The article evokes the famous academician Virgil Cândea. Those who had known him considered him, even at a young age, as an exceptional man, because of his moral and intellectual qualities. In the interwar period, for a number of intellectuals, Antim Monastery from Bucharest became the meeting place for prayer and intellectual discussions. Virgil Cândea also used to frequent the Antim Monastery. By appearance, he fit the ambiance of the "Antim". In Church, he was almost always accompanied by one or more of his friends of the time. Thus he appeared as a leader of a group of young intellectuals attracted to the Orthodox tradition. A surprising attitude and commendable courage in a time when people were avoiding one another, suspecting each other and living in fear of denunciations, persecutions and arrests. Alexandru Mironescu defined Virgil Cândea as a true Christian scholar. Because of his notable cultural education and his sharp intelligence and strong commitment to our spiritual tradition, Virgil Cândea was seen as a promise for the further scholarly journey of our Church and a worthy successor of the efforts made in this regard by parents D. Stăniloae, B. Ghiuş, V. Voiculescu etc. Virgil Cândea was "an exceptional man" unmistakable among the exceptional people who prayed at the Monastery "Antim".

Keywords: Virgil Candea, Antim Monastery, Christian culture, Antim meetings, spirituality

ILEANA MIRONESCU