Archbishop Valerian Trifa (Nazi Archbishop)

PFC Nektarios · Post by **PFC Nektarios** » Fri 4 June 2004 2:56 am

what do you guys know about this Valerian Trifa. I was watching court TV and the FBI matched the Archbishops finger print, with a post card writen by a nazi in WWII. He was also ID by a few prisoners of this time period who reognized him has being a Nazi.

I was reading on the OCA website and they were trying to denie the fact that he was caugt by the FBI as being a Nazi War Criminal and Murderer.
They said that he was driven into Exile? What do you know about it. It seems pretty obvious to me. How are you going to denie that the FBI caught some one by doing a finger print analysis? How are these Orthodox Churches going to still and try to defend him when he was caught 100%.

In Christ
Nektarios

Anastasios · Post by **Anastasios** » Sun 6 June 2004 3:05 pm

"How are these Orthodox Churches going to still and try to defend him when he was caught 100%."

He wasn't caught 100%, that's why. Of course the fingerprints matched. I believe the issue was, "what was his role in Romania?" And the answer to that varies. The communists were known to fabricate many things after they came to power, so how can we be sure? What is known is the way the Romanians took him out of his first diocese in the USA was by attacking his farmhouse with weapons and trying to kill him. Was THAT action, supported by the Romanian Patriarchate, Christian?

I don't know all the facts about Archbishop Valerian. But what I do know is that that we need to be nuanced in our history and look at the circumstances affecting the "facts" and how such circumstances may effect the reliability of said "facts."

anastasios

PFC Nektarios · Post by **PFC Nektarios** » Sun 6 June 2004 5:08 pm

In the show it said that the figureprints of this nazi were matched with the archbishop. Any other former nazi would be prisoned he was just let go? Its pretty obvious to see.

Is there any place I can read more about this? All the Romanian Sites, just refer to his episcopacy not his criminal history.

In Christ
Nektarios

Anastasios · Post by **Anastasios** » Sun 6 June 2004 6:38 pm

Nektarios wrote:
In the show it said that the figureprints of this nazi were matched with the archbishop.

If you would have read my post above more clearly, I said I don't doubt the prints matched. The question is, "did he really serve as a Nazi collaborator in Romania?" I am not denying that he was THERE but I am asking you what proof was offered that he served AS a Nazi collaborator and--what proof is there that the communists did not later trump up the charges or change his personel file?

Any other former nazi would be prisoned he was just let go? Its pretty obvious to see.

Yes, it does seem obvious: he wasn't really guilty.

anastasios

PFC Nektarios · Post by **PFC Nektarios** » Mon 7 June 2004 9:59 am

The question is, "did he really serve as a Nazi collaborator in Romania?"

Well how do you think he got caught in the first place? Some former Jewish Prisoner saw this Archbishop and said wait a minute and knew who it was from their time in prison. I believe like 3 former jewish prisoners destified that this guy was a nazi. I believe them.
I dont think a few old people would conspire to get a Orthodox Bishop in hot water.

In Christ
Nektarios

Anastasios · Post by **Anastasios** » Mon 7 June 2004 11:43 am

Uh, Nektarios, it wouldn't be the first time people in this very situation lied. Archbishop Valerian was some type of guard in the Romanian army if I recall correctly. That doesn't make him a Nazi Collaborator.

Look at the case of that Ukrainian fellow who was called a Nazi collaborator then sent to Israel, found guilty, found innocent, tried again, ad nauseum (this happened up through 1995; he was from Cleveland, OH). One of the Jews who testified against him said that they weren't totally sure he was the one but "someone" needed to go to jail for Dachau! I think you are giving a little to much trust over to these Jewish witnesses. They may very well be telling the truth but then again oftentimes people in their situation have lied to settle a score, or being old, they are forgetful and used by people with a political goal who say "this WAS the person you saw RIGHT" and the old person who is frail and forgetful is led to falsely witness. This is not theoretical, this has happened.

I would be more blunt but in these days of political correctness...

anastasios

_cizinec_ · Post by **_cizinec_** » Wed 9 June 2004 12:39 pm

Have you ever had to testify in a criminal proceeding?

My roomate in college was arrested and I had to go through the most irritating sets of questions. The results: I didn't remember as accurately as I thought I had about incidents that had happened months before.

These folks are claiming they can look at a fellow and remember that it was him from 60 years ago. If the person hadn't changed and they were just looking at a photo how accurate could there memory be after 60 years?

I know some people who would lie to get any famous Christian in trouble.

As for the finding of fingerprints on a postcard . . . Fingerprint evidence has been under fire for quite some time regarding its accuracy. It is not classified as a science.

Has anyone else checked the fingerprint evidence? From whom was this evidence acquired? When was this fingerprint checked? By whom was it checked? How was this evidence acquired? How old was the evidence before it was put into a controlled area? From what nazi did this postcard come? Was he a low-ranking worker, a leader or what? What was his name? Where did the postcard originate? Was he even near the place of origin of this postcard? Is there a legitimate way he could have gotten his fingerprints on a postcard from a nazi? Is it possible that, while shopping at a market, he picked up a postcard and said, "naw, it's too big" and then a nazi bought it? Aren't there an infinite number of ways his fingerprints could have shown up on the postcard without the accused being a nazi?

So, you've got evidence from a couple of people who claim they recognize this guy from 60 years ago and a fingerprint on a postcard all brought to your attention by Court TV.

I'm not sold.