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{{Short description|Romanian priest and dissident (1925–2006)}}
'''Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa''' (1925–2006) was an anti-atheism dissident who later became a Orthodox priest. He was locked up for 21 years during the ] for his public God confessions and acceptance under the verdict of being an "enemy of the state". He was first imprisoned in 1948, and again in 1978. He was released from prison in part due to pressure from supporters like ]. He spent his freedom years in ], USA.<ref></ref>
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Infobox person
⚫ | name = George Calciu
| image =
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⚫ | birth_name = Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|11|23|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = ], ], ]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2006|11|21|1925|11|23|mf=yes}}
| death_place = ], United States
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⚫ }}
'''Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa''' (November 23, 1925 – November 21, 2006) was a Romanian priest and dissident.


Beginning with his teens, Calciu-Dumitreasa was involved in the activity of the ] ] (also known as the "Legionary Movement"), being first arrested for this in 1942. He was again arrested in 1948 for continued "Legionary activity" and then condemned in 1949 to 8 years of prison for "conspiracy". In 1957 he became one of the torturers in the "experiment" taking place in the ], violent infighting among Iron Guard sympathisers condoned and encouraged by the prison authorities. For his role in the experiment he received a new sentence to 15 years of forced labour, however he was released in May 1963 and assigned compulsory residence. Calciu-Dumitreasa was again arrested in 1978 and convicted to 10 years of prison for criticizing the regime of ] during his sermons at the ], where he was working as a professor.<ref name="Manea">{{cite journal |last1=Manea |first1=Gabriel Stelian |title=A suspicious silence. The West about the case of Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa |journal=Historical Yearbook |date=2020 |volume=17 |issue=XVII |pages=73–97 |doi=10.61801/HY.2020.03 |s2cid=265202028 |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=907028 |access-date=21 September 2021 |language=English |issn=1584-854X|doi-access=free }}</ref> Reportedly he suffered beatings and harassment in prison. He was released from prison due in part to pressure from supporters such as ] ]. He spent years in exile in ] and ultimately settled there permanently. In the mid-1980s he preached on the ] and ].<ref name="obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/25/AR2006112500783.html|title= Anti-Communist Priest Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa|first= Patricia|last= Sullivan|date= November 26, 2006| newspaper=] obituary}}</ref> While Calciu-Dumitreasa was celebrated as a dissident and intensely promoted in anti-communist propaganda directed at Romania, his past association with fascism was constantly ignored, "if not intentionally hidden".<ref name="Manea"/> Moreover, he continued to hold controversial views until his death, for example glorifying the "Brotherhood of the Cross", the youth organization of the Iron Guard, deifying Guard leader ], proposing an idealized vision of Legionarism and ] in an interview in 2006.<ref name="Manea"/>
He was one of the few with unusual temerity left on the face of the Earth: after being kicked out of the Medical school by the Communists, while in prison he opened and closed his and a few friends veins to save a friend that needed a transfusion. Also, after becoming a priest, he had the temerity to commune the lepers in their colony.


After being defrocked by the ], Calciu-Dumitreasa became a priest of the ], which never recognised his defrocking. In 1989 he took charge of the Holy Cross Romanian Orthodox Church at ]. In his last years he revisited his native land several times and met some of those whom he had influenced.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jan/10/guardianobituaries.religion |title = Father Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa. Fearless Romanian cleric defiant in the face of oppression|first= Michael|last= Bourdeaux|newspaper=] obituary|date=10 January 2007}}</ref> He remained critical of certain Romanian Orthodox bishops to his last day, claiming they were former '']'' secret police infiltrators.
Upon arrival to the US he had charitable reconstructive surgery done on his jaws and replacement teeth implanted completely by several charitable friends. He had been beaten so badly that his jaw had been broken a couple of times and healed asymmetrically.
As he was sitting having dinner with us you could see that he had no gums as they were probably removed by some malefic form of torture. He seemed so disinterested in food that one could sense he had barely any taste left in his mouth.


Calciu-Dumitreasa died of ] on November 21, 2006, at ] in ].<ref name="obit" /> He was survived by his wife of over 40 years, Adriana, and their son, Andrei.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oca.org/in-memoriam/the-rev.-george-calciu-dumitreasa|title=The Rev. George Calciu-Dumitreasa |date=November 21, 2006|publisher=Orthodox Church of America in memoriam|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> He was interred at the ] in ] Commune, ], Romania.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitneamt.com/2009/09/monastery-petru-voda-neamt-county/|title=Petru Vodă Monastery – Neamț County|website=visitneamt.com| date=24 September 2009|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref>
Based on this evidence we believe he reached the status of a Martyr of the Church like Maximus the Confessor, Panteilemon the Great or Catherine of Alexandria.


⚫ ==References==
We could see his chain marks as he was yawning although he never displayed it blatantly as he was wearing shirts as after many years they have tapered his wrist bones. Also his nails were clearly removed a few times as they were sloping up and down and of a different thickness from ordinary people. Based on this we think he was beaten in a savage way and his survival was only a miracle.
⚫ <references/>


== Further reading ==
The relatives of other anti-communists imprisoned with him in Pitesti that refused any form of communication with their captors such as Valeriu Gafencu, Constantin Oprisan, Paul Limberea, Dragoş Hoinic, Cornel Nita, Ionica Pintilie, Gheorghe Andrisan, Paul Bandu, Neculai Popa, Octavian Voinea, Ion Fuică, Constantin Paragină, Niţă Cornel, Gavrilescu Eugen, Poenaru Mihai, Bogdanovici Alexandru, Balanişcu Chirică, Cantemir Vasile, Turtureanu Ion, Iosub Mihai, Mărgărint Ion, Bucur Mircea, Sandovici Nicolae, just very few of whom survived miraculously a few years after release mentioned that a favorite form of torture for the detainees that did not cooperate among them Gheorghe Calciu was breaking their jaw, extracting their teeth and nails out and finally pouring melting hot lead in their mouths. This is consistent with Gheorghe's appearance after release and his testimony to us his US community.
* {{cite book|first1=Lavinia|last1= Stan|first2=Lucian|last2= Turcescu|title=Religion and Politics in Post-Communist Romania|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NBgXdOqWMN8C&pg=PA76|year=2007|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-19-530853-2|pages=76–77}}


{{Authority control}}
His relics remain at the Petru Voda Monastery in Romania, his interment being accepted by another formerly imprisoned priest, Rev. Justin Parvu.


⚫ {{DEFAULTSORT:Calciu-Dumitreasa, Gheorghe}}
With him and Victor Runcan, the heavyweight US formation of erudite public speakers with moralizing sermon ends: the others who had passed away before were Vasile Vasilachi, Victorin Ursache, Peter L'Huillier and Leslie J. Newville.
⚫ ==References==
⚫ <references/>

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2.http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/jan/10/guardianobituaries.religion
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3.http://social.moldova.org/news/father-gheorghe-calciudumitreasa-has-died-20479-eng.html
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Latest revision as of 02:40, 9 April 2024

Romanian priest and dissident (1925–2006)

George Calciu
BornGheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa
(1925-11-23)November 23, 1925
Mahmudia, Tulcea County, Romania
DiedNovember 21, 2006(2006-11-21) (aged 80)
Woodburn, Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Nationality

Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa (November 23, 1925 – November 21, 2006) was a Romanian priest and dissident.

Beginning with his teens, Calciu-Dumitreasa was involved in the activity of the fascist Iron Guard (also known as the "Legionary Movement"), being first arrested for this in 1942. He was again arrested in 1948 for continued "Legionary activity" and then condemned in 1949 to 8 years of prison for "conspiracy". In 1957 he became one of the torturers in the "experiment" taking place in the Pitești Prison, violent infighting among Iron Guard sympathisers condoned and encouraged by the prison authorities. For his role in the experiment he received a new sentence to 15 years of forced labour, however he was released in May 1963 and assigned compulsory residence. Calciu-Dumitreasa was again arrested in 1978 and convicted to 10 years of prison for criticizing the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu during his sermons at the Orthodox Theological Seminary, where he was working as a professor. Reportedly he suffered beatings and harassment in prison. He was released from prison due in part to pressure from supporters such as U.S. president Ronald Reagan. He spent years in exile in Virginia and ultimately settled there permanently. In the mid-1980s he preached on the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe. While Calciu-Dumitreasa was celebrated as a dissident and intensely promoted in anti-communist propaganda directed at Romania, his past association with fascism was constantly ignored, "if not intentionally hidden". Moreover, he continued to hold controversial views until his death, for example glorifying the "Brotherhood of the Cross", the youth organization of the Iron Guard, deifying Guard leader Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, proposing an idealized vision of Legionarism and denying the Holocaust in an interview in 2006.

After being defrocked by the Romanian Orthodox Church, Calciu-Dumitreasa became a priest of the Orthodox Church in America, which never recognised his defrocking. In 1989 he took charge of the Holy Cross Romanian Orthodox Church at Alexandria, Virginia. In his last years he revisited his native land several times and met some of those whom he had influenced. He remained critical of certain Romanian Orthodox bishops to his last day, claiming they were former Securitate secret police infiltrators.

Calciu-Dumitreasa died of pancreatic cancer on November 21, 2006, at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Woodburn, Fairfax County. He was survived by his wife of over 40 years, Adriana, and their son, Andrei. He was interred at the Petru Vodă Monastery in Poiana Teiului Commune, Neamț County, Romania.

References

  1. ^ Manea, Gabriel Stelian (2020). "A suspicious silence. The West about the case of Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa". Historical Yearbook. 17 (XVII): 73–97. doi:10.61801/HY.2020.03. ISSN 1584-854X. S2CID 265202028. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  2. ^ Sullivan, Patricia (November 26, 2006). "Anti-Communist Priest Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa". Washington Post obituary.
  3. Bourdeaux, Michael (10 January 2007). "Father Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa. Fearless Romanian cleric defiant in the face of oppression". The Guardian obituary.
  4. "The Rev. George Calciu-Dumitreasa". Orthodox Church of America in memoriam. November 21, 2006. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  5. "Petru Vodă Monastery – Neamț County". visitneamt.com. 24 September 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2020.

Further reading

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