Motto: "Before becoming history and even before taking place, a lot of major events are prepared in laboratories" Some public controversial statements by some representatives of the Romanian Orthodox Church have lately caused scandal. Some politicians, civil society members and even clergy representatives consider these statements have got a political target and hence election target, as there is a short time left till elections. Here is a short survey of it. At the beginning, His Holiness Pimen, Archbishop of Suceava and Radauti, adopted firm attitude towards PSD (The Social - Democrat Party) and Adrian Nastase. But only a few days later, on October 28, at the beginning of election campaign, the same Archbishop made Nastase "one of the great founders and protectors of historical churches", as consequence to the Executive decision to give some properties back. There had been only two days since the Archbishop's latest critique against Nastase, included in an open letter. On November 28 the Romanian Orthodox Church took official attitude, as natural. They nailed Traian Basescu to the wall. They accused him of having publicly encouraged the legalizing of prostitution and gay couples, which had "nothing to do with the Christian tradition, with the morality of the Romanian people and with human and family dignity". And the show has gone on with the forceful involvement of His Highness Bartolomeu Anania, Archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj. The latter is asking the Romanian Orthodox Church to take up again "neutrality towards political parties and groups", according to the "Holly Synode in February 10-12 2004, forbidding our clergy all involvement into politics and participation in the election campaign". These are the events caused by the representatives of the Romanian Orthodox Church that explain the topic of the present scenario. The election battle, both for presidential and parliamentary elections, is so tight that every vote will matter. This means that the main participants have the duty to try and attracts as many electors as possible in order to win. And this way any ally having some influence on people become crucially important. This is why Corneliu Vadim Tudor joined a large union group and Adrian Nastase joined a party called the "TV party", as it has got a remarkable media power. As Romania joined NATO firstly by integrating military structures, the Army, is difficult to manipulate, as it is the second force in the credibility top. Or no such phenomenon has been noticed so far. The fact that Mihai Popescu, former Chief of the Army, got involved in the election campaign of PSD is the exception that confirms the rule. But it doesn't mean that there can be no surprises from now on. But now here we have assault on the Church. Has the Romanian Orthodox Church got the right to get involved in the election campaign? According to tradition, it does not. According to the decision reached by the Holy Synode in February 10-12 2004, the answer is also negative. And after it is Christian morality that forbids asking Church representatives to interfere as little as possible, if at all, into worldly deeds. It is just that there are no patterns of real life. The Church is an institution with more dimensions than the moral and religious ones. The Church has got interests as well. In order to survive the Romanian Orthodox Church too had to play a certain political role throughout its troubled history. Many a time this role was criticized and opposed. The Church is to defend moral values, such as every human being's right to exist and hence the ban on abortion. Another such value is the Christian family, hence the ban on gay couples. And there are material values as well, such as the Cathedral of Redemption or giving back a former monastery fortune. And isn't it the best time for the Church to maximize chances to get what It wants when the non - clergy force is at a loss? We are ending our long flashback here. I am firmly against Church involvement into politics, for what it wins on short term it might lose on long term. Let us be realistic and careful. What is happening in Romania in small size is happening king size in the USA election campaign, as the Catholic clergy has turned into election agent. While the Vatican is opposing the Iraq war and hence the Bush Administration, most of the Catholic clergy in the United States provide active support to Bush for his election campaign, claiming he is against gay couples and abortion. But in USA too some of the clergy stand by Kerry. And here we see what a small world is this, as far as the Church issue is concerned.

Sorin ROSCA STANESCU