Vartolomeu Stănescu – a revered hierarch and patriotic senator (I)

Cultural Activities

Concerned with the moral renewal of the faithful, as well as with improving the spiritual and cultural training of the clergy, Bishop Vartolomeu Stănescu purchased a printing press, which operated at Cozia Monastery, from 1927 onwards 1. In addition to the 800,000 lei he provided 2, the Ministry of Religious Affairs contributed 2,941,798 lei towards its purchase, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which also provided a subsidy of 100,000 lei per year for its upkeep 3. Initially named the Cozia Printing House, and from 1934 the Bishop Vartolomeiu Printing House, as he had moved his residence to Râmnic, 4 it soon restored the Diocese ‘to the tradition of Damaschin and Chesarie, the great architects of language, translations and printed works, and of Antim Ivireanul’5.

Remaining “in perpetual communion with the study of books”6, the learned bishop acquired a vast theological, scientific and, above all, philosophical and sociological knowledge, bringing numerous particularly important works off the press, among which we mention: ‘The State of General Progress at the Beginning of 1928’ or ‘The Peril Facing Humanity’ (1928), ‘The Purpose of Christ’s Church in the World’ (1930), Clarifications on the Law Governing Theological Education (1932), Women as a Social Factor (1934), Spiritual Products and Verified Realities (1934), The Consequences of Legalised Abortion (1935), The Two Moral Poles of My Diocese (1937), The Reasons for Priests’ Withdrawal from Politics (1937), A Clarification Regarding the Local Diocese (1938), Missionary Courses with the Diocesan Priests at the Holy Monastery of Arnota (1938–1939), etc. 7. In addition to these books and pamphlets published in Râmnic, there are various works, articles, speeches and pastoral letters published in Bucharest: The Authenticity of the Holy Books of the New Testament (1905), Brief Essays on Social Christianity (1913), Principles and Achievements of the Diocese of Râmnic and Noul Severin and the Proceedings of Two Sessions of the Diocesan Assembly (1927), The Consequences of the Impoverishment of the Clergy and the Church (1935), The Nature, Origin and Benefits of Christianity, Proven to be Divine through the Use of Secular Sciences (1940), etc. 8 Without dwelling on them at length, it is worth listing here a few of his speeches, delivered in the Senate or on other occasions, which remain true gems of thought and oratory: Speech delivered at the Senate sitting of 25 May 1921 on Mr Dumitru P. Negulescu’s Education Bill; Speech on the bill to introduce divorce in Bukovina, delivered at the Senate sitting of 14 July 1921; Address delivered at the General Congress of the Clergy of United Romania in 1923; Address concerning the harmonisation of civil servants’ salaries; and many others 9.

An exceptional editorial achievement was the translation of patristic writings and their publication in a dedicated collection, entitled the Library of the Church Fathers and Writers, launched in 1935 on his initiative, under the supervision of Father Matei Pâslaru, a scholar well-versed in Greek, Latin and German. The first volume of the collection contains an exposition of the Lord’s Prayer, whilst the second comprises the first volume of the Apostolic Fathers, translated by Father Ioan Mihălcescu, Dean of the Faculty of Theology in Bucharest, and Father Matei Pâslaru 10. By 1937, Selected Writings from the works of Saint Cyprian and the first ten sermons from On Statues by Saint John Chrysostom had been published, translated by Professor Ștefan Bezdechi of the University of Cluj 11.

To support the Society, the cultural journal Renașterea was founded in 1922; it was to become a source of theoretical and practical guidance for the clergy and a vehicle for religious outreach amongst intellectual Christians 12. Under the patronage of the bishop, it was initially published in Craiova, then in Râmnic, at the diocesan printing house 13, and after two years of publication, it succeeded in ‘earning a leading place amongst church magazines’14. Reorganised on his initiative, in 1937 it moved its headquarters to the Renașterea hall, 15, and three years later came under the management of the central committee, ceasing publication in 1945. 16 To better illustrate the importance of this publication in the life of the clergy, it is worth quoting a few lines from the first issue, in which the hierarch sets out its objectives: ‘Let us direct all our efforts towards the work of balancing, in the Christian sense, the duties and rights—both personal and collective—of the human being, and towards balancing the spiritual man with the physical man’17 In the November issue, his circular stands out, setting out several provisions for the eradication of sects: “Propaganda aimed at strengthening the faith in the souls of the righteous believers and at bringing those who have strayed back to the true faith is an integral part of every priest’s mission and ranks among the most sacred administrative and cultural duties of our Church”18.

Alongside this organ of the moral and cultural revival movement in Oltenia, other religious publications were also in circulation, such as the Official Bulletin of the Diocese of Râmnic and Noul Severin and the religious journal Creștinul Ortodox (The Orthodox Christian), which was overseen by the Diocese’s Cultural Directorate. Published without interruption until 1936, with a weekly print run of 20,000 copies distributed throughout the villages of Oltenia and various parts of the country, it suspended publication during 1937, only to resume publication in 1938 under satisfactory conditions 19. As for the Bulletin, in 1940 the committee of the Renașterea Society decided that it should become an official part of the magazine Renașterea 20.

Concern for theological education

Recognising the role of such education in the lives of his flock, Bishop Vartolomeu took a constant interest in the seminary and the school for cantors within the diocese, which he referred to as ‘the little daughters of the Church and the culture of Oltenia’ 21. To train young men for the priesthood, the Saint Nicholas Theological Seminary was established in Râmnic in 1837; after a turbulent history, it was operating in 1925 from its premises near the diocesan residence. A glance at the sources of the time reveals that, during his tenure, a further building was added to this complex, along with several outbuildings necessary for the smooth running of school activities. At the same time, two houses were purchased—one of which, a multi-room property, was for the headteacher—and a museum was established to house valuable artefacts organised into several sections22. There were many occasions when he became personally involved in the life of the school, visiting it or chairing staff meetings, a fact which led Headteacher Petre Partenie to state the following: “The visits of His Grace the Bishop, the inspections of all kinds, and his presiding over our ceremonies are all edifying moments for the management team, for teachers and pupils alike, and this Seminary is as good as newly created through what our hierarch aims to make of it: a true breeding ground for the future priests of the villages”.

From a school yearbook, we learn that on 12 November 1924, the bishop, accompanied by the archpriests of Mehedinți, Romanați and Vâlcea, visited the institution, attending classes, inspecting the dormitories, the kitchen, the dining hall and the work carried out on the premises, and guiding the activities of the students and the governing bodies. Shortly afterwards, on 22 November, he administered Holy Communion to the young seminarians and enquired about their academic, moral and hygienic conditions 23. According to another yearbook, at the start of the 1925 school year, he spoke to them about animality and spirituality as agents of human life. Following a visit to the school’s boarding house during the Christmas holidays of 1926, the donations made by Bishop Ghenadie and Minister Constantin Disescu were returned to the school through his efforts, and these were used to establish the school library 24.

A report at the end of the school year, No. 5,016 dated 1 August 1925, shows that he intervened with the Ministry of Religious Affairs on behalf of the teachers to secure a pay rise, asking them in return to deliver a lecture each at the beginning and end of the term, which were to be published in a yearbook. At the same time, he requested that pupils from both seminaries in the diocese spend time relaxing at Tismana Monastery in a holiday hostel, and that during term time they study national and religious plays, which they were to perform before their fellow pupils and the general public 25. Concerned about their behaviour, he established a reform school for the undisciplined, who were sent to the Frăsinei Hermitage for rehabilitation and subjected to a monastic regime, under the supervision of the abbot and the spiritual father, and he introduced visits to prisons, hospitals and workshops, where, through hymns and soul-stirring sermons, the seminarians could contribute to the rehabilitation of those they visited 26.

As the Seminary in Râmnicu-Vâlcea was unable to fill the vacant parishes, and the number of priests had dwindled, on 4 July 1922, the Oltenian hierarch wrote to the Minister of Finance to request the establishment of a second diocesan seminary in Craiova 27. This was to offer a four-year higher education course, intended for graduates of four years’ secondary education and teacher-training colleges who felt called to the priesthood. From a circular (No. 3,959/923) issued by the Diocese and addressed to the management of the schools of church music within the diocese, it appears that: ‘To enable teachers to enter the clergy, the Craiova seminary offering an advanced course has been established, from which they may graduate as priests if they enrol with their teaching diploma at Year 5’28 As a venue, the Ministry made available the buildings in the courtyard of St Dumitru’s Church, where the Girls’ Teacher Training College had previously operated; it was named the St Gregory the Decapolite Theological Seminary, in accordance with Decree No. 278 of 29 January 1923 29.

Although the number of students was significant and the seminary had a well-trained teaching staff 30, on 30 December 1930 it was closed down due to the financial crisis the country was experiencing and the lack of vacant parishes 31, with the future priests being transferred to Râmnicu-Vâlcea 32. Having itself been added to the list of banned schools in 1933, the Vâlcea seminary was saved from closure by Bishop 33, who subsequently obtained, with the help of the Minister of Education, “all canonical and legal powers” to run it. Under these circumstances, he introduced new rules for the religious, cultural and physical training of the seminarians, 34 restricting, on 12 August 1935, access to studies for pupils whose parents had not paid their taxes or had criminal records and bank debts.

Wishing to impose order and discipline in the school, on 16 September 1935 he summoned the seminary’s teaching staff to discuss several measures necessary for the pupils’ education: keeping them in the boarding house during the two annual holidays, with those on summer holiday being accommodatedat Tismana Monastery; prohibiting them from going into town, with shopping to be carried out by one of the clergy, except on Sundays and public holidays, when excursions outside the town could be organised for three hours of Swedish gymnastics; the production of three workbooks, intended for cultural education, moral instruction and hygiene, starting from Year 3; the formation of a committee to assess pupils’ diligence in their studies, respect for their classmates and order in the classroom, dormitories and school grounds; the organisation of a society to hold weekly celebrations and distribute aid to poor children, widows and the elderly, using its own funds; the holding of a religious lecture by teachers every three months; assessing pupils’ vocation for the priesthood from the third year onwards, whilst guiding those unsuitable to attend other schools 35. From the minutes drawn up on 13 February 1936 by the Inspector-General of Seminaries, Father Cezar Vuza, we learn that “Bishop Vartolomeu takes an active part in the running of the Seminary, both morally and materially, ensuring that the Seminary rivals the two leading seminaries, the ‘Central’ in Bucharest and Chișinău”36.

To further the religious education of the seminarians, the diocesan leadership organised a seminary residence at Tismana Monastery in the summer of 1928, where 120 students from both diocesan seminaries were brought together, for physical and intellectual recuperation, as well as for contemplation. During its operation, this retreat centre was inspected by the bishop on 13 September 1928, together with Alexandru Lapedatu, the Minister of Religious Affairs, who provided 250,000 lei, and Gh. Tătărăscu, Under-Secretary of State for the Interior, who were satisfied with what they found 37. We should also note here the summer school established in Râmnicu-Vâlcea for final-year seminarians from Craiova, under the guidance of Father Anghel Pârvănescu, created to enable them to remain in a seminary environment even during the holidays 38.

It is worth noting that, in 1935, the Seminary Students’ Aid Society was established, under the presidency of the bishop and led by a committee comprising the headmaster, two spiritual advisors, a teacher and the school bursar. Comprising all pupils who contributed one leu per month up to Year 6 and two lei in the upper cycle, it supported orphaned and poor pupils at schools in Râmnicu-Vâlcea, as evidenced by the minutes drawn up on 24 December 1935 39. Also within the Society, seminarians contributed 25,000 lei to aid the starving in Bessarabia, a sum raised by voluntarily reducing their food rations for a few days, on a rotating basis 40.

In terms of missionary work, on 21 February 1937, a series of lectures began at the Seminary in Râmnicu-Vâlcea, delivered by various leading figures of the Romanian Orthodox Church, with the aim of nurturing the youth in Christian teaching and combating sectarian movements. At the opening of the first meeting, the venerable hierarch emphasised that religion must be instilled in the hearts of all the faithful, calling upon priests, teachers and parents to ensure the preservation of the faith through the education they provide to people and children, for whom they will be spiritually accountable before society and before God 41. In a circular to priests concerning religious education in primary schools, he urged them to draw close to the children and to make the lessons “a true source of intellectual and spiritual enlightenment and guidance for these pupils, in whom such purity of soul dwells”42.

It is worth noting that, during this period, the idea of establishing a Theological Academy in Craiova was being discussed, on condition that the Vâlcea seminary be closed down; this academy was conceived as an intermediate level between bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in Theology 43. Upon hearing this news, however, the authorities and the faithful in Râmnicu-Vâlcea reacted vehemently, considering it a blow to the county, as it would be left with nothing more than “a lifeless and pointless administrative unit”44. An association, ‘Friends of the Seminary’, was also formed to preserve the institution, led by Gogu Ștefănescu, the former mayor of Râmnic, who called for the seminary to continue operating in the town of Vâlcea 45.

Taking into account Circular No. 3.959/923, it must be noted that the hierarch wished to establish a third seminary, within a monastery, “lasting three years and comprising solely religious and practical studies, intended to admit graduate chanters with at least two years’ experience in the choir, and any student who had completed a three-year secondary education and had finished their military service, from which to recruit priests for villages and hamlets, the remuneration of whom was to be borne by the parishioners who requested them as priests. This seminary would also be open to qualified teachers who had completed their military service, to undertake a one-year full-time course and sit a general examination at the end of the year’. Unfortunately,46 was unable to bring this project to fruition.

On the other hand, it is worth noting that, in addition to the seminary, the monastic school at Bistrița Monastery was also operating in Vâlcea, under the supervision of the Society of the Protection of the Mother of God, founded by Mother Epiharia Moisescu in 1912. It was intended to have a permanent orphanage attached to it, into which only poor girls and orphans would be admitted, on condition that they dedicated their lives to the interests of the ‘47’ Society. Following tensions arising over the monastery buildings, on 10 March 1930, the bishop informed the abbot that he had decided the Society might use them, for as long as he remained at the head of the diocese, as he was not in a position to grant them a permanent right, since he was not the owner, ‘but merely its canonical and, therefore, temporary administrator’48

It should be noted that, at that time, five other schools for church singers were still operating within the diocese, one in each county, with their premises in Cozia, Craiova, Tg. Jiu, Turnu Severin and Caracal. 49 The first, established in 1894 in Râmnicu-Vâlcea, in the porch of the Church of All Saints, and after 1900, in the priests’ houses within the Diocese of50, was moved to the monastery under the direction of Archimandrite Efrem Enăcescu. From the records of the time, we know that the Bishop of Râmnic frequently attended the opening of the school year at the Oltenian monastery, as was the case on 30 September 1923, when he delivered an inspiring speech to the monks and pupils at the ‘51’ settlement.

As the prospects for the graduates were not the best, the hierarch ordered the establishment of workshops alongside the schools for singers, where pupils could learn a trade, according to their aptitudes, which would be useful within the communities where they were to carry out their work. The initiative was put into practice from 1 October 1922, 52 initially only at Cozia, where it proved successful, with the establishment of four workshops for sculpture, carpentry, tailoring and boot-making 53. In a lecture delivered in December 1924, together with the headmaster of the school for cantors and the president of the General Association of Church Cantors in the country, the psaltic music teacher Ion Popescu-Pasărea, the bishop took several measures to improve organisation: the establishment of boarding facilities for the schools of cantors within the diocese, modelled on the one at Cozia; the holding of the diploma examination at the school in Cozia for the entire diocese; the introduction of craft workshops—tailoring, boot-making, carpentry, etc.—at schools where facilities were available; and the annual organisation, at every county school, of training courses for church cantors. These plans could not be realised because, in 1929–1930, on the bishop’s initiative, the five county schools for church singers were merged into a single central diocesan school, based at the ancient monastic settlement of Cozia 54.

Due to maintenance costs, the institution moved to Craiova, into the buildings of the Boys’ School, where it operated from 1933 onwards under the name Bishop Vartolomeu Diocesan School of Chanters. It remained there until 1 September 1935, when, lacking its own premises, it returned to Râmnic under the leadership of Father Gh. Pașoi, enrolling 170 pupils in the 1937–1938 academic year. After five years of operation there, in the autumn of 1940 it reopened its courses in Cozia, with 162 pupils divided into four classes and taught by eight teachers55 Realising that it could not meet the demand for church choir members, the county schools were re-established, and from 1940 onwards, three further psaltic schools operated in Oltenia, in Craiova, Tg. Jiu and Turnu Severin, which, in 1948, were merged under the name of the School of Chanters of the Archdiocese of Craiova, based at the Bucovățul Vechi-Coșuna Monastery 56.

Personal sacrifices

Upon his accession to the episcopal see, the diocesan estate and residence were in a state of near ruin. Aware of his duty towards the faithful under his care, he soon endowed the cathedral, the chapel and the infirmary with precious vessels and carpets, initiated the construction of numerous churches and the repair of others, and he urged the priests to maintain homes that were beautiful and worthy of emulation by their parishioners 57.

In addition to the sound administration of the entire diocese, he raised, through donations, collections and other income, the sums of 777,957 lei for the cultural fund, 3,892,060 lei for the missionary and moralisation fund, 3,254,430 lei for the economic and administrative fund, and 410,812 lei for the Holy Myrrh and Antimise, whilst for the assets of the Holy Diocese he raised 5,550,425 lei, making a total of 13,885,684 lei 58. From a speech delivered at the opening of the Diocesan Assembly on 13 May 1928, we learn that he transferred 2,100,000 lei for the diocese’s evangelical work 59, and from the overview provided by his biographer, detailing the sums donated up to 1 January 1936, it appears that he gave 388 lei to the Renașterea Society from the income of the estate at Izbiceni,657 lei to the Theological Academy Fund and 925,830 lei for the purchase of the Putreda estate, whilst to the Diocesan Centre he donated 3,478,243 lei, the villa in Bistrița, valued at approximately one million lei, and a library. Also part of his personal bequest were the two estates at Romanați – one of 100 pogoane in Ialomița and the other of 414 pogoane – as well as the houses in Bucharest and six plots of land in the Belu district near the capital, which have remained in the patrimony of the Diocese of 60.

Through his perseverance, with the support of Minister Alexandru Constantinescu, the Diocese acquired 100 ha of arable land in the commune of Izbiceni and 300 ha of woodland in Lunca Stănești, near the village of Strejești in Romanați County, whilst the land grant at Devesulu yielded 154 ha of arable land for the Monastic Administration of the Diocese 61. It should also be noted that, on 18 April 1929, the Diocese, represented by the bishop, transferred to Creditul Extern, a public limited company based in Bucharest, the right of usufruct over a 300-hectare area of woodland in the commune of Lungești, Vâlcea County. From a record of donations made up to 1936, we learn that the total amounted to 4,773,060 lei, with the bishop contributing significant sums to the seminary hall in Tismana, to the construction of the church in Maglavit, to the painting of the church in Flămânda, in Teleorman County, the restoration of St Dumitru’s Church in Craiova, the reconstruction of Arnota Monastery, support for students, the erection of the statue of Constantin Dissescu, and so on. 62.

Synodal activity

Within the Holy Synod, Bishop Vartolomeu played a part in resolving numerous issues within the life of the Church, being regarded as ‘the most distinguished and undisputed orator and organiser of the old kingdom and the pride of the entire Church’63 For example, in 1920, whilst serving as locum tenens in Râmnic, he was commissioned by Metropolitan Miron Cristea to represent our Church at the World Christian Conference in Geneva and Chicago, alongside Professor Ioan Lupaș and Father Cicerone Iordăchescu. As the two sessions were postponed, in 1921 he received a new mandate alongside the other two, this time with Archimandrite Iuliu Scriban also joining them, but, for financial reasons, the delegation did not travel t64

Beyond this delegation, the Oltenian hierarch also played an important role in the efforts towards ecclesiastical unification within a unified Romania. Thus, also in 1921, he drew up a study paper concerning the Romanian Orthodox Church’s entry into the Ecumenical Movement 65, and from 1922, at the metropolitan’s express request, he served as a member of the parliamentary commission for the country’s new Constitution 66. Recognised for his achievements, between 1922–1924 he chaired the committee that analysed the report by the lawyer Vespasian Erbiceanu on church property in Bessarabia and the separatist tendencies of Bessarabian clergy, and he also drew up studies on our Church’s position regarding a possible pan-67.

Concerned about the state of theological education, on 1 July 1924 he addressed the highest ecclesiastical authority to organise it under a system of autonomy, proposing that the syllabuses and textbooks should fall within the remit of the local bishop and his school council, to be submitted to the Holy Synod for standardisation and implementation across all dioceses in the country, whilst the appointment of teaching and administrative staff should also be reserved for him. Following this initiative, the Ministry exercised its control through its inspectors, reporting any irregularities found to the Holy Synod, without further involvement, which was contrary to the principle of the Church’s autonomy 68.

It is significant that, in 1924, he drafted the report on the reform of the calendar, with 69, as a representative of the Holy Synod, engaging in an extensive debate with Nae Ionescu and other intellectuals concerned with ecclesiastical issues 70. Since the well-known philosopher wished for monasteries to no longer be governed by dioceses, but rather in a unified manner by a single governing body, the hierarch responded to him in two articles published in the newspaper Cuvântul, concluding as follows: ‘We remain in favour of the diocesan councils and their federation across the whole country, with a president at the Holy Synod, elected for five years by an advisory vote, for only in this way will Romanian monasticism be able to contribute fully to advancing the spiritual and moral front of the Romanian soul as closely as possible towards God’71”.

To gain a better understanding of his character, we consider it necessary to note that he was appointed by the Holy Synod as rapporteur to draft the Act of Establishment of the Romanian Patriarchate, which he read out at the meeting of 4 February 1925 72, and in the summer of that same year, he was tasked with drafting the synodal text read during the celebrations in Iași, marking the 1,600th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. “The disciplined intellectual with a wealth of knowledge” delivered an “extensive and significant address” on 12 October, in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași, in which he highlighted the importance of this council, which has become for the Church “a guide to a unified faith of divine value”73

To provide a clearer understanding, it is worth emphasising that he raised the prestige of our Church not only at home but also abroad, by participating in the ‘Life and Work’ conference held in Stockholm in 1925, 74 as well as at other international Christian conferences 75. In Sweden, in fact, he was the only one permitted to deliver his speech in full, due to the interest it aroused regarding children’s education, for which reason his work 76 was also published. According to his own account, he had also received a political mandate in Stockholm from Minister I. Gh. Duca, ‘where, together with my brother, Dr Ispir, we silenced the Hungarians sent by the Hungarian government to attack our state’74.

His presence is also worth mentioning in Prague in 1928, at the International Conference and Congress of the Universal Alliance for the Fraternity of Peoples through the Mediation of the Churches, which counted the Patriarch of Romania among its vice-presidents, whilst the Bishop of Râmnic was among the members of the International Committee, alongside the priest Ioan Mihălcescu and Professor Vasile Ispir 77. He was also a member of the commission established at the meeting of the Holy Synod on 7 February 1934 to draw up a documentary study on Freemasonry and a draft encyclical, which set out our Church’s precise stance towards that movement and urged the faithful not to join this occult association 78.

In 1936, in his capacity as vice-president of the World Alliance for the Brotherhood of Peoples through the Church, he organised in Râmnicu-Vâlcea, from 1 to 5 July, the 8th congress of this organisation, attended by numerous delegates from Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Syria 79. Of particular note is the opening address delivered on this occasion, in which he stated that: ‘we must fight for peace because the Christian Church, through the voice of our Saviour Jesus Christ, fights for peace’80; and also the speech delivered the following day, in which he affirmed that: ‘The Saviour does not approve of the use of swords except in cases of self-defence. The Church Fathers, such as Saint Basil the Great and Saint Athanasius the Great, approve only of defensive war as a means of self-defence’81.

Similarly, it should be noted that he also took part in numerous congresses of priests across the country. Thus, in 1923, he attended, in Bucharest, the congress of priestly delegates from across the country, convened to organise the clergy intoa general association and to reach a decision regarding the legalisation, through the new constitution, of the relationship between Church and State 82, and subsequently at the congress of the Association of Orthodox Priests, where he recalled the glorious past of our nation, which relied solely on the Church 83. Other reports show that he was also present at the fourth meeting, in 1928, where he delivered “a heartfelt speech” on the priest’s mission 84, and again in 1934, when he was elected to a committee tasked with petitioning the Government to redress the financial injustices of the previous year 85.

• 1

  Fr. D. Cristescu, The Life and Works of His Grace Bishop Vartolomeiu up to the Age of 60, Bishop Vartolomeiu Press, Râmnicu-Vâlcea, 1936, p. 142.

• 2

  Prof. Dr Sorin Oane, ‘The Bishop of Râmnic, Vartolomeu Stănescu’, in: Buridava, 2008, no. 6, p. 166.

• 3

  Assistant Professor Dr Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu, Bishop of Râmnic-Noul Severin, Basilica Publishers, Bucharest, 2014, p. 57.

• 4

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, pp. 143–144; Holy Metropolis of Oltenia, Râmnic and Severin, Church Life in Oltenia. The Yearbook of the Metropolis of Oltenia, Craiova, 1941, p. 54 states that on 15 August 1928 it was moved to Râmnicu-Vâlcea. (Church Life will be cited).

• 5

  Fr. P. Partenie, ‘Tribute from the General Association of the Clergy’, in: Renașterea, vol. XIV (1935), no. 9, p. 325 (hereinafter cited as R).

• 6

  Fr. C. Dănescu, ‘Bishop Vartolomeiu as a supporter of theological schools’, in: R, vol. XIV (1935), no. 9, pp. 330–331.

• 7

  See a list of works in Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, pp. 273–279; Cătălin Raiu, Democracy and Statolatry. Social Christianity in the Thought of Bartolomeu Stănescu, Bishop of Râmnicu Noul Severin (1875–1954), University of Bucharest Press, Bucharest, 2014, pp. 359–361; Valentin Maier, ‘Stănescu, Vartolomeu (1875–1954)’, in: University of Bucharest Museum, 14 September 2019, https://muzeu.unibuc.ro/ro/stanescu/, accessed 1 October 2020. To these we add the Paterikon, The Life of Saint Paisios, The Life of Saint Nicodemos, The Life and Deeds of His Grace Bishop Vartolomeu up to the age of 60 (1936), etc., printed on his own initiative, which reinforce the noble intentions mentioned above. See D. Cristescu, The Life and Deeds…, p. 145.

• 8

  A short list was compiled by Valentin Maier, Stănescu, Vartolomeu…, accessed on 1 October 2020.

• 9

  P. S. Bishop Vartolomeiu of Râmnicu-Noul Severin, Spiritual Reflections and Verified Realities, Cozia Printing House of the Holy Diocese, Râmnicu-Vâlcea, 1934, pp. 117–436; D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, pp. 179–180; His Grace Vartolomeu Stănescu, Bishop of Râmnicu-Noul Severin, *The Social Powers of Christianity. Selected Works, edited by George Enache and Cătălin Raiu, Galați History Museum Press, Cluj-Napoca, 2014, pp. 201–515.

• 10

  Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 60; During 1935, the first two issues were published: Saint Cyprian, Selected Writings and The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers, vol. I. See Fr. D. Cristescu, ‘Extract from the report of the “Episcopul Vartolomeiu” printing house, presented to the Diocesan Assembly at its meeting on 7 May 1936’, in: Official Bulletin of the Diocese of Râmnicu-Noul-Severin, vol. V (1936), no. 7, pp. 278–281 (hereafter cited as BO).

• 11

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, p. 145; Nicolae Laslo, ‘The Cultural Movement. Books and Magazines. St John Chrysostom, Selected Writings, vol. I: Sermons on Statues’, in: Gând Românesc, vol. V (1937), nos. 8–10, p. 492; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 60. Matei Pâslaru also wrote the introductory study to this collection, entitled: The Value of Patristic Writings and the Benefits Derived from their Study and Reading. cf. Grigorie T. Marcu, ‘The Literary Movement’, in: Revista Teologică, vol. XXVIII (1938), no. 1, pp. 29–30 (hereafter cited as RT).

• 12

  ‘The Literary Movement’, in: RT, vol. XII (1922), nos. 4–6, p. 120.

• 13

  P. S. Bishop Vartolomeiu et al., Yearbook for the years 1921–1925, Tipografiile Române Unite S.A., Bucharest, 1924, pp. 130, 166; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 55.

• 14

  Rev. Dr Gh. I. Ghia, ‘The Cultural Mobilisation of the Oltenian Clergy’, in: Arhivele Olteniei, vol. III (1924), no. 11, p. 74 (hereafter cited as AO).

• 15

  Fr. Ioan F. Popescu, ‘Internal Chronicle: The Reorganisation of the Journal Renașterea’, in: R, vol. XVI (1937), no. 10, p. 403; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 56.

• 16

  Georgeta Ghionea, ‘The Church Press in Oltenia: An Economic and Social Landmark (1890–1945)’, in: AO, 2017, no. 31, pp. 121–122.

• 17

  “The literary movement…”, pp. 120–122.

• 18

  P., ‘The Literary Movement: The Renaissance’, in: RT, vol. XII (1922), no. 10–11, pp. 294–295.

• 19

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, p. 125; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 53.

• 20

  Georgeta Ghionea, The Ecclesiastical Press…, pp. 122–123.

• 21

  C. Dănescu, P. S. Vartolomeiu…, p. 329.

• 22

  Fr. P. Partenie, Yearbook of the ‘St Nicholas’ Seminary in Râmnicu Vâlcea for the academic year 1924–1925, with a brief history from its foundation to the present day, Matei Basarab Printing House, Bookbindery and Bookshop, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 1926, p. 112; Church Life, pp. 44–45; Protos. Prof. Veniamin Micle, ‘Theological Education within the Metropolis of Oltenia over the Last Five Decades’, in: Mitropolia Olteniei, vol. XXVIII (1974), nos. 1–2, p. 40. Close to Govora station, the Seminary was granted, in 1929, a 5-hectare plot for agricultural experiments and, in 1932, a further 15-hectare plot beyond Cetățuia. (to be cited as MO).

• 23

  P. Partenie, The Seminary Yearbook…, pp. 21–22, 113.

• 24

  Fr. Const. Grigore, Yearbook of St Nicholas Seminary in Râmnicul Vâlcii for the academic years 1925–1929, Cozia Printing Works, Râmnicul Vâlcii, 1930, pp. 5, 42.

• 25

  P. Partenie, The Seminary Yearbook…, pp. 15–20.

• 26

  P. Partenie, The Seminary Yearbook…, pp. 7–9, 33–39; P. S. Vartolomei et al., Principles and Achievements of the Diocese of Râmnic and Noul Severin; and the proceedings of two sessions of the Diocesan Assembly, Bucharest, 1927, pp. 87–98.

• 27

  †Vartolomeiu, ‘The Origins of the New Theological Seminary – in Craiova –’, in: R, vol. I (1922), nos. 8–12, pp. 174–177.

• 28

  †Vartolomeiu et al., Yearbook for the years 1921–1925…, p. 685.

• 29

  †Vartolomeiu, The Origins of the New Seminary…, pp. 174–177; Protos. Prof. Veniamin Micle, ‘Theological Seminaries in Craiova in the 19th and 20th Centuries’, in: MO, vol. XXVII (1975), nos. 9–10, p. 674; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 148; According to †Antonie Plămădeală, Historical Contributions Concerning the Period 1918–1939 – Elie Miron Cristea – documents, notes and correspondence, Sibiu, 1987, p. 349, the bishop asked the patriarch to intervene with I. C. Brătianu. As a result of the intervention on 4/17 November 1922, the minister ceded another beautiful and spacious building for the seminary, along with three pogoane of land, etc.

• 30

  †Vartolomei et al., Principles and Achievements…, p. 87.

• 31

  Veniamin Micle, Theological Education…, p. 41; Veniamin Micle, Theological Seminaries…, pp. 675–677.

• 32

  Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 152.

• 33

  C. Dănescu, P. S. Vartolomeiu…, p. 331; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 260.

• 34

  Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 159.

• 35

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, pp. 195–198.

• 36

  Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 159, note 363.

• 37

  Const. Grigore, The Seminary Yearbook…, p. 25; Veniamin Micle, Theological Education…, p. 43; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 158.

• 38

  Cătălin Raiu, Democracy and Statolatry…, p. 120.

• 39

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, pp. 198, 215, 235; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 164.

• 40

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, p. 216.

• 41

  ‘Church News’, in: Naționalul Vâlcii, vol. X (1937), no. 111, p. 71.

• 42

  Fr. D. Cristescu, ‘Circular to the priests of the diocese concerning religious education in primary schools’, in: BO, vol. II (1933), no. 9, p. 366.

• 43

  This academy was to be “a sort of laboratory of faith, designed to discover the principles and establish the most appropriate methods, by which the clergy might then produce and sustain the evangelical individual and the evangelical community within parishes”. See †Vartolomeiu et al., Yearbook for the years 1921–1925…, pp. 230, 691; †Vartolomei et al., Principles and Achievements…, pp. 71–72; Veniamin Micle, Theological Seminaries…, p. 676, note 67.

• 44

  Prof. Dr Sorin Oane, “‘The Epic’ of the Diocese of Râmnicu-Noul-Severin”, in: Historia, vol. VII, January 2007, p. 20.

• 45

  Rev. Dr Ștefan Zară, ‘The theological schools of the Diocese of Râmnicu-Noul-Severin and Bishop Vartolomeu Stănescu’s concern for them’, in: The Cultural, Spiritual, Social and Missionary Work of Bishop Vartolomeu Stănescu of Râmnic, ‘Memoria Ecclesiae’ series, vol. 2, Praxis Publishers, Râmnicu-Vâlcea, 2020, p. 116.

• 46

  †Vartolomeiu et al., Yearbook for the years 1921–1925…, pp. 685–686.

• 47

  Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, pp. 153–154.

• 48

  Archimandrite Veniamin Micle, The Bistrița Monastery in Oltenia, The Holy Monastery of Bistrița, 1996, pp. 342–343.

• 49

  †Vartolomeiu et al., Yearbook for the years 1921–1925…, pp. 696–698.

• 50

  Church Life, pp. 48–49; Archdeacon Prof. Alexie A. Buzera, ‘Theological Education in Oltenia’, in: MO, vol. XXXVIII (1986), no. 2, pp. 72–73.

• 51

  Archimandrite Scriban, ‘Minor Notes’, in: The Romanian Orthodox Church, vol. 41 (1923), no. 12, p. 952 (hereafter cited as BOR).

• 52

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, p. 217.

• 53

  †Vartolomeu et al., Principles and Achievements…, pp. 88–89.

• 54

  Alexie A. Buzera, Theological Education…, p. 73.

• 55

  Church Life, pp. 48–49; Veniamin Micle, Theological Education…, p. 39; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, pp. 154–156.

• 56

  Alexie A. Buzera, Theological Education…, pp. 73–74.

• 57

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, pp. 228, 263–264; The Diocese owned a 10-hectare plot of land surrounding the cathedral, planted with plum trees, walnut trees, vines and other fruit trees, a 5-hectare pond, which was almost completely silted up with reeds and mud, and an area of pine trees. See †Vartolomei et al., Principles and Achievements…, p. 92.

• 58

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, p. 265.

• 59

  †Vartolomeiu, “The Address Delivered by His Grace Bishop Vartolomeiu at the opening of the Diocesan Assembly on 13 May 1928”, in: R, vol. VIII (1929), no. 6, p. 206; From the Report addressed to the Diocesan Assembly on 2 May 1926, we learn that he allocated the sum of 683,216 lei to the Diocesan Fund, and that he donated a further third of his annual income from the Izbiceni-Romanați estate to the Renașterea Society, in addition to his initial donation of 21,000 lei. cf. †Bishop Vartolomeiu, ‘Minutes’, in: BO, vol. II (1933), no. 2, p. 34.

• 60

  D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, pp. 267–269.

• 61

  †Vartolomeu et al., Principles and Achievements…, pp. 81, 92; Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 113.

• 62

  Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, pp. 94, 115–116.

• 63

  † Galaction Cordun, ‘The Personality and Work of P. S. Vartolomeiu’, in: R, vol. XIV (1935), no. 9, p. 311.

• 64

  † Antonie Plămădeală, Contributions…, pp. 48–50.

• 65

  Fr. Niculae Șerbănescu, ‘The Hierarchs of the Oltenian Region during the First Hundred Years of the Romanian Orthodox Church’s Autocephaly (1885–1985)’, in: MO, vol. XXXVII (1985), no. 5–6, p. 353.

• 66

  Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 31.

• 67

  Cătălin Raiu, Democracy and Statolatry…, pp. 120–121.

• 68

  † Vartolomeu et al., Yearbook for the years 1921–1925…, p. 692; † Antonie Plămădeală, Contributions…, p. 345, states that he was Patriarch Miron Cristea’s most ardent supporter in the attempt to establish the principle of the Church’s autonomy in relation to the State.

• 69

  Rev. Prof. Dr Alexandru Moraru, The Romanian Orthodox Church between 1885 and 2000. Church. Nation. Culture, vol. III, part I, EIBMBOR, Bucharest, 2006, p. 245.

• 70

  †Vartolomeu, ‘Pastoral Letter to all Orthodox Christians within the Diocese of Râmnicu Noul Severin. Issued today, 12 December, in the year of salvation 1924, and the fourth year of Our Archpastoral Ministry”, in: R, vol. III (1924), no. 12, pp. 353–360; Fr. T. Simedrea, “Internal Church Chronicle. The Debates of the Holy Synod”, in: BOR, vol. XLII (1924), no. 2, pp. 104–108.

• 71

  Hieromonk Marcu Petcu et al., Pages from the History of Orthodox Monasticism in Romanian Theological Journals: Notable Figures, National Library of Romania Press, Metropolitan Iacob Putneanul Press, Bucharest, Putna, 2011, p. 195; *** ‘Church Chronicle. Discussion in the newspaper Cuvântul on the question of the governance of the Church’, in: BOR, vol. XLIV (1926), no. 10, pp. 606–611.

• 72

  †Vartolomeu, ‘The Establishment of the Romanian Patriarchate. The Founding Charter’, in: R, vol. IV (1925), no. 2, pp. 33–36; ‘Church Chronicle. The Debates of the Holy Synod’, in: BOR, vol. XLIV (1926), no. 1, pp. 36–38.

• 73

  D. Cristescu, Life and Deeds…, p. 176; †Bishop Bartholomew of Râmnic, Noul Severin, ‘Commemoration of the Council of Nicaea in Romania. Address by His Grace Bishop Vartolomeu of Râmnic, on the occasion of the grand commemoration of the Council of Nicaea in Iași, delivered in the Holy Cathedral of the Metropolis of Moldavia on 12 October, at 11 o’clock, following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy”, in: BOR, vol. XLIII (1925), no. 10, pp. II–XIII.

• 74a74b

  Cătălin Raiu, Democracy and Statolatry…, p. 122.

• 75

  Niculae Șerbănescu, The Hierarchs of the Oltenian Lands…, p. 353.

• 76

  *** “Address on the education of children, delivered at the ‘Universal Alliance’ Conference in Stockholm in August 1925 by His Grace Bishop Vartolomei Stănescu of the Diocese of Râmnicu Noul Severin, (Romania) and unanimously approved by the conference for publication”, in: BOR, XLIII (1925), no. 12, pp. 712–717; D. Cristescu, Life and Achievements…, p. 176; Rev. Constantin Olariu, ‘The Work of Bishop Vartolomeu Stănescu in Interfaith Dialogue’, in: Cultural and Spiritual Activity…, p. 168.

• 77

  Constantin Olariu, The Work of the Bishop…, p. 168.

• 78

  Petre Sperlea, Vartolomeu Stănescu…, p. 31, note 28.

• 79

  Rev. Victor N. Popescu, ‘Internal Chronicle. Religious Life during the Summer. The Congress of the ‘Alliance for the Fraternity of Peoples through the Church, Râmnicu Vâlcea’”, in: BOR, vol. LIV (1936), nos. 7–8, pp. 485–486.

• 80

  Fr. V. Gregorian, ‘Internal Chronicle. The Congress of the “World Alliance for the Brotherhood of Peoples through the Church”, R.-Vâlcea, 1–5 July 1936’, in: R, vol. XV (1936), no. 6–7, pp. 261–267.

• 81

  Fr. I. Pănoiu, ‘Internal Chronicle. The Congress of the ‘World Alliance for the Fraternity of Peoples through the Church’, R.-Vâlcea, 1–5 July 1936”, in: R, vol. XV (1936), no. 9, p. 360.

• 82

  Neculce, ‘Church and Cultural Chronicle: The Congress of Delegates of the Orthodox Clergy of the Country’, in: RT, vol. XIII (1923), no. 2, p. 66.

• 83

  “The Congress of Orthodox Priests in Bucharest”, in: R, vol. I (1923), no. 10, pp. 1–2.

• 84

  Deacon Dr Haralambie Rovența, ‘The Congress of the Orthodox Clergy Association: Discussions and Aspirations’, in: BOR, vol. XLVI (1928), no. 12, pp. 1108–1111.

• 85

  Neculce, ‘Chronicle’, in: RT, vol. XXIV (1934), no. 7–8, p. 283; † Tit Simedrea, ‘Internal Chronicle. The Congress of the General Association of the Orthodox Clergy of Romania’, in: BOR, vol. LII (1934), nos. 5–6, pp. 484–486.