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EDUCATING STUDENT IN 'THE BURNING ALTAR' MOVEMENT
Abstract
Education is essential to the survival of any social group, since a community secures its continued existence and development only through the transmission of its accumulated knowledge, derived power, and ideological aims to the next generation. Education may be simply (and brief) defined as the process of teaching and learning, the imparting and acquisition of knowledge and skills. The need for education was no less true for the students included in The Burning Altar movement, who regularly attended Antim at the time. Among them we can mention André Scrima, Roman Braga, Sofian Boghiu, Leonida Pl?m?deal?, Adrian F?ge?eanu, Felix Dubneac, ?erban Mironescu, Nicolae Borda?iu, Petroniu T?nase, Ioan Toma, Valeriu Streinu, Virgil Stancovici, Gheorghe Carcalitan, Nicolae Nicolau, young mens that later would thoroughly confirm the value in the ecclesiastical and socio-professional hierarchies of their times. Being no part of the group, Valeriu Anania, who at that time held the position of chief librarian of the Patriarchate, participated in its meetings. The young theology students feel acutely the need to oppose to the communist atheism work, and inspired by the adult model of The Burning Altar, among which some teachers from the courses were included (such as priests Dumitru St?niloae and Benedict Ghiu?, Alexandru Elian) decide to set up a group of spirituality, which also could provide the comfort and support of their faith, which they call ATOS (Orthodox Association of Youth Students). On that time, the communist offensive was very strong and we felt this in the student life where communists were seeking to win, to get the students, the Romanian intellectuals, closer to the Union of Communist Youth (UTC) or the Socialist Youth Union (STU) and tried to attract them through various forms to join these parties. Moreover, the mere fact that they were students in theology, somehow they felt morally obliged to take action. Indeed, ATOS was organized after The Burning Altar model, meetings of students being scheduled every Tuesday afternoon, in the chapel of the monastery of Antim, giving the occasion to the participants time of prayer and meditation on scriptural or philocaly texts. It is true that there were signs of resistance to the atheistic work of the state, as the episode in 1945 when on May 1st coincided with Holy Week. In this case the students have devised an action to counteract holidays planned by communists and drafted and disseminated a manifesto for the Resurrection, action appreciated by Sandu Tudor, but which, in May 1948, will become one of the main charge , resulted in sending many of them behind bars. In our attempt to reconstruct a truthful image of Orthodox Association of Youth Students and The Burning Altar in that time, we combine the documents from the C.N.S.A.S. (National Council for Studying the Security Archives) archive with memoirs.
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References14
André SCRIMA, The time of the Burning Altar, Humanitas Publishing House, Bucharest, Romania, 2012, p. 172 [André SCRIMA, Timpul Rugului Aprins, Ed. Humanitas, București, 2012, p. 172].
André SCRIMA, work cited, p. 181 [André SCRIMA, op. cit., p. 181].
For further information, see Adrian CIOFLÂNCĂ, Benchmarks for a history of the Communist Youth Union, in the "Annuar of the Institute of History" A.D. Xenopol "vol. XLIIIXLIV, 2006-2007, Romanian Academy Publishing House, Iasi, 2008, pp.527-548; The Presidential Commission for the Analysis of the Communist Dictatorship (Editors Vladimir TISMĂNEANU Dorin DOBRINCU, Cristian VASILE), Final Report, Bucharest, December 18 th, 2006 (especially Chapter I.§5. Mass Organisations. Union of Communist Youth, pp.109-130) in www.presidency.ro or in volume, Bucharest, Humanitas Publishing House, 2007, pp.176-198; Mircea STĂNESCU, Romanian political bodies (1948-1965). Documents on institutions and practices, Bucharest, Vremea Publishing House, 2003; Florian BANU, Theodor BĂRBULESCU, Camelia IVAN DUICĂ, Liviu ŢĂRANU, Florica DOBRE (supervisor), Security. Frame structures, objectives and methods, Vol. I and II, Encyclopedic Publishing House, Bucharest, 2006 [Adrian CIOFLÂNCĂ, Repere pentru o istorie a Uniunii Tineretului Comunist, în „Anuarul Institutului de Istorie „A.D. Xenopol”, tom. XLIIIXLIV, 2006- 2007, Ed. Academiei Române, Iași, 2008, pp.527-548; Comisia Prezidenţială pentru Analiza Dictaturii Comuniste (editori Vladimir TISMĂNEANU, Dorin DOBRINCU, Cristian VASILE), Raport Final, Bucureşti, 18 decembrie 2006 (în special, capitolul I.§5. Organizaţiile de masă. Uniunea Tineretului Comunist, pp.109-130), în www.presidency.ro sau în volum, Bucureşti, Ed. Humanitas, 2007, pp.176-198; Mircea STĂNESCU, Organismele politice româneşti (1948-1965). Documente privind instituţiile şi practicile, Bucureşti, Ed. Vremea, 2003; Florian BANU, Theodor BĂRBULESCU, Camelia IVAN DUICĂ, Liviu ȚĂRANU, Florica DOBRE (coord.), Securitatea. Structuri-cadre, obiective și metode, vol. I și II, Ed. Enciclopedică, București, 2006].
„Interview of Father Nicolae Bordașiu”, Carmen CIORNEA, The Burning Altar Image, „Interviu cu Părintele Nicolae Bordașiu”, Eikon Publishing House, Bucharest, Romania, 2015 [Carmen CIORNEA, Chipul Rugului Aprins, Ed. Eikon, București, 2015, p. 254].
Ibidem, p. 256.
A.C.N.S.A.S., Penal section, file no. 000202, vol. 1, p. 49-49v [A.C.N.S.A.S., fond Penal, dosar 000202, vol. 1, ff. 49-49 v.].
A.C.N.S.A.S., Penal section, file no. 000202, vol. 1, p. 50 [A.C.N.S.A.S., fond Penal, dosar 000202, vol. 1, f. 50].
Ibidem, f.50.
See in this regard, George ENACHE, „Daniil Sandu Tudor - pages in the investigation file no. 113 668”, in the „Security Archives”, no. 1, 2002 [George ENACHE, „Daniil Sandu Tudor – pagini din dosarul de anchetă nr. 113668”, în „Arhivele Securității”, nr. 1, 2002].
A.C.N.S.A.S., Penal section, file no. 000202, vol. 1, pp. 90-91(typed copy) and p. 97(the original) [A.C.N.S.A.S., fond Penal, dosar nr. 000202, vol. 1, ff. 90-91(copie dactilografiată) și f. 97(originalul)].
Ibidem, p. 91(typed copy) and p. 97(the original).
„ Interview of Father Nicolae Bordașiu”, la Carmen CIORNEA, work cited, pp. 256-257.
Ibidem, pp. 258-259.
Apud Cristian VASILE, „Communist Authorities and the Orthodox Monasteries in the 50s”, in Aldine (weekly suplement of Free Romania newspaper), year IV, no. 224, 22 July 2000, pp. 2-3.
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