayer in Ardeal. Hungarian administration is also supported by some political parties. I wanted to make the facts public but I failed because criminals spread their sticky tentacles over the better part of mass-media and television. Many of the promising proceedings did not provide advantages to Orthodox because the wall erected by some doubtful judicial conjectures did not allow the truth to triumph. Realizing the severity of the injury, the priests in question demanded considering the proceedings beyond the Carpathians. For instance Tirgu-Mures cathedral also went through purgatory. According to decision of the Bacau Chamber of Appeals, cathedral remains the property of Orthodox Christians. - So offers caused thousands to forsake their religion? - The majority do not accept the offers. But there were some cases when people came to an accommodation. Many people do not make the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Teachers of Religion as well as priests should pay special attention to catechization in this context. Rejection of orthodox Christianity is fraught with consequences; people fall into this trap easily if they do not know its consequences. They do not understand they are about to loose their salvation. A peasant from the neighboring village told me: “I will always remain Orthodox. I confirmed my affiliation to Catholicism by signature but it is formal”. But he did not realize putting the signature he demonstrated both his religious affiliation and Confession. Other peasant said the following: “Catholics also confess their sins; so, why shouldn’t one accept their offer?” Their innocent ignorance made them misinterpret the doctrine of Catholicism. They do not realize denial of church services is a one-way ticket to eternal damnation and loss of soul. They do not understand they are deceived into getting back formerly belonging to their ancestors lands. Hapsburgs did not bring lands with them from Rome or Vienna; they seized them from peasants’ ancestors (Romanians); buildings obtained on the basis of tenant's demand for return of the property were erected by Romanian serfs laboring in feudalists’ fields of the time. Let us hope both the Clergy and intellectuals are steady in their principles enough, to go about their duty with regard to people and people’s church. We expect hierarchs to realize the responsibility they take before history and especially before the herd entrusted by God to them. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done. Very often justification aggravates the human sin and guilt before God. We cannot deceive God by giving Him a song and dance about innocence. His Beatitude Bartolomeu Anania is worthy of great praise. In spite of a possible slime invasion in mass-media he was the first to defend Ardeal fallen into deception on the part of the government. Promulgation of law on property in fact is the greatest deception. According to Romanian law in force, Ardeal greatest part does not belong to Romania any longer. Translated from Romanian by Eduard Rotaru
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