God exists!

Although I believe this should be self-evident, I would still like to point out that this article does not contain commentary of a confessional nature and does not aim to debate the existence or nonexistence of God, nor the validity of the Christian Orthodox faith. The expression “God exists!” was often spoken by enthusiastic revolutionaries during the 1989 Revolution, in the context of the Ceaușescu couple’s departure from Bucharest. It symbolized happiness, liberation, and faith. Nothing more. Excerpt from an anonymous (fictional) memoir

Dear fellow citizens,

Probably, in this enthusiastic atmosphere, in these turning days in the history of our people, you have heard here and there various things about freedom. But what does it really mean to be free? Are we truly free, or does it only seem so?

Instead of answering this question, I will leave you with a short message which I could never have conveyed with such sincerity at any other moment in my life as I do now—and you may draw your own conclusion.

My message to the readers: God exists!

It is no secret to anyone that religion was persecuted during the communist period. One of the greatest fears of Romanians at the beginning of the postwar period and during the Soviet occupation was the attitude of the comrades toward God. It was well known that the Bolsheviks were staunch atheists, fanatical materialists, and that, in their eyes, religion was nothing more than a tool for manipulating the masses, an instrument of the elites that had to be destroyed—a trap, a foolishness.

Romanians have always been a more conservative, traditionalist people. This means that whenever a progressive current appears in Europe, whenever a wind of change blows, in our lands a counterreaction also emerges—a genuine opposition to change. Sometimes it prevails; other times, it does not. Communism imposed a process of forced “atheization” of Romanian society, part of the broader process of purification and proletarianization of the Romanian people, starting from its very foundation—its values. Initially, this was met with deep contempt and vehement opposition, as were most of the comrades’ “great reforms” (collectivization, nationalization). However, over time, people began to conform; they learned to be, at least outwardly, humble and submissive, obedient, not to comment, not to revolt—a flaw that remains with us to this day. It is a grave illness in a democracy, but a great miracle and a golden dream in a true dictatorship such as the one imposed from the East.

In the context of the prohibition (openly or de facto) of the free practice of religious confession, including the Christian Orthodox faith shared by an overwhelming majority of the population at that time, going to church was done in the dark and away from the public eye. Prayers were whispered and spoken only within the veiled safety of one’s home or apartment—with walls like glass and conveniently lacking sound insulation. The simple and obvious truth for everyone—that Romania was a Christian state—became a taboo.

Shocking for the ordinary person, especially in rural life, was the rapid and violent removal of religious elements from public life, of ceremonies and traditions with “unhealthy” origins, and of the power and influence of the Church in the state. In less than a decade, Romania went from having priests in government to imprisoning them. The ordinary person, accustomed to attending Sunday service and observing traditions—to dye Easter eggs and sing Christmas carols, to rejoice in the birth of the Lord and His resurrection—came to pray at the corner of the table, making subtle wrist movements that mimicked the sign of the cross of old, looking around twice before clinking eggs and whispering “Christ is risen!”, without necessarily expecting a reply that would confirm this counterrevolutionary saying: “Truly, He is risen!”

With the fall of the regime of grim memory, people exuberantly expressed their joy at having removed a man who kept them in cold, hunger, and fear. Intoxicated by freedom, they regained the power to wish something natural, yet long forgotten: “Merry Christmas!” For the first time in nearly half a century, carols could be heard on the radio, on TV, in the streets—sung joyfully and shattering everyone’s secret by proclaiming the birth of the Lord. Thus, our anonymous author, too, could wish, with a peaceful soul, to friends, colleagues, relatives, family: “Merry Christmas!” Why? Because, he said, “God exists!”

For Romanians, He has existed and will probably continue to exist for a long time to come, even if His word may not remain as influential. Nevertheless, believers or not, we all rejoice in the fact that we can look each other in the eye and freely believe what we wish, to know that the other disagrees with us, believes differently—and that this is acceptable. “God exists!” marked the beginning of the rebirth of the Romanian Orthodox Church (note—the institution continued its activity uninterrupted throughout the communist dictatorship, although severely affected and diminished), which could regain part of what it once had and set out on a new path.

Now… the question arose: “What will the Church do?”

What will it do…