Yesterday the courtyard of the Romanian Patriarchy building was invaded by a few hundred churchgoers. Despite the cold, they protested against decision to establish a new mitropoly in Transylvania, that is in Cluj-Napoca, to be ruled by His Holiness Bartolomeu Anania, Archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj. (...) Apart from the protest meeting, an open letter was sent to Romanian president Traian Basescu, PM Calin Popescu Tariceanu and the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, demanding they should get involved and stop Transylvania from splitting. (...) "I don't think it is about split" On the other hand, the Romanian Patriarchy informed they would not reconsider decision to establish a new mitropoly, describing this decision as final and irrevocable. But at the same time the Romanian Orthodox Church believes the attitude of priests coming to Bucharest for protests to be normal, even if it is the first protest of the kind. The Romanian Orthodox Church explains this is not about split. Father Constantin Stoica, spokesman of the latter institution, said: "I don't think it is about split of the Mitropoly of Transylvania if they make a new one in Cluj. The establishing of a new mitropoly in Transylvania doesn't mean split of Church unity. On the contrary, it means consolidation of it by intensifying missionary, social and cultural activities." (...)

George TARATA