INFORMATION BULLETIN

Archbishop Valerian’s pastorate was long and eventful.

The historical time was one of profound turmoil, rapid changes, and extraordinary mutations. All the existing historical challenges which Archbishop Valerian confronted in a manly manner, he solved with stunning wisdom. In fact, his pastorate represalii me historical time when the F a m mim American community gained its identity and proudly claimed its freedom. In a larger frame, the election of Valerian as leader of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America represented the moment when the nefarious communist regime imposed on the Romanians was confronted and forced to back off.

The historical events are now well-known, books were written, thousands of articles analyzed the events and in fact, conclusions were reached.

(It is interesting to note that right now, in Romania, a certain type of historical revisionism is flying high. Those “histories” and “historians” can not deny the unique importance of Archbishop Valerian’s pastorate but, at the same time, they try to accommodate the rather shameful machinations of the rather pathetic ecclesiastical contraptions brought into being by the Romanian communist regime. It is equally important to note that during the same time and in the same country, the writings of Archbishop Valerian continue to be censored as will be documented in pages printed in the January-March, 2008 issue of the “Information Bulletin” of the Heritage Center.)

No matter how much love each historian or writer who addressed the period had for the Archbishop, all are equal in saying he was a tremendous, unique personality. In such a context, this article tries to address a question of essence. What was, and for that matter, what is Archbishop Valerian’s main legacy? What was the step or decision that would “do” or “undo” the hitorical significance of that pastorate?

In order to advance an answer, a few basic facts should be remembered.

No matter whether we like it or not, we all are conditioned by the historical circumstances we live. To be more clear, nobody can choose the historical circumstances of his life, but we all can decide what we will do in these circumstances.

Archbishop Valerian’s historical time was that of the confrontation between a totalitarian system, i.e. communism, and the western political system. No human system and no political system were, are or will be perfect, but some are better, some are worse and some are simple abominations. Communism was an abomination! Communism was a bestial mixture of ruthlessness and moral decay. There was not much choice to make between an imperfect, though human system, and an abomination. As suck, the total opposition to communism and everzthing it stood for was a defining feature of Archbishop Valerian’s pastorate. Consistently, Archbischop Valerian’s main purpose was to secure the independence, the freedom, of Ar Episcopate entrusted by God to him. In this context, he also secured the preservation of the identity of the flock, the Romanian-American identity. Simply put, Archbishop Valerian’s main purpose was to secure the freedom of the Romanian Episcopate of America and its Romanian-American identity. That double scope was achieved by integrating the Episcopate in the Orthodox structures of the New World and the community into the mainstream of the American life. It was the only way in which the future was and is possible for the Romanian-American Episcopate and for the Romanian-American community. Only by being part of the mainstream America could the rather dubious condition of being a marginal group and the definitely shameful situation of being a communist puppet in a free cocntry be avoided.

Archbishop Valeria’s decision to include the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America into the Orthodox structures of the New World was the most lasting effects.

To talk ad nauseam about what could have been done “differently” is an exercise in futility. Equally, mixing historical circumstances and projecting present circumstances into the past, is rather pathetic. Giving exaggerated consideration to what, under ideal circumstances (that never exist!), Archbishop Valerian might have wished to happen is totally irrelevant. The mark of a leader is the capacity to do what is necessary and not what he wishes. Archbishop Valerian was a genuine and powerful leader, and he did what was right.

Today, changing course, or worse even, contemplating changing canonical jurisdiction, due to temporary circumstances, would be irresponsible, infantile and plainly, stupid.

For those who loved and trusted Archbishop Valerian, to continue his legacy is a matter of character, endurance and and moral resolve.

ALEXANDRU NEMOIANU