TABOR - Tradition and Contemporaneity in the Romanian Orthodox Church
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Holy Christian gentleman Brancovan - defender of the Orthodox in Brasov Schei


 

Great Prince Constantin Brancoveanu showed interest in the Romanians of Şcheii Braşovului. Act of Union with the Church of Rome has generated great religious turmoil not only for them but for all Orthodox Romanians in Transylvania and especially for those in Şchei, who had to seek help not only to the prince Constantin Brancoveanu and the boyars of Wallachia, but have resorted to Russian Empress Elizabeth Petovna which seemed disposed to help. Constantin Brancoveanu was involved in the fight of preserving orthodoxy in Transylvania before even being on the throne. In the context of Uniate, Romanians of Brasov proved fierce defenders of the ancient faith and the Church of St. Nicholas, founded by princes and boyards of Moldavia and Wallachia, becomes the defense pillar of the faith. Even if Romanians of Şchei are submited to the bishopric of Râmnic, their connections with the Metropolia of Bucharest are not disrupted, and the first proof is that Antim Ivireanu, founding the school in Campulung, allowed Şchei people to send to that school two of their young, Radu Tempea și Theodor Baran, which will become archpriests in Şchei, being well known for their work as transcribers and historiographers. Due to this support, the Church of St. Nicholas, through his servants, becomes the orthodox pillar of resistence for the Romanians in Bârsa, who opposed the Unia, remaining in their ancestral law of Orthodox worship forever.

Keywords: Constantin Brancoveanu, Șchei Brasov, Uniate, Orthodoxy


 

VASILE OLTEAN