Commemoration of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Romanian Prisons

May 14th is a National Day in Romania to commemorate the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Romanian Prisons. The date was chosen to commemorate the night of 14–15 May 1948, when the communist authorities launched one of the largest waves of political arrests in post-war Romania. More than 10,000 young people, intellectuals, students and opponents of the regime were detained, interrogated and sentenced. Many of those imprisoned were sent to the communist prisons of Aiud, Gherla, Pitești, Sighetu Marmației and Râmnicu Sărat.

Notable Prison Martyrs and Confessors were:

Valeriu Gafencu (1921–1952): Often referred to as "The Saint of the Prisons", he died at Târgu Ocna prison at the age of 31. He is known for his profound love and spiritual influence over other prisoners.

Archimandrite Arsenie Papacioc: A major spiritual father who survived communist incarceration.

Fr. Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa: A priest who was imprisoned for his faith and later spoke out against the regime.

Archimandrite Iustin Pârvu: A well-known confessor who spent over 16 years in communist prisons.

Fr. Daniil Tudor (Sandu Tudor) (1896–1962): Founder of the "Burning Bush" movement at Antim Monastery and a key figure among the "Aiud mystics".

Fr. Ilarion Felea: A theologian and priest who died in prison.

Ioan Ianolide: A disciple of Valeriu Gafencu who chronicled the spiritual life in Aiud prison.

Virgil Maxim: A writer and poet who spent 22 years in various prisons.

Monk Nicolae Steinhardt: A Jewish intellectual who converted to Orthodox Christianity while in prison.

Some of the confessors of the faith who suffered in communist prisons were canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church in 2024, with the solemn proclamation of canonization taking place in 2025, a year proclaimed by the Romanian Patriarchate as the Commemorative Year of Romanian Orthodox Spiritual Fathers and Confessors of the 20th Century.

Establishment of the Commemorative Day

The National Day honoring the martyrs and confessors of the communist prisons was established through Law No. 127, adopted by the Romanian Parliament and promulgated by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on May 30, 2017. In honor of the commemoration, the Church of the Martyrs and Confessors of the Communist Prisons at the National School for the Training of Penitentiary Agents in Târgu Ocna, Bacău County in eastern Romania was consecrated in May 2022.

The legislation provides that central and local authorities, cultural institutions and public media outlets organise commemorative events dedicated to the victims of the communist regime. These activities include official ceremonies, wreath-laying events and cultural or educational programmes recalling the sufferings endured by those persecuted for faith and freedom. The law also stipulates that on May 14th, public media institutions should prioritize materials dedicated to communist repression and the events of 1948.

Troparion in the First Tone
The true confessors of Christ have bravely withstood the wiles of the devil, and neither persecution, nor prison, nor tortures, nor chains could frighten them, but with power from on High, have they guarded the faith and the Romanian Land. By their prayers, Christ our God, save our souls.
 

On the Controversial Sainthood of Certain Romanian Prison Confessors and Martyrs

Some of the Romanian prison confessors and martyrs had complicated political backgrounds, and the subject is historically and emotionally charged.

A number of Orthodox Christians imprisoned under the communist regime in Romania were arrested simply for their faith, anti-communism, intellectual activity, or association with religious circles. Others, however, had at some point been connected — directly or indirectly — with the far-right nationalist movement known as the Iron Guard, also called the Legionary Movement.

That does not mean every Romanian prison confessor was a fascist, nor that all who are remembered spiritually by Orthodox believers shared the same political views. The group often referred to as the “prison confessors and martyrs” includes many different people with very different biographies.

A few important distinctions help:

- Some prisoners were never involved in extremist politics at all.

- Some had youthful involvement with the Legionary Movement before imprisonment.

- Some later rejected political extremism and became known primarily for repentance, endurance, prayer, and suffering under communism.

- Communist authorities often labeled broad categories of opponents as “fascists,” which can blur historical realities.

The Romanian Orthodox world itself remains divided over how to remember certain figures:

- Some believers focus on their suffering, confession of faith, and spiritual writings in prison.

- Critics argue that earlier fascist affiliations should not be minimized or romanticized.

- Historians continue to debate individual cases separately rather than treating all “prison saints” as one uniform group.

For example, figures like Valeriu Gafencu, Mircea Vulcănescu, and Dumitru Stăniloae had very different lives and levels of political involvement.

Therefore while some Romanian prison confessors had past associations with fascist or ultranationalist movements, others did not. Treating all of them simply as “fascists” — or, on the other hand, ignoring documented extremist ties where they existed — oversimplifies a complex historical reality.

The Romanian Orthodox Church has generally tried to draw a distinction between:

- honoring people who suffered in communist prisons for their faith, and

- endorsing fascist or Legionary ideology.

Officially, the Patriarchate has repeatedly stated that it does not support fascist, racist, antisemitic, xenophobic, or extremist movements.

For example, in a 2019 statement, the Patriarchate said:

- not everyone who died in communist prisons died specifically “for the Orthodox faith,”

- there is a difference between a “hero” and a “saint,” and

- sainthood is not granted for political or patriotic reasons, but for holiness and faithfulness to Christ.

The Patriarchate has also stated publicly that it does not initiate or promote racist or antisemitic movements.

At the same time, the issue is complicated because:

- some clergy and faithful in Romania strongly venerate the “prison saints,”

- some of those figures had documented ties to the Iron Guard,

- and critics argue that parts of this prison-saints movement can blur the line between spiritual commemoration and rehabilitation of fascist figures.

The Patriarchate itself has often taken a cautious middle position:

- it commemorates victims of communist persecution,

- it has allowed remembrance services and discussion of prison confessors,

- but historically it was hesitant to canonize many controversial figures because of concerns about political extremism and public scandal.

More recently, some former prison figures have been officially canonized or honored locally, which has renewed debate in Romania. When extremist groups tried to use these commemorations for Legionary-style demonstrations, the Patriarchate publicly condemned that political appropriation.

So the Patriarchate’s public position is roughly:

- suffering under communism can be honored,

- holiness is judged spiritually, not politically,

- fascist ideology is not endorsed,

- and the memory of these figures should not be used to promote extremism.

Communique of the Patriarchate of Romania: 
The Orthodox Church Commemorates All Heroes, Though It Does Not Glorify All of Them

June 5, 2019

Because sometimes the Romanian media refers to the glorification of the persons who suffered persecutions during the communist regime in our country or even died in the communist jails, we provide the following information:

The canonization of Saints has the role to profess, to strengthen and to convey the true faith so as to guide the faithful on the path of salvation and of gaining saintliness.

One of the essential conditions to glorify Saints is their undoubted faith kept until death (Revelation 2:10).

In this regard, not all those who died in prisons died for the Orthodox faith. Therefore, there is a difference between a hero – who suffered and died for the freedom or in defence of the motherland – and a Saint – who witnessed to the faith until death.

Hence, the glorification of Saints is not performed for political or patriotic reasons, but for the fact of living and witnessing the true faith in times both of peace and persecution.

The persons who suffered for their faith during communism are constantly commemorated or honoured by the Church through their remembrance during every Divine Liturgy, when the Church prays for ‘the blessed in their falling asleep Romanian heroes, soldiers and fighters of all times and places, who sacrificed themselves on battlefields, in concentration camps and in prisons for the defense of the motherland and of the ancient Orthodox faith, for national unity, for the freedom and dignity of the Romanian nation.’

In addition, the Commemoration Day of Anti-Communist Political Prisoners is observed every year on March 9, when the Church commemorates the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, and the National Day for the Victims of Communism is observed on May 14.

The Romanian Patriarchate particularly paid an intense and extensive homage to those who suffered during communism in 2017, a year declared by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church as Solemn Year of Patriarch Justinian and of the defenders of Orthodoxy during communism.

‘The example of their lives full of devotional deeds and sacrificial acts is a permanent source of light and renewal for today’s Christian life, and their commemoration of this year calls us to be confessors of Orthodox faith, founders of holy places and of Christian culture, urges that we have humble and merciful love in the soul, as well as worthy works of confessing the Christian faith today,’ reads the Solemn commemorative act of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, made public on October 27, 2017.

In this context, the Romanian Patriarchate published important volumes dedicated to those who confessed Christ in communist jails (for example The Dictionary of confessing Romanian Orthodox clergy and laypersons in communist detention, 1945-1964, coordinated by Adrian Nicolae Petcu; Patriarch Justinian Marina and the defenders of Orthodoxy during communism, etc.).

Also, shows and theatre plays were performed being inspired by the suffering of the passion-bearers in communist prisons, symposia and conferences were organized, all of them having a content meant to recover the remembrance of the exemplary moral status of the heroic Romanian fighters in our recent history.

However, unlike heroes and patriot martyrs of certain historical moments, a Saint represents a constant and luminous example of steadfast faith, sincere repentance and holy life.

The canonization process, as recognition of the saintliness of a person, is therefore laborious and long-lasting, because proof of the certainty of the true faith and the holiness of life of the one proposed for canonization must be provided, as well as the proof that popular devotion to that person is not superficial and temporal, but profound and perennial, verified over time.

In conclusion, we must constantly remember all Romanian heroes, although not all of them are listed as Saints in the calendar.

Nevertheless, the glorification of Saints must not be made by the Holy Synod under the pressure of the moment or in haste, but in a spirit of patience, wisdom, sound documentation and discernment, since true holiness is given to people humbled by God Himself who is the Only Holy, and the Church only recognizes and proclaims solemnly this saintliness given to the people of God.

In this respect, both known and unknown Saints, that is both canonized Saints (added to the calendar) and those still not canonized by the Church, are venerated with piety and invoked in prayer on the Sunday of All Saints and on the Sunday of All Romanian Saints.

Some Saints were included in the Synaxaria or the church calendar ten or twenty years after their death, and others a century or several centuries after death, according to the secret work of God.

Therefore, the declaration of new Saints by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church can bring joy to the faithful if it is a documented work lighted by prayer and humility, but even more urgent and more necessary than any canonization is the cultivation of holiness in our personal lives, because it brings us salvation or eternal gladness (Hebrews 12:14).

Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate