The Theological Seminary from Neamț Monastery (1949-1952)
After a new law on public schools had been adopted in 1948, the communist state began to close
the theological schools, including the seminaries. The Theological Seminary from Neamț Monastery
was set up only after the adoption of new statutes for the organization and functioning of the
Romanian Orthodox Church (February 1949), as a result of the negotiations between Patriarch
Iustinian and the state officials. It was in fact a revival of an old theological seminary of
the interwar years, where Patriarch Iustinian tried to create a breeding ground for intellectual
monks who were to be appointed in leadership positions. However material and financial issues
were overcome when Patriarch Iustinian appealed to the factors involved, namely the monasteries
that sent their students to school and the dioceses they belonged to. The theological seminary
evolved under the guidance of prestigious professors, which drew the communists’ attention.
Consequently, after three years of existence, the monastic seminary in Neamț was disbanded by
the Ministry for Religious Affairs and Patriarch Iustinian’s project collapsed. The present
analysis is the result of a research undertaken in the archives of the Theological Seminary from
Neamț Monastery.
IONUŢ-CONSTANTIN PETCU
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