Bishop Iosif Gafton, a gentle and capable hierarch (1949–1984)

His life prior to his election as a bishop

Bishop Iosif Gafton was born on 5 December 1896 in the village of Puțeni (now Valea Mărului) in Tecuci, Galați County, into the family of a priest with 12 children, and was given the name Ioan at his baptism. Under the guidance of his parents, Gheorghe and Ana, he attended primary school in his native village, then enrolled at the Theological Seminary in Galați, from which he graduated in 1920 as valedictorian, being ‘the pride and joy of our school’, as recorded in the school’s documents. His thirst for learning prompted him to continue his studies at the Faculty of Theology in Bucharest, where he obtained his degree in 1924. During his time as a student, he was appointed a teacher at the Galați Seminary, and subsequently at the Central Seminary in the capital. As a pupil and student, he distinguished himself particularly through his energy and intelligence, but also through his generosity and gentleness of spirit – qualities which Metropolitan Firmilian of Oltenia, a former colleague of his in Galați, would later describe as follows: “A merciful and gentle man, yet beneath this mercy lies an energy that does not shrink from any hardship.”1

His love for the ancestral altar, his total dedication and his sense of responsibility were instilled in him from his parents’ home. Speaking on various occasions about his family, he said of his father: “My father had a fervent, steadfast and unshakeable faith in God’s power, support and help. His church was always full of worshippers. If it ever happened that there were fewer worshippers in the church, or perhaps even none at all, my father would still have conducted the service and sung just as calmly and beautifully, and with just as much integrity and without haste as on Easter Day and on all the days when the church was full.” And of his mother he said: “She was a very good woman, tender, loving, gentle, always very dignified, very calm, a good housewife, patient and devout. She was orphaned at a young age and grew up without love, without the care and warmth of a mother, which she never knew or felt. Throughout her life, my mother devoted herself unreservedly—even to the very end—to the demands of the home, to raising her 13 children, and to understanding and supporting our father.”

Dedicated to the noble priestly vocation within the family, after completing his studies he married the young Valeria Mardare from Pitești; they had a daughter, named Emilia, who died in infancy,2 and a son, Lucian, a former priest at the Romanian Orthodox Parish in London, and later a lecturer at the Theological Institute in Bucharest.3 Driven by a desire to serve Christ, on 6 August 1925, he was ordained a deacon in Roman, and on 14 October of the same year, he was ordained a priest for the village of Rotari in Prahova County, where he carried out fruitful work for ten years, achieving excellent pastoral results.4 Here he distinguished himself through his exemplary missionary work, his achievements in managing the parish and serving the community, but above all through his fatherly care for his flock.5 He is remembered by his parishioners as a worthy minister, pious and self-sacrificing for the faith and his people, the ‘flame and soul’ of the village,6 and was awarded the Blue Sash by Patriarch Miron Cristea five years later.7 Although he endured moments of great emotional anguish following the untimely loss of his wife on 7 November 1933, he continued to carry out his work with even greater dedication, proving himself even then to be “a master of the vernacular […], an organiser full of prudence and wisdom”.8

To raise the cultural level of his congregation and combat illiteracy, he organised “a school of learning”, renting a house near the church, and personally taught literacy classes, succeeding in teaching many parishioners to read and write. At the same time, he acquired a film projector, which he used to show his parishioners scientific news, as well as useful educational and moralising activities. Waging a relentless campaign against drunkenness, cohabitation, debauchery, hooliganism, theft, lying and luxury, ‘many evils disappeared from the life of our village with the arrival of Father Gafton’. To enhance the beauty of the services, he recorded church hymns on gramophone records and, with the help of talented parishioners, ensured that all the faithful in the parish became familiar with these hymns. Alongside his work in education and moral guidance, he also took care of the practical affairs of the parish, building a parish house and renovating both churches, which he equipped with everything necessary.

To raise the cultural level of his parishioners and combat illiteracy, he organised a ‘literacy school’, renting a house near the church, and personally taught literacy classes, succeeding in helping many parishioners to learn to read and write.

In praise of his fruitful ministry in the parish, we note that in 1933 he delivered a remarkable lecture to the priests of Prahova County at the Cathedral in Ploiești, which left a deep impression on the audience. Present at the event, Professor Ioan Mihălcescu, the future Metropolitan of Moldavia, remarked with particular gratitude: ‘This year I have been luckier than ever, for the general conferences of the Prahova clergy gave me the opportunity, on 30 May, to discover in the person of my former student, Father Ion Gafton of Rotari-Ceptura, a truly rare example of a marvellous lecturer and missionary in one. For over an hour, this worthy successor to the Apostles—and a true apostle in his own right—captivated and lifted the souls of all who listened to him to dizzying heights through his masterful presentation of the topic set by the Holy Archdiocese: ‘How might a priest put into practice the principles he preaches?’. With his profound knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, his boundless wealth of missionary experience, and his Chrysostom-like gift for exposition, Father Ion Gafton made a deep impression on me. When he spoke, it seemed to me that I had before me, in one and the same person, the prophet Isaiah and Saint John Chrysostom”. And it was he, too, whilst accompanying Patriarch Miron Cristea on a visit to Rotari in 1935, in his capacity as vicar bishop, who was to remark on his return: “Anyone who wishes to see how John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of the Jordan should listen to the sermon of Father Ion Gafton of Rotari.”

The way in which he preached was noted not only by his superiors, but also by the educated people of the parish and beyond, who left several accounts of his oratorical talent. Thus, a teacher from the neighbouring village of Tărculești recalled: “We were gathered in a school hall. There was no more room inside. They had squeezed in as best they could, some even perched on the windowsills. When Father Gafton began to speak, not a breath could be heard. The entire assembly was so captivated, so in tune with the speaker himself, that I was certain that if Father Gafton had made a slight swaying gesture to the left and to the right, the whole crowd would have imitated him, spellbound. “He was a master of words.” Impressed by his qualities, through which he transformed the souls of his flock, Ion Tănase from the village of Șoimescu stated: “I don’t think there’s another priest anywhere quite like Father Ion Gafton. Even today, so long after he left us, everyone back home loves him. He was better to us than a father…”.9

Visiting the area together with Nicolae Iorga, Professor Simion Mehedinți in turn left us this portrait: “An exemplary priest, who knew how to lift this village out of the squalor in which it lay and restore it to its rightful place as a Romanian settlement within the country’s geography”, a fact confirmed by the great historian: “A priest worthy of a place in the history of the Romanian people”. Out of envy, however, certain priests filed several reports against him, accusing him of being “a dangerous Protestant or a die-hard Communist hiding beneath the guise of the Orthodox priesthood”. The Patriarch, however, having heeded the opinions of the two men of letters who had praised him for his work, blessed him to continue his ministry in the parish o10 and on 1 November 1935, he transferred him to St Catherine’s Church in Bucharest, to an unknown, unsolicited parish, lacking in material resources, comprising 40–50 families, with a poorly maintained church and a parish cottage in need of much improvement. When announcing this appointment to the priests of the Ploiești deanery, Archdeacon Vincețiu Pop remarked with admiration: ‘I am convinced, and you will see, that Father Ion Gafton will become a bishop.’

A model priest, who knew how to lift this village out of the squalor in which it lay and restore it to the true purpose of a Romanian settlement within the country’s geography.

In his installation address, Archpriest Stoica R. Ionescu said, amongst other things, of the newly appointed bishop: “A priest who is a good minister, a fine orator and a virtuous Christian.” Speaking on behalf of the parishioners on the same occasion, Professor Gh. I. Chelaru, the church’s trustee, expressed his gratitude to the high authorities “…for sending to the Church of St. Catherine a pastor of whom he has heard the most wonderful things”. According to sources of the time: “Father Ion Gafton was called from the ‘shadow of death’ in the heart of the capital to the Church of St Catherine. On his arrival here, he found hardened hearts, for no one had taught them or asked them to love God. But the new priest struck hard, like Moses at the rock, with the rod of love and faith, causing the spring of saving water to gush forth.”

Archival records show that upon his arrival here, he faced numerous and varied challenges. In addition to being called upon to preach occasionally in various parishes, the Third Deanery of Ploiești invited him to guide and encourage the priests, whom he would gather for a meeting specially arranged for this purpose. At the same time, he devoted himself to the salvation of his parishioners and to the practical needs of the village, repairing the church and the vicarage and setting aside substantial sums to help those in distress, the eradication of vices, cohabitation, theft, debauchery, etc. Speaking of his work, Father Grigoriu of St Alexius Church in Bucharest said: ‘I know Father Ion Gafton, the current Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, very well; our parishes were neighbours here in Bucharest. I have never known in my life, nor could I have imagined, that a man could achieve such heights in the priesthood as Father Gafton has achieved. Listen to me: I am an old man; you do not know me and I do not know you. If Father Ion Gafton had remained at St Catherine’s, he would have become a saint of Bucharest! He was beyond imagination! He was sublime!” According to Archpriest Ion D. Trandafir of Slatina, he was “uninterested in material gain. He has kept nothing for himself, right up to this very day. Moderate to the point of excess, communicative and approachable beyond belief, humble, uninterested in glory, and possessed of boundless altruism – these are just a few of the tributes from those who knew him very closely.”11 A man of action and generosity, he never ended his day without secretly performing a good deed.12

Because of the dignity and beauty of his ministry, people from all walks of life and of all ages came to meet him, and he was likened to ‘a light of life for the entire capital’.13 Among those wholistened to his sermons, we mention Archimandrite Grigorie Urâțescu, who came, like ‘so many others eager to be spiritually uplifted, during the deeply felt and vibrant Divine Liturgy which he celebrated, or to draw from his inspired words encouragement and strength for a pure and fruitful life of good deeds, which the whole world demands and expects of Christians. There, amongst the vast congregation of Christians of all ages and walks of life, I saw evidence of the wide scope over which his pastoral spirit could pour out its influence and blessings.”14

Endowed with a remarkable gift for public speaking, between 1939 and 1941 he served as a missionary delegate of the Metropolis, working mainly in the working-class neighbourhoods of the capital. A capable administrator and lover of books, he also served in the administration of the Archdiocese of Bucharest from 1 October 1941 to 1 November 1943, holding the posts of cultural and administrative adviser within the same chancery. Determined to devote himself entirely to Christ, he was tonsured a monk on 28 November 1942 at Neamț Monastery, taking the name Iosif. Two days later, he was elevated to the rank of protosinghel, and on 1 November 1943, he was appointed Vicar of the Romanian Patriarchate.

Bishop of Argeș. Responding to various calls from the church leadership, on 3 December 1943 he was appointed Patriarchal Vicar Bishop, with the title of Sinaitul. Accepting this new challenge, three days later he was ordained an archimandrite, and on 19 December he was consecrated as a bishop in the Patriarchal Cathedral. Less than a month after his ordination, on 15 January, the Electoral College elected him Bishop of Argeș, and he was enthroned at Curtea de Argeș on 21 May 1944. He was to set out the moral principles by which he was guided in the speech he delivered on the occasion of his enthronement: “I shall never cease to promote justice, to encourage honesty, to reward labour as it deserves, to listen to people’s troubles and to alleviate their suffering.”15

His intentions became clear during his first meeting with the priests. In setting out the programme of activity for the clergy in the parish, he made it clear from the outset that the pastor must “be clothed in the royal robe of Christian living”, as the foundation of all the work of the ministers of the Holy Altar. Following that first meeting with the clergy, at St George’s Church in Pitești, the following portrait of him began to emerge: ‘Tall and slender, with the countenance of an ascetic, commanding those around him without seeking to dominate, self-assured in every movement, with gestures that were natural and unforced, yet perfectly measured; stirring in the solemn moments of the service, when, through visible signs, he invoked the power of God, with an imposing seriousness in his lively and captivating gaze, through which one sensed, coming from within—illuminated by faith—the assurances of a grace-filled transfiguration”.16

One year after his election, between 2 and 4 February 1945, he led our Church’s delegation to Moscow, which took part in the appointment and enthronement of Alexei as Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.17 Following the establishment of the Religious Section for the Orthodox Christian Faith within the Romanian Association for the Strengthening of Ties with the Soviet Union (A.R.L.U.S.) across the country, in the spring of that year he was elected its president and took part in the proceedings of the first congress held from 20 to 23 May.18 A skilled diplomat, in 1946 he represented the Holy Synod on the Permanent Council for Theological Education within the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and on 3 July 1947, he was appointed to the Synodal Commission, which, in the autumn of that year, was to travel to Moscow to hold discussions regarding the Council of Primates of the Orthodox Churches, which the Russian Orthodox Church wished to convene there.

It is particularly worth noting that, in 1947, from 16 October onwards, he was entrusted with overseeing the affairs of the Patriarchate, as Patriarch Nicodim was ill. Having retired to Neamț Monastery, the Patriarch delegated him “to handle the day-to-day affairs of the Patriarchate and to carry out his decisions in more serious matters”. Thus, Bishop Iosif managed the day-to-day affairs of the Patriarchate until the Patriarch’s death on 27 February 1948.19

Bishop of Râmnic. In recognition of his tireless work, on 11 March 1948, Bishop Iosif was also appointed to lead the Diocese of Râmnic, as its provisional bishop, Atanasie Dincă, had resigned that very day. He led the two dioceses until February 1949, when they were merged to form the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, under his leadership. At his enthronement on 27 March 1949, held in Râmnicu Vâlcea—20—the new bishop made the following pledge to his spiritual children: ‘I pledge before God, before our ecclesiastical and lay superiors, and before all of you, that I shall always keep the door of my home and my heart open to each and every one of you, to listen to your concerns, to ease the burdens that weigh upon your souls, to comfort you in the troubles that sadden your lives, and to offer you all my help in whatever needs you may have.” And on this same occasion, Metropolitan Firmilian of Oltenia said: “You are a master of the vernacular; you knead people like a housewife kneads dough. It is a great power. You are an organiser full of prudence and wisdom […] I therefore offer you my warmest embraces, my most heartfelt wishes for a fruitful ministry, and may you follow in the footsteps of Your Eminence’s predecessors in this corner of the country, where the challenge is all the greater because your predecessors were so illustrious.” For his part, whilst taking part in that day’s festivities, Patriarch Justinian, a native of the Vâlcea region, congratulated him, stating: “Your Grace, you are Moldovan, and I have found that Moldovans get on well with the people of Oltenia, just as I have come to terms with my colleagues and parishioners in Iași. I have no doubt as to the fruitful work of Your Grace.”21

Administrative and pastoral achievements. Having reached the highest rank, Bishop Iosif identified completely with the life of the diocese, leaving behind a number of noteworthy achievements. From an appeal addressed to the clergy of the diocese as far back as 1948, when he was serving here as a locum tenens, one could see the situation in which the Diocese found itself at that time: “Upon arriving here, my dear ones, I found the Holy Diocese, which lacks everything from the most basic necessities to the most essential items, including the surrounding walls of the residence and the cathedral church—walls which have been completely destroyed by the ravages of time.”22

Endowed with love and a strong work ethic, as well as a firm faith, he began, with tact and patience, to organise the diocesan centre and the other associated institutions. Through his care and sound organisation, the episcopal residence was given a new lease of life. Following an appeal to the priests to contribute at least 1,000 lei each, so that we might ‘make ends meet’,23 between 1950 and 1960, the electrical and plumbing systems, the parquet flooring, the plasterwork, the wallpaper and the stucco in the bishop’s residence were refurbished; the furniture was restored; and in the bishop’s office, a bookcase made of oak and ash was crafted to house valuable books, whilst Murano glass chandeliers were purchased. At the same time, crystal chandeliers were installed in the main hall, the reception room and the dining room, whilst the unsuitable wooden staircase at the main entrance was replaced with a reinforced concrete staircase clad in marble.

Particular care was taken with the bell tower of the episcopal cathedral, which, due to cracks caused by the 1940 earthquake, was no longer in use. Having been reinforced, re-plastered and whitewashed, it has regained its former beauty, as have the old chancelleries which once housed the school of grammar from the time of Saint Calinic, the seminary and the printing house with Antim Ivireanul’s printing presses. Restored in 1967, they were fitted out with a meeting room, the diocesan library, a collection of antique ecclesiastical artefacts, the diocesan printing press—brought back from Craiova—and the Diocese’s new archive. Above these, a priests’ residence was built, with a capacity of 30 beds, including bathroom facilities, a laundry room, etc. Three rooms in the building were set aside as the headquarters for the Râmnicu Vâlcea Deanery.

Another significant project was the restoration of the Episcopal Chapel between 1966 and 1968, and of the cathedral in 1971, when the original frescoes, of rare beauty, were brought to light. Both the bishop’s seats and the pews in the nave were skilfully crafted by a monk in 1962, whilst the chapel, founded by Bishop Climent in the 17th century, was repaired in 1961, restored ten years later and covered with copper sheeting in 1973.

Another notable project was the restoration of the episcopal chapel between 1966 and 1968, and of the cathedral in 1971, when the original fresco, of rare beauty, was brought to light.

In 1957, a new building was constructed, housing the candle-making workshop in the basement, and the new administrative offices on the upper floor, comprising 15 spacious offices, a toilet block, an open-plan hall and three corridors, around which stretched a beautiful Romanian-style veranda. In addition, other spacious buildings were erected to house the monastic staff, complete with a kitchen, dining room, laundry and cellars. To accommodate the institution’s vehicles, three outbuildings were erected, comprising a garage, a mechanical workshop, a joinery workshop, a repair hall, a car wash bay and a fuel storage facility.

Recognising the need for apartments specially fitted out for distinguished guests from home and abroad, five such dwellings were built, complete with seven bathrooms and fitted with new furniture. To store building materials and everyday supplies, four spacious storehouses were built, fully equipped with the necessary facilities. At the same time, 1,300 fruit trees were planted on metal trellises and flower beds were laid out, featuring pansies, lilies, roses and so on, in the place where grazing once took place. The dilapidated wooden fencing was replaced on two sides by massive walls of river boulders and pressed brick, built in the Brâncoveanu style and covered with roof tiles; new gates, in the style of the surrounding wall, were built to replace the old ones, and the paths were paved with cobblestones.24

On the other hand, the Clergy’s Mutual Aid Society, which operated from one of the offices of the diocesan chancery, was not exempt from close supervision and mutual support. At all the General Assemblies of the Society, thanks were given to the bishop for his material support and the guidance he provided for effective work. ‘No unnecessary expenditure,’ he would say. ‘The Church’s money – the Diocese’s money – consists of the sweat of the faithful, which they bring to the church treasury, just as industrious bees bring drops of honey to the hive, and we are not permitted to spend it needlessly.’25

Taking these developments at the diocesan centre into account, Patriarch Teoctist, then Metropolitan of Oltenia, said at the jubilee in 1974: “Undoubtedly, the physical structures added to the heart of the episcopal residence in Râmnicu Vâlcea represent the building blocks of a precious testimony to the fruitful endeavours of His Grace Bishop Iosif. They are evidence of the stewardship of a householder who cares deeply for his home, in accordance with the word of Scripture (1 Tim. 3:4). Their value stems not only from the scale of the undertaking, but also from the signs of good taste, the attention paid to integration within the inherited ensemble, and the cultivation of tradition in the works of art. The setting of the garden, laid out on a grand scale for the episcopal cathedral; the noble staircase of the porch leading to the bishop’s study; the porticoes of the buildings, with views stretching as far as the shadows of the peaks on the horizon—all bear witness to their creator today. Above all this, however, loom the achievements of his lofty archpastoral ministry, fulfilled over so many years; we recognise, first and foremost, what is essential to the episcopate: zeal and sacrifice for the restoration of supreme unity in Jesus Christ…".26

Regarding the episcopal residence and other administrative matters, Bishop Iosif mentioned in his will, from which we quote: “…Everything I have furnished […] whether at the episcopal residence in Râmnicu Vâlcea, or at the Holy Monastery of Cozia, where I have fitted out and furnished – from my own salary – the apartment there […] shall remain in its entirety with the Holy Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș. Furthermore, as for everything else I may acquire until the end of my life, let no one lay claim to anything! It is my wish that no object be moved from its place until the arrival of my brother in ministry, who will be appointed to shepherd this God-protected diocese after me. His Grace shall then decide as he sees fit, having full authority to act as the Almighty shall inspire him.”27

A skilled organiser and steward of church affairs, Bishop Iosif then turned his attention to the vineyard at Dobrușa, the apiaries at the Păușa metochion and Turnu Monastery, the upkeep of churches and parish houses,28 as well as the restoration of several valuable historical monuments, to which the Diocese contributed significant funds. According to records from the economic sector, hundreds of monastic building sites were opened during this period for the restoration and repair of the holy sites. Thus, the monasteries of Cozia, Arnota, Ostrov, Surpatele, Cotmeana, Stănișoara, Frăsinei, Turnu, Strehareț, Iezerul, Jgheaburi, Pahomie, Pătrunsa, Goleștii Piteștiului, Titeștii, Glavacioc, Mamu and many others bear witness to the renovations and the constant care of the bishop,29, who made numerous donations to ensure the completion of the works.30 His concern for these historical monuments was expressed on 19 July 1979 at Clocociov Monastery, founded by the great voivode Mihai Viteazul: ‘Every stone and brick in the walls of these monuments embodies the entire history of the struggles and sacrifices our forebears made to preserve these holy places, to preserve our national identity, and for freedom and independence. They stand as a living testimony that our connection to this land is not of yesterday or today, but dates back to the very moment we came into being as a nation, stretching back through history to the great King of the Dacians, Burebista, who, 2,050 years ago, laid the foundations of the first centralised Dacian state – an anniversary we shall celebrate next year.”31

A consummate steward, the Bishop of Râmnic has also turned his attention to the restoration of parish places of worship. In all the parishes of the diocese, a new era has begun, characterised by intense activity to beautify the holy places and cemeteries. The bishop himself inspected on site almost all the churches built during this period – some 30 in number – and became a benefactor through significant financial contributions.32 The diocesan monograph, written during his tenure, reveals that, by 1976, churches had been built in Râjlețu-Vieroș, Purcăreni and Sălătrucelul de Jos in Argeș, Lăunele de Jos, Bălcești-Oltețul, Coltești, Fometești, Cuci-Dozești and Cermegești-Olteanca in Vâlcea, Bârca, Ibănești and Valea Mare in Olt, as well as new parish houses, bell towers and deanery offices.33 At the same time, extensive restoration work was carried out on the churches in Strejești and Vitomirești, Olt County, St George’s in Pitești, St John the Baptist’s in Ocnele Mari, and others.34 On the occasion of the consecrations, thanks were expressed to the bishop for his pastoral visits and for the financial assistance provided by the Diocesan Centre to enable the completion of this work.35

Through its care and support, the Diocese has encouraged deaneries and parishes with funding, technical assistance, encouragement and moral support, particularly for the restoration of churches that are historic monuments.36 In accordance with the country’s new administrative and territorial division, effective from 1 March 1968, the diocese had under its care the counties of Argeș, Olt and Vâlcea, which comprised 774 parishes, in addition to the monasteries, hermitages and metochions,37 and nine deaneries, almost all of which had their own premises and lodgings for priests visiting on official business. As he pointed out during a meeting, the deans were, for him, ‘the eye, the ear and the heart of the hierarch’. That is why, on another occasion, he addressed them as follows: “Do not turn a blind eye where you see neglect and indifference towards the house of God. You will answer first before God, and to the same extent you will be held to account before the authority that has placed its trust in you. Exhort, advise, urge, and give your soul no rest until you see the situation rectified.”

Through its care and support, the Diocese has encouraged deaneries and parishes with funding, technical assistance, encouragement and moral support, particularly for the restoration of historic churches.

Those who knew him closely were convinced that he enjoyed leading the diocese ‘with kindness, without compromising the principle of justice; with love for all, demanding that everyone fulfil their duty to the full; with gentleness, yet exacting first of all with himself and then with all his colleagues. Never distant from the hearts of his colleagues, through this tact he touched the hearts of everyone deeply, being respected by all”.38 His capacity for hard work and spirit of self-sacrifice led him to watch over the smooth running of church life in these regions at all hours, “guiding, coordinating and inspiring, with a high standard of excellence, the work at the diocesan centre, in every parish, monastery and hermitage, with the needs and achievements of every priest and every unit remaining steadfastly under the fatherly gaze—ever-present—of His Grace”.39 Tracing the thread of his achievements, the administrative vicar, Father Ion Dumitrescu, stated: “If, in preaching the Word of God, he was and remains ‘a healer of the Word’, through whom he stirs the souls of his listeners, ‘just as a housewife kneads dough’, and if nothing escapes his eagle-like gaze, then when it comes to resolving administrative matters he has been and remains a sharp and wise mind. […] He constantly ensures that administrative tasks are carried out promptly, clearly and in a manner that reflects a superior and mature capacity for thought. His Grace shows no tolerance for work done half-heartedly. In all the meetings he has held with his colleagues, he has advised and guided them, saying: ‘Let us be the law; let us not stray from the law; let us remain under the protection of the law’. All these exhortations proved of real benefit in the work of the diocesan chancery, for during all inspections by the competent authorities, no breaches of the law were found.”40

Worthy of note are the words of Archbishop Gherasim Cristea, spoken on the occasion of his installation as vicar bishop of the Diocese of Râmnic in 1975: “His Grace Our Bishop Iosif has been shepherding this ancient diocese for over 31 years with dedication, gentleness and competence. His Grace’s spirit as a good steward of the House of God has long been recognised. Testimony to this are the holy monasteries, the princely foundations and the churches within the diocese, which have been restored to their former glory: the churches rebuilt from the ground up, the restorations and new buildings at the diocesan centre—including the church, the chapel, the infirmary church, the offices and the guest house—for which His Grace spared no effort, time or energy. The grounds of the diocesan centre, transformed into a beautiful park and orchard, reflect His Grace’s sensitivity and practical spirit. He looks after new members of the clergy; he makes up for the shortcomings inherent in any novice by providing young ministers with priestly vestments, liturgical garments and books for the ministry, as well as a personal kit. In his meetings and work with his collaborators—diocesan councillors, archpriests and priests—His Grace urges them to work in the strictest accordance with the law: ‘Let us be subject to the law; let us remain under the protection of the law,’ says His Grace. All these exhortations have had the effect of ensuring that peace reigns in this diocese and that it becomes ever more prosperous.”41

No less important are the diocesan assemblies, from which we learn details of his work and the state of the Diocese year on year. For example, the proceedings of the Assembly of 30 January 1956 reveal that there were 1,000 priests in the diocese, assisted by even more church singers, in over 1,000 churches, spread across nearly 750 parishes, serving nearly one million believers. Given his concern for theological education, during the previous year, scholarships totalling 150,000 lei were awarded to pupils at the School of Chanters, monks and nuns in monastic seminaries, as well as to students at theological institutes.42 It is worth noting his exhortation delivered at the 1974 Assembly: ‘Let us draw closer to the souls of our faithful, so that they may always be guided from a Christian and patriotic perspective […] I hope that each of us, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, may ask ourselves: what am I doing? How am I behaving? Whom do I represent? In doing so, the Good Lord will be merciful to us and will reward us for what we accomplish in the service of our fellow human beings, in the service of humanity, and in the service of our country and our people.”43 At the 1983 Assembly, the organising committee paid him a profound tribute “in honour and high esteem for all the devotion and hard work which he so selflessly dedicates to the life of our Diocese, causing the concerns and endeavours of priests and the faithful to bear ever greater fruit in the field of the Holy Church”.44

A remarkable administrator, “self-disciplined – as Father Dumitru Sandu describes him – and constantly fostering order and discipline; critical, yet a constructive and objective critic, constantly concerned with rectifying errors, making full use of his personal contribution in this regard—rigorous, prudent, and an inspiration for the fairest and most well-founded decisions, solutions and suggestions”,45 the Primate of Râmnic also took part in orientation conferences, clarifying various topics set by the Holy Synod and guiding the priests to align their lives with Gospel principles, so as to be of service both to the Church and to the country.46 For example, at the meetings held on 3–4 October 1956 in the village church of Potcoava, for the Deanery of the Potcoava district, and at the Cultural Centre in Slatina, he emphasised communal singing during the Divine Liturgy and the fulfilment of the true priestly vocation as an example of faith, love and self-sacrifice. Through these, he was able to correct the conduct of the clergy, to sanction misconduct and to reward those who had distinguished themselves through sustained effort.47

[…] self-disciplined […] and constantly fostering order and discipline; critical, yet a constructive and objective critic, continually concerned with rectifying errors, making full use of his personal contribution in this rigorous and thoughtful manner […]

It is also worth noting here that on 23 January 1959, he attended a gathering at the Diocesan Centre to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the union of the Romanian principalities, organised on the initiative of the Trade Union Committee of workers and employees at the Diocese. After the conference, expressing his joy at having been present at this wonderful anniversary, he highlighted the role of the clergy in realising the great aspiration of Romanians everywhere: “The Church and its ministers were present then, just as they are now: they too participate enthusiastically in both achievements and celebrations.”48

At the same time, we must not overlook the fact that, under his leadership, on 16 October 1955, celebrations took place in Râmnicu Vâlcea to mark the solemn service for the universal veneration of Saint Gregory of the Bistrița Monastery throughout the Romanian Orthodox Church. At the end of the service, which took place in the presence of Patriarch Justinian, Patriarch Cyril of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and other prominent hierarchs, Vladyka Iosif Gafton said: ‘And so, over time – not only at the Holy Monastery of Bistrița and in the surrounding villages, but first of all throughout the county of Vâlcea, and subsequently in all five counties of Oltenia, the life of St Gregory the Decapolite came to be known and – through prayers to his holy relics and the solace found there – his fame spread throughout Oltenia, and God was glorified in His saints. This continued century after century, until gathered around the holy relics were not only the people of Oltenia, but also acquaintances, friends or relatives of theirs from beyond the mountains: from Banat and Transylvania, from across the River Olt, from Muntenia and, not infrequently, even from Moldavia itself; the news of the life and miracles of Saint Gregory the Decapolite thus spread throughout the Romanian lands and beyond our borders, with prayers from all quarters being directed, through the intercession of the Saint, towards God.”49

Concern for the seminaries. Alongside the training of church personnel in the spirit of discipline and love for one’s neighbour, and the widespread veneration of Saint Gregory the Decapolite, the Bishop of Râmnic was also concerned with the training of young seminarians, called to serve at the altars of their forefathers. Thus, he made every effort to attend all the celebrations at the Craiova Seminary, particularly on 25 January, the feast day of Saint Gregory the Theologian, the institution’s patron saint, or at the end of the academic year. On each occasion, he would address the students, advising them to study and conduct themselves in a manner befitting future ministers of the Church. Together with the metropolitan, he would present the awards and was particularly delighted when the award-winners came from his own diocese. He would reward some of the deserving pupils by employing them, for example, during the summer holidays at the Bishop’s House, with various duties at the church, in the library, working in the grounds or at monasteries.50

But the bishop did not neglect the girls either, paying particular attention to the training of those who were to enter monastic life.51 For example, on 1 October 1956, at the opening of the academic year at the Hurezi Seminary, after congratulating the management and the students on the programme organised, he urged the teachers to look after those children “who are our pride and joy: our heritage and treasure, our love, our future”, so that none of them “may be lost, but that you may help them and teach them to bear witness to Him who, for our sake and for our salvation, came down from heaven”. He also drew the teaching staff’s attention to the need to take into account “not only the fulfilment of the school curriculum and other programmes, drawn up by the One who founded the Church and guides it”, but also the concerns and problems “arising from the pupils’ age, circumstances and the specific nature of the place from which they come”. Addressing the pupils themselves, he said, amongst other things: “School is the institution that is accessible to all. It gives a person four eyes and, as the old Romanian saying goes, it gives a person a ‘share in life’. A person without an education sees only half the picture; they are poor and have no ‘cică parte’. An education illuminates life, lightens the mind, paves the way and broadens horizons; an education reveals mysteries. A person without an education is like a chick which, enclosed within its shell, believes that this is all there is to life and is surprised when, upon hatching, it sees that there is something else out there.”52

Learning illuminates life, lightens the mind, paves the way and broadens horizons; learning reveals mysteries.

Pastoral ministry. Drawing on his wealth of pastoral experience, Iosif Gafton strove to fulfil in every respect the duties of a good hierarch, guiding his spiritual flock along the path to salvation with love, devotion and wisdom. His spiritual profile as a skilful shepherd of souls was known to the clergy and the faithful throughout the country. In a brief tribute delivered on the tenth anniversary of his ministry, an archimandrite from the Metropolis of Oltenia noted: “The hierarch of Râmnic is a good neighbour of ours, a careful steward of that ancient episcopal see, the gentle yet resolute bishop of the Vâlcea region, a man of honest and upright character, who bears within him all the trials of his priesthood, a man of peace and a guide heeded by the faithful in their pursuit of a better life”.53 On the occasion of his 25th anniversary as bishop of the Diocese of Râmnic, Bishop Vasile of Oradea describes him as follows: “But when it comes to a spiritual matter, to a particularly distressing case of inner turmoil, doubt or suffering on someone’s part, you see him startle, his blue eyes sparkling beneath his bushy eyebrows, how he becomes attentive to everything he is told and does not let the conversation end until he finds out what has become of that soul, how it was saved, how its trouble was resolved and how it was comforted in its pain. Suddenly his countenance darkens or brightens; he rejoices or grieves, and resolves to come to the aid of that soul. His Grace Joseph of Argeș and Râmnic is a great conqueror of souls for God. […] The love, mercy and kindness of his heart are not of a pitying, sentimental nature, but are always manifested in redemptive deeds. As one who has spent many years in the fire of suffering, he knows that this is not healed by sweet words of sympathy, but by acts of assistance. The key to his being chosen as a shepherd of souls is the love he has for people, the esteem in which he holds them, and his awareness of the mission that man has in the world.”54

Archimandrite Grigore Urițescu, who knew him, was to offer another portrait on the 30th anniversary of his ministry, describing him as: “a man, a priest, a hierarch, an honest and enthusiastic patriot, determined to fill his days and years with deeds designed to enhance the Church’s heritage and honour his homeland […] Kind, contemplative and dynamic at the same time, serene as a spring day in moments of respite and relaxation, yet fierce and unyielding at work, like a peasant raised from the depths of the soil and engaged in the struggle to make it fruitful.”55 On the same occasion, the priest Dumitru Sandu wrote: “With a radiant countenance, a gentle manner of speaking, and comforting, thoughtful replies, deeply understanding of the human soul, receptive and open to all, unspeakably joyful when he encounters zeal and active love, he crowns the golden years of his old age with gentleness and good order”.56

No less interesting is the image left over the years by Professor Ivan Ilie of the Faculty of Theology in Pitești, who, in compiling his sermons into a book, described him thus: “His imposing figure, his majestic bearing, his powerful voice, his heart that of a true father—kind and loving, impartial towards his spiritual sons—keep him alive in the hearts of all who knew him […] Anyone who saw or knew Bishop Joseph was left with a very favourable impression; those who heard him speak were also deeply impressed by his piercing gaze, his voice and the power of his words, which stirred and penetrated the depths of the soul like a sword.”57

Beneath his imposing and resolute demeanour, however, lay a warm, fatherly heart, ever ready to come to the aid of his fellow human beings. According to contemporary accounts, “he was a man of order and discipline, honest and generous, sharing his bread with the poor, not only when they knocked at his door, but also on his own initiative, seeking them out when they neither thought of nor expected it”.58 Because of his generous nature, people from all over the places where he carried out his ministry would come “with humble love to see him, to hear his golden words, to seek advice, and to receive a bishop’s blessing. They all come like children to their good father, for the door is open to all, at any hour of the day or night. So too is his heart.”59

A fine preacher. Serving God and the world steadfastly, Bishop Iosif followed in the footsteps of the great hierarchs of Râmnic, placing all that was most precious to him upon the altar of Orthodoxy and of the nation. Through his experience as a lecturer and then as a diocesan missionary, as a priest and especially as a bishop, he distinguished himself as one of the greatest preachers of his time. The creed of his ministry was expressed upon his election as a bishop: “I shall not cease to promote justice, to encourage honesty, to reward labour as it deserves, to listen to people’s troubles and to alleviate their suffering.”60 Gifted with the gift of eloquence, “continuously cultivated through reading and meditation”, he proved to be a “skilful master of the word”. Deeply impressed by his sermons, Father Gh. Chirițescu of Pitești, as a former colleague of his, was to describe his talent as an orator in these terms: “Indeed, Bishop Iosif’s words stir, pierce, enlighten, warm, shake, amaze, captivate and compel. They make you lose all sense of time and space; you cannot get enough of them and wish they would never end. […] At church consecrations, when he appears before the faithful dressed in his episcopal vestments, with his mitre upon his head, tall, slender, lively, gentle and energetic all at once, his chest adorned with a rich, white beard, he brings to mind the figures of patriarchs and prophets. When, before and during his address, he casts his gaze over the congregation—eyes capable of radiating a whole spectrum of glimmers—you feel drawn into a magnetic circle from which you cannot, nor do you wish to, escape: it captivates you, it stirs you, yet it does not weary you in the slightest; rather, it delights you, refreshes you and nourishes your soul. […] The beauty of His Grace Bishop Iosif’s speeches is greatly enhanced by the moral anecdotes, proverbs, similes and beautiful figures of speech with which he weaves his discourse like an Oltenian carpet strewn with flowers. At a deans’ orientation conference in Pitești, in connection with the topic under discussion, His Grace recited to us the first stanza of Mihai Beniuc’s poem ‘The Apple Tree by the Roadside’, which refers to ‘the land that holds us close to its bosom, nourishing you and me’."61

A fine preacher and consummate minister, he often moved the hearts of his congregation during the service, “through his whole being, through his presence, through his passion”.62 His words, combined with his deeds, penetrated souls like “‘rain in a furrow’—beneficial rain that ceaselessly turns the soil of hearts, quenches spiritual thirst, extinguishes inhumanity, eradicates the lust of bloodthirsty men and plants the cross of peace in the hardened fields”.63 Having known him closely, Father Nicolae Bălă, a church administrative adviser, describes him thus: “A rare, complex and rich personality, he loves people as God’s creatures and nurtures their souls, creating rivers of life within their hearts. His teaching is decisive, for through the serenity of his thought and the quality of his expression, imbued with a devout spirit, in a clear form and a popular style, in the spirit of a sermon and in the tradition of ecclesiastical teaching, he conveys great and profound truths of the faith in refined and charming forms, which touch the heart and enable every person to do good. His Grace’s words, expressed in this way, are robust and full of optimism, imbued with a profound sense of moral guidance and sound principles of the Christian understanding of life. His Grace’s exhortations, through the flexibility of his psychological insight, through the grace of the ancient sermons and through his down-to-earth, folksy manner, through the contrasts that keep the listener’s attention riveted and captivate through the use of evocative and vivid comparisons drawn from life, ‘penetrate the human soul like rain into furrows and ceaselessly turn the soil of hearts’.”64

A tireless preacher, on the occasion of his various canonical visits to the diocese, he would preach on topical themes and conclude by saying: “The time will come when I shall stand before the Righteous Judge, Who will ask me: ‘Joseph, did you teach the people according to the law?’, and then I shall reply: ‘Ask them, Lord’; therefore I beg you to listen to me, to take these words to heart and to put them into practice.”58 In his sermons, “he denounced sins, passions and lawlessness, which he regarded as signs of rebellion and moral depravity, even resorting to the whip of holy wrath, which he always believed to be useful and which he employed without reservation when circumstances demanded it, precisely in order to awaken consciences and turn hearts towards higher things”.65 Here is what he said, for example, about sin in a sermon delivered in the Argeș region: “Sin is the drop of poison that poisons one’s whole life; it is the beast which, through the seven deadly sins, wages war in every way against righteous living; it is the poisoned sword that severs the bond between one person and another and between us and God; it disturbs the being, corrupts the soul, weakens the will, wears down the body, tears the family apart, destroys harmony, breaks the laws of humanity, sets people against one another, and sows the seeds of war and destruction.”66

Believers from every corner of the diocese were enriched by his words, “full of rich counsel and life-building in Christ”67. From an account by Archimandrite Ilarion of Craiova, we learn that at the consecration of the church in the village of Fișcălia, in the commune of Ionești, “those who saw and heard him, on 12 November 1949, in the church on Dealul Viilor, have not forgotten the Bishop of Râmnic. They cherish a vivid memory of him and follow the fatherly advice they received from him at that time. And for those who knew him then, His Grace Father Iosif of Râmnic and Argeș remains present in the holy church of that parish through the kind, beautiful and radiant image painted to the left of the door, inside that holy church.”68

In 1954, during the service for the Resurrection of the Lord, held amongst the faithful of the parish of Stănislăvești, in the commune of Oarja, Argeș County, he urged the parishioners to work for the spring campaign, and then, in his sermon, emphasised the importance of the family in Christianity. At Vespers, celebrated the following day at the episcopal cathedral, he stated that “work and prayer are duties commanded of every Christian, and without them no one can attain spiritual enlightenment and salvation”, and during Monday’s service, held at St George’s Church in Râmnicu Vâlcea, he offered guidance on living a good Christian life: ‘Our being is like a storeroom, which can sometimes be lit and at other times dark. It is up to us how we organise our lives. Some darken their lives by shutting themselves off and refusing to let in any ray of light or breath of air. In such a spiritual storeroom, the spiders of sin and evil creep in, making life repulsive and impossible. Let us, therefore, each of us, throw open the windows and doors of our souls wide, so that the light of goodness and love, and the fragrant atmosphere of labour, may enter them.69

70 also urged the faithful of the parish of Călimănești II to lead such a good life during his visit on 9 May 1954, calling on them to combat vices and deviations from the Christian way of life, as well as those in the parish of Mijlocul, in the commune of Cremenari, to whom he advised them to look after their families and homes, so as to lead a pure and fruitful life: “May the webs of wickedness never take hold either in their homes or in their hearts. Let the windows of the soul be thrown wide open to air out their thoughts and bring fresh renewal. In this way, life may be revitalised and the mind enlightened towards productive work and peace. Let everyone heed the calls of the community and not be idle, especially now, in the midst of the agricultural work.”71

He also addressed a word of teaching to the faithful of the parish of Călimănești I on 27 May 1956, when he spoke to them about health and well-being amongst people, which bring happiness to each and every one of us,72 as well as to those in Râjlețu-Vieroși, at the consecration service of the church, when “he touched the souls of the faithful like a rain that brings forth fruit”.73 In another sermon, delivered in May 1958 in the parish of Perieți, Slatina district, he urged the parishioners to lead a good life, and to practise love and peace: “Live in peace with one another. Love one another, just as Christ loved the world, so much so that He gave His life for it”, whilst to those in the parish of Alba-Olanu, Băbeni district, he told them to love the Church and their homeland in equal measure: “The Church and the country are our two eyes, which we ought to love above all else and must defend at all costs.”74 Whilst visiting Văleni Monastery on 21 July 1979, he made a heartfelt appeal to every nun to honour this place through a virtuous, peaceful and harmonious life, sacredly observing the monastic rules and ordinances, as well as “spiritual purity, so that they may sail upon the sea of life, churned by the storm of temptations”.75

A hierarch amongst priests. Possessing a deep understanding of the priestly life, with all its joys and trials, during his 35 years as archbishop of this diocese, he proved to be particularly concerned with the continuous improvement of pastoral and missionary work, guiding the priests to find the most suitable means of defending and strengthening the faith of their forefathers.76 His view of the role of the priesthood is evident even from his address on the occasion of his consecration as a bishop: ‘I am aware of the help and support of my brothers in the chosen, diligent and Christ-loving priesthood. This priesthood, which loves the holy sanctuaries of the churches to the point of self-sacrifice and which strives with all its might to ensure that these sanctuaries are solid, clean and beautifully adorned, and always filled with the faithful; this clergy, who, ardently loving the unbroken and regular celebration of the holy services and especially the Divine Liturgy, strive always not only to present the most dignified appearance, wearing clean and well-kept vestments, and using liturgical books and sacred objects that shine with purity and beauty, but also to possess luminous souls full of devotion to the Gospel; this priesthood, which has made and continues to make its home, its family and its life a pulpit for preaching and exemplifying a pure Christian way of life; this priesthood, which is, in the lives of the faithful, the leaven that causes the whole dough to rise; this priesthood, which labours in all parishes to bring spiritual comfort to all hearts—this priesthood I love, respect and cherish.”77

Living a life of great spiritual depth, he had a significant influence on the attitude and conduct of the clergy in the diocese entrusted to his pastoral care. “Like a great heart, which pulses life into the body”, the Bishop of Râmnic “imparted this inspiration not only to those around him and close to him, but also to the furthest corners of the diocese, to priests, chanters and the faithful, filling them all with his spiritual riches”.78 His speech, always “seasoned with salt”, “lively and colourful”, his “energetic ministry” and his “proverbial punctuality” commanded boundless respect from all, offering the model of a true shepherd.79 “A consummate celebrant of religious services, gifted with the gift of the gab, a good and prudent steward, possessing an imposing presence, yet also a sincere love for people”, he remained a living example for priests, whom he urged to maintain a dignified demeanour and to fulfil their liturgical and pastoral duties with integrity.80

His speech, always “seasoned with salt”, “lively and colourful”, his “enthusiastic ministry” and his “proverbial punctuality” commanded boundless respect from all, offering the model of a true shepherd.

‘His commanding yet gentle voice, his approachable and fatherly episcopal demeanour, his clear, confident and measured in every task, as well as his tireless and attentive concern for every moment and for every diocesan matter’ have imprinted upon their hearts the model of a ‘hierarch of order, of good stewardship and of our ecclesiastical ministry’.81 His dignified countenance was etched in the memories of many when he uttered the following words: “O Lord, O Lord, look down from heaven and see; examine this vine which Your right hand has planted, and bring it to perfection.”82

It is worth noting that, upon entering the clergy, all young candidates for the priesthood received from him as a gift a set of vestments, a priest’s surplice and some of the liturgical books, with a view to alleviating the material hardships inherent in any missionary beginning,83 and upon their departure he would say to them: ‘Tend the flock well if you wish to drink its milk!’84 The staff of the Diocesan Centre received a litre of wine from the Diocese’s cellar at Easter and Christmas, and a few kilograms of apples from the garden in late autumn.85 Out of care and love for his spiritual children, he always kept the doors of the bishop’s residence open until late at night, being “ready and happy to listen to anyone in need of his advice and help”. He would often pay unannounced visits to their homes to check on their families, bless their children, advise and guide them, and provide them with discreet financial assistance. Alongside his service to God, he loved to minister alongside the priests in their parishes, at priests’ conferences, and at services held on various occasions, seeking to get to know their parish, their work and their families first-hand. Taking a keen interest in their lives, he would say during these conferences: ‘I am deeply concerned with the salvation of each and every priest. I have always been concerned with the quality of the priest, knowing full well that this ensures the proper guidance of souls. That is why the lives of priests must be like fireflies, whose light, shining in the darkness, does not fade even at the height of the day.” A country priest himself, he was to remark on another occasion: “In every village, however isolated; in every hamlet, however small and scattered, lost in the depths of valleys or strewn across ravines and hilltops, there labours a priest who strives to fulfil his mission, to whomis allowed any delay and who must be ready at any moment to respond to any call that might take him, day or night, in rain or snow, in scorching heat or freezing cold, wherever it may arise’.86

As Father Ilie Stupare of St George’s Church in Râmnicu Vâlcea testifies, the bishop possessed all the qualities of a good teacher and archpastor. Sometimes his rebuke was harsh but edifying; at other times, he would rebuke without using harsh words. For example, ‘during a canonical visit to the Argeș region, when he asked: ‘Is the Presveștenie performed here?’, a priest less familiar with the old liturgical terms, thinking it referred to some kind of plant, replied: ‘It is not performed, Your Grace, because the ground is stony’. The eparch’s reply was simply: ‘Yes, yes, I can see that!’”87

Last but not least, it is only right to say that he always sought to defend the interests of the Church, its priests and his faithful. For example, when a county party secretary came to call him to account for failing to comply with directives, after letting him speak, he interrupted him, saying: “Mr Secretary, the meeting is over!” and was the first to leave the room. As is evident from the intelligence reports, towards the end of his life, he criticised certain measures taken by the authorities, which is why, upon hearing the news of his death, the officer who had been monitoring him breathed a sigh of relief. In his meetings with representatives of the county’s Culture Department, he would often tease them playfully because the authorities were neglecting historical monuments, for which the Diocese had neither the necessary permits for repairs nor the funds required for renovation. Some of them said they felt more nervous at meetings with the bishop than with senior party officials.88

Cultural activity. Over the course of his 40 years of ministry, Bishop Iosif Gafton distinguished himself as a zealous preacher and missionary, publishing prayer books, edifying writings, articles, pastoral letters and sermons in church periodicals,89 monographs and leaflets on the monasteries of Dintr-un Lemn, Cozia, etc., and, at the Biblical Institute, two volumes of the monograph on the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, compiled by Father Dumitru Sandu.90 In 1976, on the occasion of his 80th birthday, when the history of the diocese was published, his colleagues at the Diocesan Centre, in paying tribute to him, wrote: “A sunlit peak, we shall call it, towards which the eyes of the clergy and the faithful of the diocese turn with pride and gratitude.”91

Of great significance are the speeches delivered at various times and on various occasions throughout his priestly and episcopal ministry, which describe him as “a valiant champion of peace and freedom, a defender of truth and justice, a promoter of honour and humanity, an apostle of Christ in the second millennium, a lover of his people and country, and also a great preacher”. Published in 2014, under the care of Father Ilie Ivan, in the book Seven Sermons. † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, these “reflect not only his intelligence, theological training, culture and rhetorical skills – says His Eminence Archbishop Varsanufie – but also his moral character and his concern for the spiritual edification of his flock, for the salvation of their souls”.92

In his first sermon, published in 1936 whilst he was a priest in Bucharest, under the title ‘Lord, Help!’, the author shows that we must never trust in ourselves, but in God, so as not to hinder our own work. The second, printed in the same year under the title ‘Straying and Guidance’, focuses on the importance of having a guide in our spiritual life, so that we do not stray from the true faith. No less interesting is the Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent, delivered in 1940, at the urging of Patriarch Nicodim, ‘before the microphone’, in which he shows that spiritual healing can be granted only by Christ the Saviour. ‘What, then, is the child who disobeys his parents or his mentors? What is the young man who squanders his youth thoughtlessly? What is the husband or wife who does not steadfastly preserve pure faith towards one another and does not value each other as they ought? […] What is a person who prays to God only in times of need? […] Are they not merely weak in spirit? Sick souls, who can no longer move of their own accord and who cannot find healing!”

Soul-nourishing teachings are also found in His Grace the Bishop’s sermon at the Holy Monastery of Hurezi on 21 May 1949, in which he urges his audience to flee “from curses, from swearing, from theft, from unbelief, from lies, from fornication […] Turn away from sin. Better to have fire on one’s tongue than to utter nasty jokes, double-entendre, curses or insults. Better for one’s hand to wither than to steal. Better for one’s feet to be crippled than to walk the paths of perdition. Better that the eyes should go blind than that they should look upon evil things.”

Another sermon is Gifts and Offerings – Clarifications for the Uninformed, an admirable defence of the ministering priesthood and of the gifts received by the Lord’s servants ‘as a just reward for the toil and time they devote to those who call upon them’. In this pastoral letter he concluded: “Let us therefore be clear, beloved clergy, that no one, whoever they may be, can prevent you from receiving the gift of love and gratitude from your spiritual children. Let it be understood, therefore, beloved faithful of our Holy Church, that the Romanian has never remained in debt; that his historical heritage and the nobility of his Christian soul haveever allowed him to accept a service for nothing, that the Romanian has never held out his hand in abject and humiliating begging, but has always lived up to the standards of his forefathers. Do not, therefore, allow your shepherds to suffer, for this suffering will also be reflected upon you’.

The sixth sermon, on the Coronation of Woman: the Mother, is a eulogy to the Christian woman and especially to the mother, who contributes as much as the priests to the Christian upbringing of children: “We do not need women who are ‘modern’, frivolous, alcoholics, smokers, with dyed hair and depraved; but we need mothers who keep watch all night at the bedside of a sick child, who, left alone with their young children, do not despair, but struggle, gritting their teeth, with eyes full of tears, their hands scratched and bloodied, for the proper upbringing of their beloved and precious offspring; mothers who kneel alongside their children before the icon, where they teach them from a very tender age to say their prayers; mothers whose hearts and lives are like a spring from which light, warmth, love and guidance constantly flow for those whom they, with God’s help and in His name, have brought into the world”.

The final discourse, entitled ‘Fasting’, is a short treatise of 13 pages, containing stories inspired by everyday life. It is worth noting the following conclusion from this exposition: “If fasting is confined solely to these abstentions—that is, solely to food—and does not cross the boundary from the realm of the body into that of the soul, then it remains entirely in vain. Then we shall have toiled in vain. For even if, after breaking his fast, a man retains the same impulses and passions, his fast is that of a serpent or a bear. When the time of hibernation ends, both the serpent and the bear, with their former savagery and cruelty, set out in search of prey.”93

Also preserved from the Bishop of Râmnic are several tributes dedicated to Patriarchs Nicodim Munteanu and Justinian Marina, and to Metropolitan Firmilian Marin: Tribute to Patriarch Nicodim of Romania – On the occasion of his 80th birthday, Tribute to His Eminence Firmilian, Metropolitan of Oltenia, on his 60th birthday, The 20th anniversary of the enthronement of His Beatitude Patriarch Justinian – a tribute to His Beatitude Justinian, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church,94 as well as several exhortations: An Exhortation to sow the fields and to help the people of Moldova, The Census. Its Necessity and Usefulness and An Exhortation to Work for Our Villagers,95, alongside articles: Our Monuments96 and Inter-Orthodox Statements over the Last Ten Years.97

Thanks to his efforts, the first issue of the ‘Church, Missionary and Patriotic Guide’ was published in 1984, in which readers could find, as he himself puts it: ‘pages on peace, which is so threatened in our day, articles and news items on church and cultural life, etc. within the Holy Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, on the economic and social achievements in the counties within whose territory our diocese lies, etc.”98

His pastoral letters for the Nativity and Resurrection of the Lord are also highly revealing, in which he addresses various themes: historical, patriotic, dogmatic, social, moral, apologetic, biblical, liturgical, and those concerning hygiene, etc. In all his writings, he depicted the issues of life: peace, disarmament, justice, community work, friendship, progress, culture, the Christian woman in her role as mother and wife, children, etc. and he combated sin in all its forms with vivid and compelling examples.99

Speaking of his pastoral tact, Bishop Vasile of Oradea remarked: ‘His Grace’s words and writings are always uplifting, full of fatherly love, like balm upon the wounds of the soul. His Grace’s pastoral letters on the great feasts are full of spiritual fervour, always aiming at the salvation of the soul. In them, he constantly seeks harmony between heaven and earth, between God and the faithful, between the Creator and His creation, between the ideal and reality. His pastoral exhortation is directed entirely towards the moral and material well-being of the faithful, and towards the good, peace and prosperity of the homeland.”100

Of particular note is, first and foremost, the pastoral letter for the Resurrection of the Lord in 1946, in which the hierarch said: “Therefore, clean your homes, your bodies and your clothes regularly! Sweep your homes, whitewash them as often as possible, and air them out by opening the windows every day. Wash your face, hands and feet with soap and water every day, and your whole body every week. Water is plentiful and free. Shake out your clothes and bedding from the rooms, taking them outside to air as often as possible, and change them regularly, so that poisonous insects, which bring all manner of plagues and even death, do not take up residence on your bodies or in your homes.”101 We also recall the 1972 Christmas pastoral letter, in which he urges his flock to serve ‘moral and spiritual beauty, through which earthly life and material life are also strengthened, not merely the spiritual. A person devoid of the eternally valid beauty of humanity—such as, for example, the grumbler, the ill-wisher, the misanthrope, the malcontent, the envious, the lazy, the suspicious, the hateful, the lecher, drunkard, thief, dishonest person, etc., cannot be regarded as a builder of new life as long as they do not strive until they succeed in first becoming a ‘human being’…” And he concludes poignantly, beautifully, majestically: “To be human is the ideal. To become so when we are not is the Saviour’s commandment.”102

In the pastoral letter read on the occasion of Easter 1974, he went on to state that “The Church is Christ, Christ is the Church, and outside the Church there is no Christianity, there is no salvation. Since we confess that Christ is alive, we too—who bear the name of Christians—must be alive; this obliges us to be what we call ourselves, that is, not to be content with being merely a shell without substance, merely a label without the content it signifies, merely a name, without a Christian life, just as the Pharisees were, whom the Saviour lashed out at with the harshest words: ‘whitewashed tombs, brood of vipers’ etc.”103 That same year, at Christmas, he emphasised the importance of the joy brought by this feast: “Joy is not possible where there is misunderstanding, frowns, tension, or bitterness. The slightest wrinkle on the face of our soul makes joy impossible – sincere, genuine joy. It – joy – can exist only where mutual understanding reigns, where reconciliation has taken root, where forgiveness flourishes. This is the atmosphere in which Christians can truly feel at one with one another, can sincerely understand that they are brothers and sisters to one another, and can belong fully to the same complete community.”104

We also find particularly important advice in the 1983 Easter pastoral letter: “Think and do nothing but good deeds, which honour man here on earth and make him a child of light in the life to come, the life without end. Do not be envious or slanderous! These things debase man and degrade him. ‘Pay attention to those who labour amongst you, to those who, in accordance with the order, lead you in the Lord and give you sound advice; and, for their labour, regard them as worthy of your special love’ (1 Thess. 5:12–13). Do not forget prayer, which keeps you close to God, strengthens you and helps you in your work and endeavours for the better.”105

Equally significant is the 1983 Christmas pastoral letter, in which he says: ‘Our forefathers and ancestors did not wage wars of conquest and did notstruck anyone out of a blind desire to strike or subjugate in any way whatsoever, but fought only when and if the times demanded it, and solely for the sake of justice and social freedom, and for national unity and independence. Our Romanian people have made countless sacrifices of human lives to forge their spiritual and national unity. […] The idea of our permanence on this sacred land, bathed in blood and sprinkled with the tears of our forefathers and ancestors, as well as the idea of spiritual and national unity, have illuminated and warmed, like two torches, the conscience of our people throughout its two-thousand-year history. The Romanian people are united by their origin, their language, their faith, their culture and their spiritual makeup.”106

As a final testament, he leaves his archpastors the light of his last pastoral letter from Holy Easter in 1984: “Today we are all called to enter into the joy of our Lord and ‘to partake of the feast of faith and the riches of goodness’, for from Christ’s tomb ‘forgiveness has dawned for all’, says St John Chrysostom. […] The Resurrection from the dead of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, is the bedrock of our faith. […] But if, through the Resurrection, we have been clothed in the light of divine grace, we must bring this grace to life and make it active through deeds of faith, love and peace…”.107

The struggle for peace. It is also worth noting the work carried out in defence of peace. He never missed an opportunity to address the clergy and faithful throughout the diocese with earnest exhortations to act in the service of peace, making particular use for this purpose of meetings with priests, his Christmas and Easter pastoral letters, as well as circulars, speeches and sermons. “This modest and anonymous clergy holds the firm conviction—which it knows how to instil in the hearts of the faithful—that peace means heaven, and war, hell”, he was to say at the 1956 Diocesan Assembly.108 “Let us support with all our hearts and with all our conviction the struggle of working people to eliminate the causes of war and establish lasting peace on earth, condemning colonial oppression, exploitation and social injustices in the countries where wars are being plotted,” he urged all clergy and the faithful in his 1963 Easter pastoral letter. He also said, ‘[l]et us love peace fervently throughout the world; let us cherish life dearly, living it in virtue and dignity, for such a life is the foundation of progress, strength, happiness and all joys”.109

He was to express his lofty conception of peace in his 1971 Christmas pastoral letter: ‘Peace is the eternal yearning of the good heart! Where there is no peace, the sun is not the sun, summer is not summer, the flower is not a flower. There, everything is tasteless, like food without salt.”110 Furthermore, in 1983, during the proceedings of the Diocesan Assembly, he said: “Our Church, by its very nature, has been and remains a servant of peace, but in these situations of extreme tension, it considers itself duty-bound to stand, together with our entire people and all lovers of peace throughout the world, as an unwavering defender of peace and opponent of war.”111

Peace is the eternal yearning of the good heart! Where there is no peace, the sun is not the sun, summer is not summer, the flower is not a flower.

“A resolute champion of peace and a true spiritual father to his children” – this is how Patriarch Justinian described him in a sermon delivered at the Episcopal Cathedral on Sunday, 18 August 1963.112 And, indeed, through his actions, “he proved himself to be a faithful champion of the great ideals of peace and social justice of our time, a herald of the spirit of the new life and a sincere supporter of material and spiritual prosperity, an honourable, peaceful and hard-working citizen, with a love for his country and its people’.113 For him, “the main prerequisite for achieving world peace is love for humanity, for human life—the supreme good—regardless of skin and eye colour, philosophical views, or political and social systems”.114

[…] the main condition for achieving world peace is love for humanity, for human life, the supreme good, regardless of skin and eye colour, philosophical views, or political and social systems.

Known for his diplomatic skills, on 29 August 1955 he received a cultural delegation from Denmark “with generous hospitality”, providing those present with insights into the priceless treasures of our historical past.115 According to other sources, between 4 and 18 June 1958, he received a Russian delegation, led by Bishop Pavel of Perm and Solikamsk, which had come to the country to mark the tenth anniversary of Patriarch Justinian’s enthronement, and in 1963, he was part of our Church’s delegation which took part, from 14 to 22 July, in the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the episcopate of Patriarch Alexei of Moscow and All Russia. On 2–6 May 1968, together with other members of our Church, he visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and in the autumn of that same year, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, he travelled to England to discuss matters relating to the situation of the Romanian Orthodox Church, theological issues, church administration and so on. Throughout his stay in England, representatives of the Church of England spoke highly of our Church and of the marvellous achievements of the Romanian people during that period.116

Also in 1968, to mark the 20th anniversary of Patriarch Justinian’s enthronement, a delegation from the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, led by Patriarch Benedictos and Metropolitan Heronimos of Greece, visited the Centre and celebrated a service in the Diocesan Cathedral to pay tribute to the honouree in the very places where he had been trained for his high office.117

In August of the following year, Bishop Joseph received a visit from Archbishop Pavali of Karalia and All Finland, together with 37 clergy and laity, who came to the Diocesan Centre, and between 21 February and 7 March 1970, at the invitation of the Church of England, he attended the consecration as bishop of Canon Robert Runcie for the Diocese of St Alban’s, London. In his address, the hierarch expressed his gratitude for the hospitality shown to him by the representatives of England, noting that the Romanian Orthodox Church also holds the Church of England in high esteem and values its efforts towards Christian unity.118

Later, in 1972, Patriarch Justinian, accompanied by Patriarch Pimen of Russia, visited the Diocese of Oltenia, celebrating the Divine Liturgy on 29 October in the cathedral at Râmnicu Vâlcea.117 At the end of the service, Bishop Joseph assured the two primates that his flock were ‘deeply attached to the Church of their forefathers and preserve the Orthodox faith intact, as the most precious and holy treasure, which never rusts nor decays and which has been and continues to be passed down from generation to generation, through communion from soul to soul and from heart to heart, within the Romanian Orthodox Church, under the guidance and leadership of the canonical hierarchy”.119

On 20 and 21 May 1974, the Episcopal Centre received a visit from a delegation of the International Association of Unitarian Churches, led by Dr John Kielty, President of the Association in England, Dr Heinz Schlotermann, vice-president of the Association in the Federal Republic of Germany, and many other representatives of the Association, to whom he showed the Episcopal Cathedral, the infirmary, the chapel, etc., followed by the monasteries of Hurezi and Cozia.120 Shortly afterwards, between 9 and 14 July, a dialogue took place in Râmnicu Vâlcea between the Anglican Church and the Orthodox Church, with a view to strengthening the close ties between the two institutions; Bishop Iosif was entrusted with the task of ensuring the best possible conditions for the work of the theological sub-committee.121

On 20 April 1979, the Diocese of Râmnic welcomed as a guest of honour Bishop Robert Runcie of St Alban’s in the Church of England, accompanied by Professor Nicolae Chițescu; they were received by the vicar bishop. They were first taken to Dintr-un Lemn Monastery, where they attended church services, before returning to the diocesan residence, where they were welcomed by Bishop Iosif; on 27 April, they set off for Bucharest.122

Celebrations. As a token of gratitude for all these achievements, his colleagues at the Diocesan Centre paid fitting tribute to his work on the occasion of various anniversaries. For example, in 1971, on the occasion of his birthday, Father Constantin Bălă addressed the following words to him on behalf of the staff at the Diocesan Centre: “Wherever you may be, Your Grace brightens people’s spirits with words in the form of jokes, full of healthy optimism, yet with deep and serious meaning, weaving in moral guidance and presenting sound principles of a Christian understanding of life. On the occasion of your 75th birthday, the Diocesan Centre in Râmnicu Vâlcea and the clergy throughout the diocese pay due honour to Your Grace as a moral figure of our time, anointed with the sanctifying grace of the hierarchy, crowned with the wisdom of age and experience, grayed by the snowfall of the years…”.123 On the same occasion, as a mark of tribute, the priests of the diocese were to say: “With his distinguished bearing, with his unrivalled presence, with his passionate soul, with his gift for expressing his thoughts in such exquisite forms, with his exceptional talent for making himself understood, followed and appreciated by his listeners, with his inexhaustible treasure of charm and meaningful words, with the fervour of his faith, with the power he puts into prayer, with his entire personality, oriented towards matters of the spirit, Bishop Joseph is a true embodiment of a hierarch”.124

Wherever you may be, Your Grace brightens people’s spirits with words in the form of jokes, full of healthy optimism, yet with deep and serious meaning, weaving in moral guidance and presenting sound principles of a Christian understanding of life.

On 5 December 1973, Patriarch Teoctist, then Metropolitan of Oltenia, was also to deliver words of high esteem on the occasion of the birthday of the hierarch of Vâlcea: ‘Your Eminence, you have graced the episcopal see with a wide-ranging ministry, which is held in high esteem by our Most Blessed Father, Patriarch Justinian, by hierarchs, by the ministers of the churches and by your spiritual children, who feel the need to see you, just as they did the great hierarchs who served the holy land of Oltenia. It is with this in mind that we too have come here today. We have come to a place where we know there stands a torch that burns eternally, an altar where the heart of a bishop, beloved and respected by us all, is ever consumed for Christ.”125

A year later, in praise of his character on the occasion of his 78th birthday – 30 of which he had spent as a bishop – the priest and counsellor Aurel Popescu said: “For his dedicated and steadfast efforts, through his episcopal ministry to the Church and our homeland, praise has been bestowed upon him by distinguished figures who have witnessed His Grace’s work at the Diocesan Centre, within his own diocese, as well as beyond it, in various assignments entrusted to him by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.”126

As a fitting tribute, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of his fruitful archpastoral ministry in these regions, Archbishop Gherasim Cristea, then vicar bishop, highlighted the holy work of his ministry, following in the religious and cultural footsteps of the predecessors who had served in Râmnic: “As a member of the Holy Synod and in ecumenical relations both at home and abroad, he proved himself a devoted spiritual archpastor of the Church and of the homeland. As a guide to his flock, he was and remains a beacon and an example, not only in the noble aim of uplifting and ennobling the soul, but also to make it yearn for the beauties of the heavens and a worthy follower of Him who came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). Ever since he has served as bishop in these picturesque lands, he has become one with the vitality of this land of Transylvanian and Argeș ballads, coming to understand the significance of the places and people who have shaped and continue to shape the history of our nation.”127 For his part, Father Dumitru Sandu wrote: “The deeds and the heart of His Grace Iosif! The keystone of today’s gathering. No other bishop from Râmnic has reached this age, marked by so many achievements, as in these 30 years since His Grace has resided at the seat of ‘Saint Calinic’, in an aura of legend, just like his predecessors.”128

Although there have been many such celebrations, it is worth noting that, on reaching the age of 82, the venerable hierarch thanked his vicar bishop and the assembly of clergy at the Diocesan Centre with evident emotion: “Your presence here makes me feel constantly united with each and every one of you. I urge you to preserve this unity both in prayer and in collaboration. Unity ensures the fruit of our labours and progress. Unity has given our people strength; it has secured their independence and freedom. Through unity, we shall always be strong and masters of our own destiny as a people.”129

The end of his life. Bishop Iosif Gafton passed away on 9 June 1984 at his residence in Râmnicu Vâlcea and was buried three days later beside the chapel within the Diocesan Centre. On this occasion, Patriarch Justin Moisescu delivered a eulogy in which he highlighted the merits of the deceased: “Throughout his long pastoral ministry as a priest and bishop, he fulfilled his duty to the full. Those who followed his life are familiar with his work at a modest parish, then his involvement in church organisations, which, in the past, assisted the Church in its work, the preaching he carried out and, in general, his entire ecclesiastical ministry. His voice, at times like thunder, was as gentle as a lamb’s on other occasions. We have often seen him weeping on various occasions in our church life. In the work of the Holy Synod, he proved himself to be a man full of wisdom, full of love, and full of zeal for the House of the Lord; for this reason, he concluded his earthly life in peace and with a tranquil soul. He was able to say, as Saint Paul the Apostle once did as his life drew to a close: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’; ‘from now on, the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord will bestow on me on that day—and not only on me, but on all who have loved His appearing—the Righteous Judge’ (2 Timothy 4:7–8) […] He was an exceptional man, both in terms of his age and his vigour, and in his zeal for serving the Church and our Romanian people. From a very early age, he strove to raise the villages through which he passed to a new standard of living. In his role as bishop, he strove to guide the priests, so that they might all fulfil their duties to the full. He strove to defend the true faith, to preach the word of truth, and to bring people closer to God…”.

From a very early age, he strove to raise the villages through which he passed to a new level of life. In his work as a bishop, he strove to guide the priests, so that they might all fulfil their duties to the full. He strove to defend the true faith, to preach the word of truth, and to bring people closer to God.

Next to speak was Nestor Vornicescu, Metropolitan of Oltenia, who, after sketching a moral portrait of ‘the good Bishop Iosif’, a man ‘with a heart open to all’, as well as that of a preacher of the Word of God and a good steward, emphasised his collaboration with the Metropolitan Centre in Craiova: ‘A life devoted to the high archpastoral ministry, a life devoted to the service of God and one’s neighbour, a whole life devoted to the service of the Church and the homeland—such was the life of His Grace Bishop Iosif. His physical stature, visible at first glance, also reveals the heights of the spiritual and archpastoral peaks where his mind, thoughts and heart always resided. He possessed an apostolic openness towards his fellow hierarchs, towards his brother priests, towards his brothers in the monastic order, towards the faithful parishioners of the Vâlcea and Argeș regions, and towards all his fellow citizens, whom he regarded as fellowco-workers in the broad field of public affairs in our socialist homeland. His episcopal ministry at the Holy Altar was always fervent and, at the same time, his gestures were measured. His Grace Iosif’s lifelong preaching remains forever exemplary within the Romanian Orthodox Church. His inspiring words, spoken in church, during services, at meetings of the Holy Synod and even in his daily conversations, have remained and will remain deeply fruitful in the souls of those who have had the blessed opportunity to hear him over the course of these decades. He always had before his mind’s eye hierarchical, priestly and Christian perfection, and human perfection in general.”

Words of high praise for his work as a bishop were also spoken by Mr Ion Popescu, representative of the Department of Religious Affairs, and Vicar Bishop Gherasim Cristea, his closest collaborator in recent times, who gave a brief overview of his work up to his election as Bishop of Râmnic. The following was recorded in the Golden Book of the Holy Diocese of Râmnic: “Today’s occasion will remain deeply etched in the hearts of all those who have gathered in Râmnicu Vâlcea to honour the memory of a distinguished hierarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, His Grace Bishop Iosif Gafton of Râmnic and Argeș.”

Following his death, the Diocesan Chancellery in Râmnicu Vâlcea received numerous telegrams and letters of condolence from hierarchs and those who had known him, including academics and ordinary believers. For example, Bishop Eftimie of Roman and Huși wrote: “Deeply moved, I learned with sorrow of the passing into eternity of one of the most distinguished hierarchs of our Church and a member of the Holy Synod, who was a living example of kindness and love for others. I knew him well, and he remained true to those same noble qualities until the end of his life. We pray to the good Lord to receive his soul into the company of His chosen ones and to grant him eternal rest.”130 On this occasion, the following telegram was also sent on behalf of the Diocesan Centre in Iași: “It is with deep sorrow that we have learnt of the passing of the ever-memorable Bishop Iosif Gafton to the Lord. We join in the grief of those who knew him for what he was: a worthy hierarch of the Romanian Church and a beacon of the true faith and of the communal life of the clergy and faithful in that diocese, which is preserved by God.”131 For his part, the Reverend Professor Ioan Coman conveyed the following: “May God place the great and good Bishop Iosif among the righteous, he who served the Church and the country with unwavering devotion and who, with his blessed omophorion, comforted and helped so many of us. May the Lord grant him rest in peace alongside his forefathers.”130 No less significant are the words left by Archdeacon Gh. Papuc: “Both as a priest and as a bishop, His Grace Iosif Gafton ‘fulfilled his ministry to the full’, as His Holiness Patriarch Justin also remarked at the funeral. Of course, first and foremost, His Grace Bishop Iosif shepherded his spiritual flock—the clergy and the faithful along the lower reaches of the River Olt—with dedication, wisdom and love, and the full extent of the fruits of such labour is known only to God Himself.”132 Also worthy of note is the poem dedicated to the late hierarch, on 10 March 1985, by Alex Moga of Râmnicu Vâlcea, in which he expressed his esteem for the man who once led Christ’s flock in these parts: “Now gone from this world / on the long road towards the horizons beyond / I still hear your voice, Father / asking for forgiveness for us”.133

On 30 September 1984, on the occasion of the election of his successor to the see, Gherasim Cristea, Metropolitan Nestor said: “The image of this great hierarch of our Church from the second half of the 20th, remains forever radiant and illuminating before the eyes of our mind […] His hierarchical ministry at the Holy Altar, his inspired words spoken before the royal doors in the Church, his conversations with the priests, with the monks, and with all the parishioners of the diocese will forever bear fruit in the souls, hearts and lives of these blessed flock, who had the joy of having him as their leader, guide and wise father for 40 years. We shall never forget the grandeur of the dialogue and monologue that Bishop Iosif of Râmnic and Argeș, in his inimitable archpastoral manner, conducted and maintained with fervour in the service of the Church and in the service of the fatherland.”134

In recognition of his work, in 2004, the late Archbishop Gherasim Cristea wrote in the magazine Renașterea: “A worthy servant of Christ, a hierarch endowed with grace, whose life and work we may honourably record in the Golden Book of the Diocese of Râmnic and in God’s eternal Book, alongside his worthy predecessors.”27

Certainly, throughout the ages, Bishop Iosif will remain a name of distinction, one who deserves to be honoured by us today as well. Commemorating him at his church in the village of Rotari, on the 34th anniversary of his passing, the parish priest, Gelu-Gabriel Anghelineș, stated during the memorial service: “Iosif Gafton remains in the living memory of the parish and the faithful as a worthy minister, pious and self-sacrificing for the faith and the Romanian people. A photograph of his family can be seen beside the holy icons in the homes of the faithful in Rotari. He was the ‘flame and soul’ of this community during his 10 years of fruitful ministry in the parish of Rotari, as the elders of our community testify with tears and joy in their hearts, fondly recalling the man who was the spiritual shepherd to the forefathers and ancestors of this parish. He possessed the gift of oratory and preaching, and through his words he sowed the seed of faith in the furrows of people’s souls.”135 The following year, during the ‘celebration of village priests’, the Parish Council of Rotari erected a bust near the church where the bishop had served, which was then blessed.136

These are, broadly speaking, the achievements of Bishop Iosif Gafton, who proved himself to be a good administrator, a valiant defender of peace, an eloquent orator and, above all, a spiritual father of great nobility, who remains in the memory of his flock to this day. The more the years go by, the more his image will shine in the history of the Church of Vâlcea and of the whole of Romanian Orthodoxy.

• 1

  Editorial, “‘By the grace of God I am what I am’: His Grace Bishop Joseph of Râmnic and Argeș on the 20th anniversary of his episcopacy’, in: Mitropolia Olteniei, vol. XV (1963), nos. 11–12, p. 638 (hereafter cited as MO); Archdeacon Ion Țițu, “The Life of His Grace Joseph Gafton”, in: Bishop Joseph of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984). 15 Years Since His Passing into Eternity, Buna-Vestire Publishing House, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 1999, edited by Fr. Nicolae State-Burluși, p. 5; † Gherasim, Bishop of Râmnic, ‘Bishop Iosif Gafton. Two decades since his passing into eternity’, in: Renașterea, vol. 15 (2004), January–March, p. 1 (hereafter cited as R).

• 2

  Fr. Dumitru Sandu, ‘On the 85th anniversary of the birth of His Grace the Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, 1896 – 5 December 1981’, in: MO, vol. XXXIII (1981), nos. 10–12, pp. 685–686.

• 3

  Gabriel Catalan, The Romanian Orthodox Church and Romanian Orthodox Theology under the Impact of Sovietisation in the Years 1947–1955, 8 March 2021, https://gabrielcatalan.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/biserica-ortodoxa-romana-si-teologia-ortodoxa-romaneasca-sub-impactul-sovietizarii-in-anii-1947-1955/, accessed on 19 February 2022.

• 4

  The Editorial Team, By the Grace of God…, p. 639; Rev. Prof. Dr Niculae Șerbănescu, ‘The Hierarchs of the Oltenian Region in the First Hundred Years of Autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church (1885–1985)’, in: MO, vol. XXXVII (1985), no. 5–6, p. 357; Bishop Iosif of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)..., p. 5.

• 5

  Deacon V. Nechita, ‘Bishop Iosif Gafton’, in: The Metropolis of Moldavia and Suceava, vol. LX (1984), nos. 4–6, p. 348.

• 6

  Gabriel Anghelineș, ‘Bishop Iosif Gafton, servant of the Romanian village’, in: Ziarul Lumina, 18 October 2019, https://ziarullumina.ro/actualitate-religioasa/stiri/episcopul-iosif-gafton-slujitor-al-satului-romanesc-148824.html, accessed today, 19 February 2022 (to be cited as ZL).

• 7

  † Gherasim, Bishop of Râmnic, Bishop Iosif Gafton..., p. 1.

• 8

  Editorial team, By the Grace of God…, p. 639; Bishop Joseph of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)…, p. 5.

• 9

  Rev. Ion D. Trandafir-Slatina, ‘The priestly ministry of His Grace Bishop Iosif at Rotarii Prahovei and at St Catherine’s Church in Bucharest’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), nos. 3–4, pp. 232–233.

• 10

  Restitutio, † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, Seven Sermons, edited by Rev. Assoc. Prof. Dr Ilie Ivan, Praxis Publishers, Râmnicu Vâlcea, pp. 18–20; Dumitru Beleneș, The Labourers in the Vineyard, Oastea Domnului Publishers, Sibiu, 2021, pp. 281–297.

• 11

  Ion D. Trandafir-Slatina, The Priestly Ministry…, p. 234.

• 12

  Editorial Board, By the Grace of God..., p. 639. Here he carried out a wide range of priestly, missionary and ecclesiastical administrative work, fulfilling several roles of great responsibility within the Archdiocese of Bucharest. See Fr. Sandu Cristescu, ‘His Grace Gherasim Cristea, the new Bishop of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș. The Election, Canonical Investigation, Presidential Recognition and Enthronement’, in: MO, vol. XXXVI (1984), no. 11–12, p. 808.

• 13

  Dumitru Sandu, On the LXXXVth Anniversary..., p. 686.

• 14

  Archimandrite Grigore Urâțescu, ‘On the 30th Anniversary of the Episcopate of His Grace Bishop Iosif of Râmnic and Argeș’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, p. 226.

• 15

  Deacon Gheorghe I. Moisescu, ‘Church Chronicle. The Ordination of His Grace Iosif Gafton Sinaitul as Bishop’, in: The Romanian Orthodox Church, vol. XLI (1943), nos. 10–12, pp. 611–622 (hereinafter cited as BOR); Deacon Gheorghe I. Moisescu, ‘Internal Chronicle. The Election of His Grace Bishop Iosif Gafton of Sinai, Patriarchal Vicar, to the See of Argeș’, in: BOR, vol. LXII (1944), nos. 1–3, pp. 108–113; Deacon Gheorghe I. Moisescu, ‘The Installation of Their Eminences Bishops Antim of Buzău, Iosif of Argeș and Chesarie of Constanța”, in: BOR, vol. LXII (1944), nos. 4–6, pp. 210–213; ed., By the Grace of God…, p. 639; Dumitru Sandu, On the LXXXVth Anniversary…, p. 686; Fr. Sandu Cristescu, Fr. D. Sandu, ‘The Funeral of Bishop Iosif Gafton of Râmnic and Argeș – 12 June 1984’, in: MO, vol. XXXVI (1984), nos. 5–6, pp. 420; ‘† Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș’, in: BOR, vol. CII (1984), nos. 11–12, pp. 715–716; V. Nechita, Bishop Iosif Gafton…, p. 348; Niculae Șerbănescu, The Hierarchs of the Oltenian Lands…, pp. 357–358; Bishop Iosif of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)..., p. 6.

• 16

  The Editors, By the Grace of God…, p. 640; Bishop Joseph of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)…, pp. 6–7.

• 17

  † Iosif, Bishop of Argeș, ‘Report of the delegation on the election of Patriarch Alexei of All Russia’, in: BOR, vol. LXIII (1945), nos. 1–3, pp. 6–19; † Joseph Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘Inter-Orthodox Developments over the Last Ten Years’, in: MO, vol. VI (1954), nos. 7–8, pp. 287–296.

• 18

  Editorial Board, By the Grace of God…, p. 640; Alexandru Moraru, The Romanian Orthodox Church between 1885 and 2000. Theological and Ecumenical Dialogue, vol. III, part II, published by the Biblical and Missionary Institute of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Bucharest, 2006, p. 44; Rev. Prof. Dr Mircea Păcurariu, Dictionary of Romanian Theologians, Andreiana Publishers, Sibiu, 2014, p. 188.

• 19

  Niculae Șerbănescu, The Hierarchs of the Oltenian Lands…, pp. 357–358.

• 20

  Teodor M. Manolache, ‘P. S. Iosif, Bishop of Argeș, was appointed to lead the Diocese of Râmnicu Noul Severin’, in: BOR, vol. LXVI (1948), nos. 1–2, p. 112; the editors, By the Grace of God…, p. 640; Rev. Ion Dumitrescu, ‘Achievements in the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș. Renewals in the home of Saint Calinic’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, p. 207; Sandu Cristescu, D. Sandu, The Funeral of Bishop Iosif Gafton…, pp. 417–420; “† Bishop Iosif Gafton”, in: Glasul Bisericii, vol. XLIII (1984), no. 5–6, p. 453; † Gherasim Cristea, History of the Diocese of Râmnic, Conphys Publishers, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 2009, p. 250; M. I., “Bishop Iosif Gafton, the distinguished prelate who led the Diocese of Argeș for four decades”, in: Jurnal de Argeș, 30 May 2013, https://jurnaluldearges.ro/episcopul-iosif-gafton-inaltul-prelat-care-a-condus-episcopia-argesului-patru-decenii-11315/, accessed 19 February 2022.

• 21

  ‘The Enthronement of His Grace Iosif as Bishop of Argeș and Râmnic’, in: BOR, vol. LXVII (1949), no. 3–4, pp. 22–39; the editors, By the Grace of God…, pp. 640–641; Bishop Iosif of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)..., p. 6.

• 22

  Ion Dumitrescu, Achievements of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 211.

• 23

  Fr. Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș. A Monograph, vol. I, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 1976, p. 42.

• 24

  Fr. Emil Nedelescu, ‘The Inauguration of the New Premises of the Diocesan Chancery’, in: MO, vol. X (1958), nos. 3–4, pp. 231–232; the editorial team, By the Grace of God…, pp. 640–641; Archimandrite Ghermano Dineață, ‘Renewals in the Life of the Holy Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș – over the last 15 years –’, in: MO, vol. XV (1963), nos. 11–12, pp. 893–896; Ion Dumitrescu, Achievements of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, pp. 211–212; V. Nechita, ‘Bishop Iosif Gafton…’, p. 349; ‘Bishop Iosif of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)…’, p. 6.

• 25

  Ion Dumitrescu, Achievements of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, pp. 210–213.

• 26

  † Teoctist, Archbishop and Metropolitan, ‘Happy Soroc’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, p. 202.

• 27a27b

  † Gherasim, Bishop of Râmnic, Bishop Iosif Gafton..., p. 2.

• 28

  V. Nechita, Bishop Joseph Gafton…, p. 349; Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 43.

• 29

  The Editors, By the Grace of God…, p. 642; Ghermano Dineață, Renewals…, pp. 897–900; Fr. Aurel Popescu, ‘Stewarding the Church of Christ Well’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), nos. 3–4, p. 218; Rev. Dumitru Sandu, ‘Testimonies on the Blessed Archbishopric of His Grace Bishop Iosif spanning over three decades’, in: MO, vol. XXVIII (1976), nos. 11–12, pp. 920–922; Archdeacon Gh. Papuc, ‘† His Grace Bishop Iosif Gafton’, in: MO, vol. XXIX (1984), no. 7–8, p. 580.

• 30

  Fr. Aurel Popescu, ‘Managing the Church of Christ Well…’, p. 219.

• 31

  Fr Ion C. Dumitrescu, ‘Pastoral Itinerary’, in: MO, vol. XXXI (1979), nos. 10–12, p. 808.

• 32

  Ion Dumitrescu, Achievements of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 209. By 1976, 30 churches had been rebuilt, 500 churches had been renovated, reinforced or restored, 49 churches had been refurbished, 16 chapels had been rebuilt and over 10 new churches had been built; Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 24.

• 33

  Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 35.

• 34

  Fr. Dumitru Sandu, Testimonies on the Blessed Archpastorate…, pp. 920–922.

• 35

  Fr. Nicolae Băla, ‘Other churches consecrated in 1974’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 11-2, pp. 1070–1072. During 1974, churches were also consecrated in the parishes of Cuci, Gorunești, Zăvoieni, Marcea, Fișcălia, Ghioroiu, Ștefănești, Ciumagi and Otetelișu in Vâlcea County, Costești and Valea lui Enache in Argeș County, Tuțuleștii de Sus and Brastovățu in Olt County.

• 36

  The Editors, By the Grace of God…, p. 642; Ghermano Dineață, Renewals in the Life of the Holy Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 900.

• 37

  Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 34.

• 38

  Ion Dumitrescu, Achievements of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, pp. 209, 213.

• 39

  Fr. Sandu Cristescu, ‘Proceedings of the Diocesan Assembly of the Holy Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, 27 November 1983’, in: MO, vol. XXXVI (1984), no. 1–2, p. 137.

• 40

  Ion Dumitrescu, Achievements of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 210.

• 41

  The election and installation of His Grace Gherasim Piteșteanul as Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, in: BOR, vol. XCIII, 1975, no. 11–12, p. 1520.

• 42

  Cronicar, ‘The Debates of the Diocesan Assembly of 30 January 1956’, in: MO, vol. VIII (1956), no. 6–7, pp. 383–384.

• 43

  Fr. Aurel Popescu, ‘The Proceedings of the Diocesan Assembly of the Holy Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 11–12, p. 1069.

• 44

  Sandu Cristescu, Proceedings of the Diocesan Assembly of the Holy Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 137.

• 45

  Fr. Dumitru Sandu, “‘The Image of Gentleness’”, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, p. 230; Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 20.

• 46

  Ion Dumitrescu, Achievements of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 209.

• 47

  Observator, ‘From the Archpriestly Conferences’, in: MO, vol. VIII (1956), nos. 10–12, pp. 675–677.

• 48

  Fr. Emil Nedelescu, ‘Celebrating the Centenary of the Union at the Diocesan Centre in R. Vâlcea’, in: MO, vol. IX (1959), nos. 5–6, p. 335.

• 49

  Fr Emil Nedelescu, ‘The ceremony marking the widespread veneration of St Gregory the Decapolite’, in: MO, vol. VIII (1956), nos. 1–3, pp. 72–74.

• 50

  Fr. Ilie Stuparu, ‘Bishop Iosif Gafton – Defender of the Church’s Dignity’, in: R, vol. 24, new series, July–September 2013, no. 3, p. 13.

• 51

  Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, pp. 39–40.

• 52

  Observator, ‘The start of the monastic seminar courses at Hurezi Monastery’, in: MO, vol. VIII (1956), nos. 10–12, pp. 675–678.

• 53

  Archimandrite Laur, ‘The Bishop of Râmnic’, in: MO, vol. VI (1954), nos. 1–3, p. 80.

• 54

  † Vasile, Bishop of Oradea, ‘His Grace Joseph Gafton as a Shepherd of Souls’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, pp. 204–206.

• 55

  Grigore Urâțescu, On 30 Years of Episcopacy…, p. 227.

• 56

  Dumitru Sandu, The Face of Kindness…, p. 231.

• 57

  Ilie Ivan, † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, Seven Sermons…, p. 15.

• 58a58b

  M. I., ‘Bishop Iosif Gafton, the senior prelate who led the Diocese of Argeș for four decades’, in: Jurnal de Argeș, 30 May 2013, https://jurnaluldearges.ro/episcopul-iosif-gafton-inaltul-prelat-care-a-condus-episcopia-argesului-patru-decenii-11315/, accessed 19 February 2022.

• 59

  Fr. Ion Șt. Stănciulescu, ‘In the Shade of a Tree’, in: MO, vol. XXVIII (1976), no. 11–12, p. 919.

• 60

  Fr. Nic. M. Bălă, ‘The Bishop’s Word and Deed’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, p. 216.

• 61

  Fr. Gh. Chirițescu-Pitești, ‘A skilful wordsmith’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), nos. 3–4, pp. 227–228.

• 62

  Fr. I. St. Stănciulescu, ‘An Unforgettable Day’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, p. 224.

• 63

  Fr. Nicolae M. Bălă, ‘A Posthumous Portrait: His Grace Bishop Iosif Gafton’, in: The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, A Church, Missionary and Patriotic Guide, 2, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 1985, p. 106 (hereafter cited as ÎBMP).

• 64

  Nic. M. Bălă, The Bishop’s Words and Deeds…, p. 215.

• 65

  Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 20.

• 66

  I. St. Stănciulescu, An Unforgettable Day…, p. 224.

• 67

  Fr. Nicolae Bălă, ‘Church Consecrations. The Consecration of the New Church in the Parish of Lăunele de Jos, Vâlcea County”, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 11–12, pp. 1069–1070.

• 68

  Archimandrite Ilarion of Craiova, ‘This is how I came to know His Grace Bishop Joseph Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, p. 226.

• 69

  Chronicler, ‘Râmnicul Vâlcii’, in: MO, vol. VI (1954), nos. 4–6, pp. 206–207.

• 70

  Cronicar, ‘Canonical Visits’, in: MO, vol. VI (1954), nos. 4–6, p. 208.

• 71

  Fr. Emil Nedelescu, ‘Canonical Visits’, in: MO, vol. VII (1955), nos. 7–9, p. 458.

• 72

  Fr Emil Nedelescu, ‘Hierarchical Divine Service’, in: MO, vol. VIII (1956), no. 6–7, p. 389.

• 73

  Fr. Nicolae Bălă, ‘The Consecration of a Church in the Parish of Râjlețu-Vieroși, Argeș County’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 11–12, p. 1070.

• 74

  Fr Emil Nedelescu, ‘The Work of the Diocesan Centre during May and June 1958’, in: MO, vol. X (1958), no. 9–10, pp. 674, 678.

• 75

  Ion C. Dumitrescu, Itinerar pastoral…, pp. 809–810.

• 76

  V. Nechita, Bishop Joseph Gafton…, p. 349.

• 77

  Fr. Constantin Dejan, ‘The Hierarch amongst his priests’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, pp. 220–221.

• 78

  “Spiritual Reflections: The Anniversary of the Birth of His Grace Bishop Iosif”, in: MO, vol. XXIX (1977), nos. 10–12, p. 865.

• 79

  Constantin Dejan, The Hierarch amongst his Priests, p. 222.

• 80

  The Editors, By the Grace of God..., p. 641; Bishop Joseph of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)..., pp. 11–12.

• 81

  Aurel Popescu, Properly Administering the Church of Christ, p. 218.

• 82

  M. I., ‘Bishop Iosif Gafton, the distinguished prelate who led the Diocese of Argeș for four decades’, in: Jurnal de Argeș, 30 May 2013, https://jurnaluldearges.ro/episcopul-iosif-gafton-inaltul-prelat-care-a-condus-episcopia-argesului-patru-decenii-11315/, accessed 19 February 2022.

• 83

  Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 41.

• 84

  M. I., ‘Bishop Iosif Gafton, the high-ranking prelate who led the Diocese of Argeș for four decades’, in: Jurnal de Argeș, 30 May 2013, https://jurnaluldearges.ro/episcopul-iosif-gafton-inaltul-prelat-care-a-condus-episcopia-argesului-patru-decenii-11315/, accessed 19 February 2022. After her husband’s ordination, a priest’s wife wanted to give him three carnations. The bishop asked, “Are they from your garden?” The priest’s wife replied, “No, I bought them at the market!” He then told her: “If you paid money for them, I won’t accept them!”

• 85

  Ilie Stuparu, Bishop Iosif Gafton…, p. 13.

• 86

  Constantin Dejan, The Hierarch amongst his Priests…, pp. 221–223.

• 87

  ‘Presveștenie’ is the Slavonic name for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

• 88

  Ilie Stuparu, Bishop Iosif Gafton…, pp. 12–13.

• 89

  Mircea Păcurariu, Dictionary of Romanian Theologians…, p. 188.

• 90

  Rev. Prof. Dr Al. I. Ciurea, ‘Printing, Books and the Church Press in the Oltenia Region during the First Hundred Years following the Autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church (1885–1985)’, in: MO, vol. XXXVII (1985), no. 3–4, pp. 371–372.

• 91

  Bishop Joseph of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)..., p. 19.

• 92

  † Varsanufie, Archbishop of Râmnic, ‘Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic, a bishop of holy life’, in: Ilie Ivan, † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, Seven Sermons…, p. 9.

• 93

  Ilie Ivan, † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, Seven Sermons…, pp. 26–30, 69, 129, 137, 157.

• 94

  Ilie Ivan, † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, Seven Sermons…, pp. 30–32; † Iosif, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘The 20th Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Beatitude Patriarch Justinian – a tribute’, in: MO, vol. XX (1968), nos. 5–6, pp. 355–359; † Iosif, Bishop, ‘His Beatitude Justinian, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church’, in: MO, vol. XXV (1973), nos. 5–6, p. 386; † Iosif, Bishop, ‘Tribute’, in: MO…pp. 8–14.

• 95

  Ilie Ivan, † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, Seven Sermons…, p. 58.

• 96

  † Iosif, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘Our Monuments’, in: MO, vol. VI (1954), nos. 1–3, pp. 13–15.

• 97

  † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, Inter-Orthodox Statements over the Last Ten Years…, pp. 288–289.

• 98

  † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘Foreword’, in: ÎMBP, 1, 1984, p. 4.

• 99

  Nicolae M. Bălă, Medallion posthumous…, p. 106.

• 100

  † Vasile, Bishop of Oradea, His Grace Iosif Gafton…, pp. 204–205.

• 101

  Ilie Ivan, † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, Seven Sermons…, pp. 39–42.

• 102

  Fr. Dumitru Moraru, ‘Memories’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, pp. 229–230.

• 103

  † Bishop Iosif of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘Easter Pastoral Letter’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 3–4, p. 199.

• 104

  † Bishop Iosif of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘Christmas Pastoral Letter’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 11–12, p. 931.

• 105

  † Bishop Joseph of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘Easter Pastoral Letter of 1983’, in: MO, vol. XXXV (1983), no. 5–6, p. 283.

• 106

  † Joseph, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘Pastoral Letter for the Nativity of the Lord – 1983’, in: MO, vol. XXXV (1983), no. 11–12, p. 731.

• 107

  † Iosif, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘Easter Pastoral Letter – 1984’, in: MO, vol. XXXVI (1984), no. 3–4, pp. 156–157; Sandu Cristescu, D. Sandu, The Funeral of Bishop Iosif Gafton…, p. 419.

• 108

  Chronicler, Proceedings of the Diocesan Assembly of 30 January 1956…, pp. 387–388.

• 109

  The Editors, By the Grace of God..., pp. 642–643; Bishop Joseph of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)..., p. 8.

• 110

  † Joseph, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘Pastoral Letter for the Nativity of the Lord – 1971’, in: MO, vol. XXIII (1971), nos. 11–12, p. 793.

• 111

  Fr. Sandu Cristescu, ‘The Peace Initiatives of the Diocesan Assembly of the Holy Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș. 27 November 1983’, in: MO, vol. XXXV (1983), nos. 11–12, p. 826.

• 112

  Editorial team, By the Grace of God..., p. 643; Bishop Joseph of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)..., p. 8.

• 113

  Dumitru Sandu, The Face of Gentleness…, p. 230.

• 114

  † Joseph, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș, Easter Pastoral Letter 1984…, p. 158.

• 115

  Rev. Emil Nedelescu, ‘The Visit of the Delegation from the Lutheran Church of Denmark to Rm. Vâlcea’, in: MO, vol. IX (1957), 3–4, p. 200.

• 116

  Alexandru Moraru, The Romanian Orthodox Church between 1885 and 2000…, pp. 15, 49–50, 268–269.

• 117a117b

  Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 61.

• 118

  Alexandru Moraru, The Romanian Orthodox Church between 1885 and 2000…, pp. 95, 270.

• 119

  Deacon P. I. David, ‘The Primates of the Russian and Romanian Orthodox Churches – Guests of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș’, in: MO, vol. XXIV (1972), no. 9–10, p. 813.

• 120

  Fr. Ioan C. Dumitrescu, ‘An Ecumenical Visit to the Episcopal Centre in Râmnicu Vâlcea’, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 5–6, pp. 631–632.

• 121

  Dumitru Sandu, The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 62.

• 122

  Gherasim Piteșteanul, vicar bishop, ‘Bishop Robert Runcie visits the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș’, in: MO, vol. XXXI (1979), nos. 7–9, p. 647.

• 123

  Rev. Cons. N. Bălă, ‘A Tribute to His Grace Bishop Iosif of Râmnic and Argeș on his 75th birthday’, in: MO, vol. XXIII (1971), nos. 11–12, p. 798.

• 124

  Fr. Constantin C. Dejan, ‘A Tribute from the Priests and Faithful of the Eparchy’, in: MO, vol. XXIII (1971), no. 11–12, p. 799.

• 125

  Fr. Aurel Popescu, ‘Anniversary Visit to Râmnicu Vâlcea’, in: MO, vol. XXV (1973), no. 11–12, p. 1065.

• 126

  “A Festive Commemoration on the 78th Birthday of His Grace Bishop Iosif”, in: MO, vol. XXVI (1974), no. 11–12, pp. 1064–1065.

• 127

  † Gherasim Piteșteanul, vicar bishop of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘His Grace Bishop Iosif Gafton, successor to the bishops of Râmnic for three decades’, in: MO, vol. XXXI (1979), nos. 10–12, pp. 799–801.

• 128

  Fr Dumitru Sandu, ‘To His Grace Bishop Iosif of Râmnic and Argeș. On 30 years of fruitful archpastoral ministry’, in: MO, vol. XXXI (1979), nos. 4–6, pp. 232–233.

• 129

  Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, ‘His Grace Bishop Iosif at 82’, in: MO, vol. XXX (1978), nos. 10–12, p. 849.

• 130a130b

  Sandu Cristescu, D. Sandu, The Funeral of Bishop Iosif Gafton…, pp. 411–421; Gh. Papuc, † His Grace Bishop Iosif Gafton…, pp. 580–581; † Iosif Gafton, Bishop of Râmnic and Argeș…, p. 716.

• 131

  V. Nechita, Bishop Iosif Gafton…, p. 350.

• 132

  Gh. Papuc, † His Grace Bishop Iosif Gafton..., p. 580.

• 133

  Bishop Joseph of Râmnic and Argeș (1896–1984)..., p. 31.

• 134

  Fr. Sandu Cristescu, ‘His Grace Gherasim Cristea, the new Bishop of the Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș’, in: MO, vol. XXXVI (1984), no. 11–12, pp. 807–808.

• 135

  “Bishop Iosif Gafton, commemorated at Rotari Parish”, in: ZL, 13 June 2018, https://ziarullumina.ro/actualitate-religioasa/stiri/episcopul-iosif-gafton-pomenit-in-parohia-rotari-134389.html, accessed 19 February 2022.

• 136

  Gabriel Anghelineș, ‘Bishop Iosif Gafton, servant of the Romanian village’, in: Ziarul Lumina, 18 October 2019, https://ziarullumina.ro/actualitate-religioasa/stiri/episcopul-iosif-gafton-slujitor-al-satului-romanesc-148824.html, accessed today, 19 February 2022.