OLD- CALENDARISTS OF ROMANIA
At 1859, the provinces of Walachia and Moldavia elected Alexandru Ion Cuza as their common prince. The same year saw the organization of the Romanian Orthodox Church as a distinct jurisdiction within the Orthodox Church. At 1861 the two provinces united and were recognized by the 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 the establishment 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 the majority of the Romanian people. However, the Holy Skete of Prokrov in northern Moldavia remained 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, the New Calendarist Patriarch of Constantinople recognized the autocephaly of the New
Calendar Church 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 the Coroi Ravine, away from the authorities, where they built a hut in which to spend the winter. In the spring, they built a larger hut with a chapel. In time, they were joined by Hieromonk Pamvu and two of his brothers, Veniamin and Galaction. In 1926 and 1929, Patriarch Miron ordered the celebration of Pascha according to the papal paschalion. This raised a storm of protest in parts of Romania. Metropolitan Gurias of Bessarabia openly criticized the Patriarch, and defied the order by directing the churches of his Metropolis to celebrate Pascha according to the Orthodox Paschalion. The White Russian clergy of Bucharest also ignored the order and continued to follow the Orthodox Paschalion. Many Romanians were shocked by this latest innovation, and began to return to the Genuine Orthodox Church. By 1936, Hieromonk Glicherie had built about forty churches, mostly in Moldavia.
At 1936, Father Glicherie went to Athens (our note: They went to Saint Matthew, the New Confessor, then Bishop of Bresthena!) with Father Ghimnazie and another monk from the Holy Mountain in the hope that the Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece would consecrate one of the Athonite Fathers as a bishop for the Romanians. The Romanian fathers were expelled by the civil authorities before this could take place.
At 1935, Patriarch Miron decided to stamp out the Genuine Orthodox Church. He ordered the
destruction of all the Genuine Orthodox churches and the imprisonment of all the Genuine Orthodox clergy. During the persecution of 1935-1939, at least ten Genuine Orthodox priests were either killed or died in prison. Among the martyrs were Hieromonk Pambo, founder of the Monastery of Dobru, and Fathers Gideon and Theophan. Also among the holy martyrs who
suffered during this persecution were five lay people who were thrown into the well of the Monastery of Cucova and drowned. Hieromonk Glicherie was also arrested and taken to
Bucharest, where he was sentenced to death. The Most Holy Theotokos intervened to save his life, appearing to the wife of the Minister of Justice and ordering her to intercede with her husband for Hieromonk Glicherie. Her husband, heeding his wife's advice, commuted the death sentence and ordered Father Glicherie imprisoned in a monastery. By 1940, the government and New Calendarists 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, and fled into the forests. There they lived lives of incredible hardship, not once lighting a fire for fear of revealing their location. Father Glicherie's companion during this time of suffering was Hierodeacon David (Bidascu).
After the war, there began the labour of rebuilding the destroyed churches and monasteries. In 1947, Hieromonk Glicherie began building the Slatioara Monastery, dedicated to the Holy Transfiguration of our Saviour. The same year, the women's Monastery of the Holy Protection was founded at Bradatel Neamt by Abbess Macariai. By 1950, almost all of the destroyed churches and monasteries had been rebuilt. However, the Genuine Orthodox Church was still without bishops and suffering from a desperate shortage of priests
("The History of the Genuine Orthodox Church of Romania" by A.B.)
1956: The orthodox Apostolic Succession stopped as the Romanian old- calendarists consecrated bishops by a SCHISMATIC, NEW- CALENDARIST former "bishop" of Romanian New- Calendarist "Patriarchate". This bishop was consecrate after the schism of New Papal calendar.
1979: Second apostasy of Romanian Old- Calendarists leaders! They united with the SCHISMATIC AND HERETIC group of "Kallistites" and now "Cyprianites" [Parasynagogue (conventicle) "In Resistance"] and not with the Church of G.O.C. of Greece.Kallistos (Makris) was deposed by the True orth. Church of Christ 1977 because he was united with the Florinite graceless parasynagogue of Auxentios (Pastras), likewise a deposed Archimandrite of the (Matthewite) T.O. Church 1947/48.
May God have mercy on our Romanian brothers and restore the Canonical (True) and Orthodox Apostolic Succession in the Genuine Orthodox Church of Christ, under the omophorion of His Eminence Metropolitan of Thebes and Locum Tenens of Holy Archdiocese of Athens Chrysostom!
