The '''Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania''' or '''True Orthodox Church of Romania''' is a resistance, [[Old Calendarist]] Synod, which broke off from the [[Church of Romania]], holding that at the latter is time of the 1924 calendar change in errorthe Church of Romania.

In 1924, Metropolitan Miron of the [[Church of Romania]] introduced the [[New Calendar]] or [[Gregorian Calendar]] for use in the Church. Although most Romanians accepted the change, the skete of the Protection of the Theotokos in northern Moldavia rejected it. In 1925, led by Hieromonk Glicherie (now [[Glorification|glorified]] as Saint [[Glicherie of Romania]], the Confessor), some of the bretheren brethren left the skete to start an Old Calendarist group. When, in 1926 and 1929, Metropolitan Miron ordered [[Pascha]] to be celebrated according to the Gregorian [[Paschalion]], a large number of faithful, including Russian émigrés, left the [[Church of Romania]] and joined the Old Calendarists. By 1936, the Old Calendarists numbered about 40 parishes.

Beginning in 1935, at the order of Metropolitan Miron, the Old Calendarists were under persecution. By 1940, ten Old Calendar Calendarist priests had died in prison, and all of the Old Calendar churches had been shut down. St. Hmk Glicherie was imprisoned, but, at the beginning of World War II, released.

By 1950, with the release of St. Hmk Glicherie and other priests from prison, many of the churches were rebuilt. In 1955, Metropolitan Galaktion left the [[Church of Romania]] to serve the Old Calendarists, and immediately [[ordination|ordained]] new [[priests]] and [[deacons]]. However, he was soon arrested, and placed under house arrest in Bucharest. While under house arrest, Metropolitan Galaktion [[ordained]] consecrated three other [[bishops]], including St. Hmk Glicherie, who, in 1957, became the head Metropolitan of the True Orthodox Church of Romania.

 == '''The History of the Genuine Orthodox Church of Romania''' Current Hierarchs == ''by Fr. Anthimos'' At 1859, the provinces of Walachia and Moldavia elected Alexandru Ion Cuza as their commonprince. The same year saw the organization of the Romanian Orthodox Church as a distinctjurisdiction within the Orthodox Church. At 1861 the two provinces united and were recognized bythe sultan as the autonomous Principality of Romania with its capital at Bucharest. In 1881,Romania declared itself a kingdom, and at 1885 the Ecumenical Patriarch recognized theestablishment of the Romanian Orthodox Church.At 1924, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced into the Romanian Church by *Metropolitan Miron(Cristea) (1868-1939), a former Uniate bishop. This innovation was received without protest by themajority of the Romanian people. However, the Holy Skete of Prokrov in northern Moldaviaremained faithful to the church calendar under the leadership of its abbot, Hieromonk Glicherie(Tanase). A few other priests and faithful also refused to recognize the innovation. In 1925, theNew Calendarist Patriarch of Constantinople recognized the autocephaly of the New CalendarChurch of Romania, and Metropolitan Miron assumed the title of Patriarch. '''The Romanian Old Calendarists''' At November, 1925, Father Glicherie, together with Hierodeacon David (Bidascu), fled to theCoroi Ravine, away from the authorities, where they built a hut in which to spend the winter. In thespring, they built a larger hut with a chapel. In time, they were joined by Hieromonk Pamvu andtwo of his brothers, Veniamin and Galaction. In 1926 and 1929, Patriarch Miron ordered thecelebration of Pascha according to the papal paschalion. This raised a storm of protest in parts ofRomania. Metropolitan Gurias of Bessarabia openly criticized the Patriarch, and defied the orderby directing the churches of his Metropolis to celebrate Pascha according to the OrthodoxPaschalion. The White Russian clergy of Bucharest also ignored the order and continued to followthe Orthodox Paschalion. Many Romanians were shocked by this latest innovation, and began toreturn to the Genuine Orthodox Church. By 1936, Hieromonk Glicherie had built about fortychurches, mostly in Moldavia. At 1936, Father Glicherie went to Athens with Father Ghimnazie and another monk from theHoly Mountain in the hope that the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece would consecrate one Demosten ofthe Athonite Fathers as a bishop for the Romanians. The Romanian fathers were expelled by thecivil authorities before this could take place. At 1935, Patriarch Miron decided to stamp out the Genuine Orthodox Church. He ordered thedestruction of all the Genuine Orthodox churches and the imprisonment of all the GenuineOrthodox clergy. During the persecution of 1935-1939, at least ten Genuine Orthodox priests wereeither killed or died in prison. Among the martyrs were Hieromonk Pambo, founder of theMonastery of Dobru, and Fathers Gideon and Theophan. Also among the holy martyrs whosuffered during this persecution were five lay people who were thrown into the well of theMonastery of Cucova and drowned. Hieromonk Glicherie was also arrested and taken toBucharest, where he was sentenced to death. The Most Holy Theotokos intervened to save hislife, appearing to the wife of the Minister of Justice and ordering her to intercede with her husbandfor Hieromonk Glicherie. Her husband, heeding his wife's advice, commuted the death sentenceand ordered Father Glicherie imprisoned in a monastery. By 1940, the government and NewCalendarists had destroyed all the churches and monasteries of the Genuine Orthodox.At the outbreak of the war, Father Glicherie and other confessors of the Faith were set free, andfled into the forests. There they lived lives of incredible hardship, not once lighting a fire for fear ofrevealing their location. Father Glicherie's companion during this time of suffering wasHierodeacon David (Bidascu).After the war, there began the labour of rebuilding the destroyed churches and monasteries. In1947, Hieromonk Glicherie began building the Slatioara Monastery, dedicated to the HolyTransfiguration of our Saviour. The same year, the women's Monastery of the Holy Protection wasfounded at Bradatel Neamt by Abbess Macariai. By 1950, almost all of the destroyed churchesand monasteries had been rebuilt. However, the Genuine Orthodox Church was still withoutbishops and suffering from a desperate shortage of priests.It was decided to offer the leadership of the Genuine Orthodox Church of Romania to the retiredMetropolitan Galaction (Codrun), who had protested the adoption of the new calendar. In 1955,Metropolitan Galaction accepted the offer and returned to the Genuine Orthodox Church. Hemade a public confession of faith announcing his return, and was accordingly "deposed" on Greatand Holy Thursday, 1955, by the New Calendarists under Patriarch Justinian (Miron Cristea died).Metropolitan Galaction immediately went to Moldavia, where he ordained a number of priests anddeacons. Very soon, though, he was arrested. Later he was allowed to live under house arrest inBucharest, and performed ordinations secretly at night. Soon, however, Metropolitan Galactionsaw that his strength was waning. He was the only Genuine Orthodox bishop in Romania, and itwas impossible to obtain the cooperation of bishops from outside the country because of thepersecution of the state. Like a number of other Genuine Orthodox hierarchs of the twentiethcentury, Metropolitan Galaction was forced to the extraordinary measure of consecrating a bishopsingle-handedly, so that his flock would not be left orphaned. '''First Synod''' At 1956, Metropolitan Galaction consecrated Father Evloghie (Ota) to the episcopate, and thenthe two of them together consecrated Father Meftodie (Marinache). Afterwards, these threeconsecrated Hieromonk Glicherie to the episcopate. Metropolitan Galaction designated BishopGlicherie as his successor. The Metropolitan, worn out by age and by his suffering for the Faith,reposed in 1957 and is buried at the Monastery of Slatioara.At 1967, Hieromonk Pahomie rebuilt the Monastery of the Holy Trinity at Cucova, which had beenrazed by the government at 1937.At 1968, Archimandrite Silvestru (Onofrei), the secretary of the Holy Synod, was consecrated tothe episcopate.During all these years, the struggle of the Genuine Orthodox Church of Romania was largelyunknown to the outside world. At 1977, the Romanian priest Father Basil Patracescu visited theMonastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina, which was then under the Synod of Archbishop Auxentios.Later that year the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Cyprian, visited the Genuine OrthodoxChurch of Romania. On his return to Greece, he reported favourably on the Romanians, and theGOC of Greece conceived a desire to establish relations with the GOC of Romania.Also at 1977, Bishop Meftodie reposed, and Archimandrite Cozma (Lostun) was consecrated byMetropolitan Glicherie and Bishop Silvestru.At 1977-1978, Bishop Cozma rebuilt the Slatioara Monastery, which had been destroyed by theCommunists. (The Cyprianite Bishop Ambrose denies that the monastery was ever destroyed, butsays a new wing was added at this time.)At 1979, Bishop Evloghie reposed, and in 1981 Archimandrite Dimosten (Ionita) wasconscrecrated to the episcopate. The Holy Synod then consisted of Metropolitan Glicherie, BishopSilvestru, Bishop Cozma, and Bishop Dimosten.At 1983, Metropolitan Glicherie fell seriously ill. No locum tenens was appointed, but BishopSilvestru took upon himself the leadership of the Holy Synod.'''Relations with Greek old calendar synod'''  Also at 1983, Metropolitan Kallistos of Corinth withdrew from his synod over ecclesiologicalissues, and Metropolitan Antonios became the president of the Kallistite synod. At 1984 theKallistites joined the Synod of Metropolitan Gerontios, but Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Filirefused to accept this, and founded a new synod together with Bishop Giovanni of Sardinia. Dueto his close personal ties with the Romanians, Metropolitan Cyprian managed to remain incommunion with them, and thus the GOC of Romania came to be in communion with theCyprianite synod. Bishop Cozma at this time protested against the false Cyprianite ecclesiology.The same year, there was a serious fire, which was probably set by government agents, at theSlatioara Monastery. The fire burst out in five or six places, and several military incendiary phialswere found in the monastic cells. Bishops Silvestru and Dimosten accused Bishop Cozma ofdeliberately setting the fire and of being an agent of the Securitate (the Communist secret police).It is believed that these bishops falsely accused Bishop Cozma because he strongly held fast tothe strict ecclesiology and would not allow any change of ecclesiology through communion withthe Greek "Synod in Resistance" under Cyprian of Oropos and Fili. Bishop Cozma was cast out ofthe monastery and was not allowed to communicate with Metropolitan Glicherie, who was guardedby Hieromonks Vlasie, Benjamin and Mireas. It is thought by some that Hieromonk Vlasie, thebrother of a Securitate agent, may have been one of the real conspirators in the fire. This FatherVlasie was soon elected as the new abbot of Slatioara. Bishop Cozma wrote to the Communistdictator Nicolae Ceaucescu, asking for an investigation of the fire at Slatioara. The authoritiesnever responded to his letter, and never conducted any formal investigation. '''Against cyprianites and persecutions'''  To combat the errors of the Cyprianites, Bishop Cozma founded the National Committee for theSalvation of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Romania. The Communist authorities exiledBishop Cozma to his native village, Negru Sarului. The other bishops and clergymen began tospread malicious lies, rumors and slanders against the person of Bishop Cozma. This they did, inhope that all of the Romanian Old Calendarists would turn against him. Metropolitan Glicherie,who was very ill, wanted to speak to his spiritual son, Bishop Cozma, but the other clergymenwould not let any meetings take place.At 1985, Bishop Cozma sent a letter to the Synod of the TOC (Cyprianite) of Romania, saying: "Ifeven one of the 200 accusations against me is proven to be true, please depose me. I want tomeet with my spiritual father, the Metropolitan!" The Synod did not reply to any of Bishop Cozma'sletters. Bishop Cozma was again investigated by the communist police and he was confined to hisnative village.That same year, the blessed Metropolitan Glicherie reposed in the Lord, and Bishop Silvestru waselected as Metropolitan of the GOC of Romania. Also at this time, Metropolitan Silvestru andBishop Dimosten consecrated Abbot Vlasie to the episcopate. Archimandrite Ghenadie wasconsecrated to the episcopate either at this time or in 1988. Bishop Cozma wrote to the newMetropolitan Silvestru, accusing him of changing the ecclesiology of the church, of secludingMetropolitan Glicherie and not informing him of the false ecclesiology of the Cyprianites, and ofnot permitting Bishop Cozma to meet with Metropolitan Glicherie. Metropolitan Silvestru did notreply to Bishop Cozma's letter.From 1985 to 1989, Bishop Cozma was forcefully isolated by the demands of the government andwas constantly spied on by the communist secret police. He could not contact any other GenuineOrthodox Christian Church in the world, although he endlessly tried. Bishop Cozma beganconstructing the Monastery of Dornelor on his parents' property in his native village.'''Freedom and a new church''' At 1989, the Communist regime collapsed, and the dictator Ceaucescu and his wife wereexecuted. At 1990, the Synod under Metropolitan Silvestru was officially legalized and recognizedas a religious association by the Court of Suceava. Metropolitan Silvestru died at 1992, andBishop Vlasie was elected as Metropolitan. Also, Archimandrite Pahomie was consecrated to theepiscopate.Bishop Cosmas announced that he was severing every ecclesiastical communion with the Synodunder Metropolitan Vlasie, due to the fact that they had accepted the heretical ecclesiology of theCyprianites and because they ware spreading malicious lies and slander against the person ofBishop Cozma. In an article, he wrote that he refused to recognize the church under Vlasie, ofwhich he wrote, "The Genuine Orthodox Church in which I worked and served all my life is not thisone. Everything has changed. They have introduced a new ecclesiology and modernism hasentered in among them. I however, continue to be the Bishop of the same Genuine OrthodoxChurch as my spiritual father, Metropolitan Glicherie, not this new "Church" that Vlasie has nowcreated. Vlasie and his company are a shame to Orthodoxy!"At 1992, the Synod of Metropolitan Vlasie consecrated Sofronie (Otel) and Teodosie (Scutaru) tothe episcopate. The same year, Metropolitan Vlasie accepted Archimandrite Anthony of Lavardac,France, into his jurisdiction. Soon, however, Anthony left Vlasie to join the Serbian Patriarchate. At1995, Bishop Cozma fell seriously ill. Construction on the catholicon of the Dornelor Monasteryceased. At 1997, the relics of Blessed Metropolitan Glicherie were exhumed and found to befragrant. The Synod under Vlasie officially glorified Metropolitan Glicherie as a saint. Though hewas ill and unable to walk, Bishop Cozma travelled to the Slatioara Monastery to venerate thewonderworking relics of his spiritual father. But Metropolitan Vlasie dismissed Bishop Cozma andwould not permit him to enter the monastery grounds. '''Under the omophor of GOC of Greece''' By the decision of the Holy Synod of the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece and the Diaspora,lead by the Holy President, Metropolitan kyr Kallinikos, Metropolitan of Ftiotidos, from 5/25/2001 inAthens, the people of Genuine Orthodox Church of Romania were received under the omophorionof Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece. His Eminence, Metropolitan Christopher of Mesogaiawas elected Exarch for Romania. Also, His Eminence Cosmas was received as a retired bishop.Metropolitan Cozma reposed in the Lord February 17th / March 2, 2002 + Memory Eternal.   '''Sources:''''Bichir, Anthim, priest - "Relation between Genuine Orthodox Church of Romania and GenuineOrthodox Church of Greece" - 2001Boldewskul, Victor. "The Old Calendar Church of Romania: Short History," Orthodox Life, Volume42, No. 5 (Oct.-Nov. 1992), pages 11-17.Cyprian, Metropolitan of Oropos and Fili. "The True Orthodox Christians of Romania," TheOrthodox Word, Volume 18, No. 1 (102) (Jan.-Feb. 1982), pages 5-15. (Compiled and translatedfrom the Greek by Archimandrite [now Archbishop] Chrysostomos.)Stavrianos, L.S. The Balkans Since 1453 (New York: Rinehart & Company, Inc., 1958).Vlasie, Metropolitan. The Life of the Holy Hierarch and Confessor Glicherie of Romania.Translated by Sorin Comanescu and Protodeacon Gheorghe Balaban. (Etna, CA: Center forTraditionalist Orthodox Studies, 1999). == Hierarchs ==*Metropolitan Vlasie, President of the Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Romania*Bishop Demosten of Neamts

== Status Intercommunion ==Since 1980, the Synod has been in full communion with the Synod of the [[True Orthodox Church of Greece]] (so-called "Callistoites")presided by Metropolitan Kallistos of Corinth, then with the [[Holy Synod in Resistance]] (so-called "Cyprianites")presided by Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili. The Synod also maintains communion with the [[Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria]] (, headed by Bishop Photii), and . From 1994 to 2007 there was full communion with the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia ([[ROCOR]]), but with the rapprochement between the ROCOR and the [[Church of Russia|Moscow Patriarchate]], communion with the ROCOR was severed.

==External Links links ==*[http://www.mitropoliaslatioara.ro/ Official Website]* [http://www.synodinresistance.grorg/Dioikisi_en/Roumaniaenroumaniaen.html Unofficial Website]*[https://manastireasfantulglicherie.ro/ Monastery of Saint Glicherie the Confessor, Slătioara, Romania]