Fabian Doboş: Sinodul de la Cotnari – 6 noiembrie 1642
The Cotnari Synod – November the 6th 1642
Violeta Barbu: Sinoadele locale din Ucraina, Polonia şi Constantinopol în epoca Contrareformei
Local synods in Ukraine, Poland and Constantinople during the Counter reform age
Anton DESPINESCU: Activitatea pastorală a lui Nicolae-Iosif Camilli ca arhiepiscop-episcop de Iaşi (1904-1915)
During the second millenium, in the Eastern teritory of the Carpathians, a Roman-Catholic presence is centified, in a misionary regim, until the creation of the Romanian modern state, first through the unification of the Moldavian and Muntenian principality, and, after the first World War, through the unification of Transylvania with the united Romanian state. The foundation in 1884 of Iassy Roman-Catholic Diocese, and the foundation of the diocesan Seminary in 1886, opened a new era in the more strongly becoming organization of the Catholic life in Moldavia. The diocese’s firm organizer was its first bishop, Nicolae-Iosif Camilli. This article shows the importance of the return at Iassy of N.I. Camilli as archbishop, analyzing the program-document as it was contained in the letter he sent from Rome in the 1st of October 1904 to his parishioners and collaborators. It also shows the progressive efforts of the Diocese, the relationship with the clergy, Camilli’s bishop emblems and the circumstances in which the archbishop N.I. Camilli died.
Emil DUMEA: Misiunea catolică din Moldova în secolul al XVIII-lea
Before the century period underlined in this article, the Catholic presence in Moldavia was concretized in the existence of the Milcov and Cumanian (1227-1241) bishopries, wanted by the Hungarian crown, and afterwards, in the ones of Siret (1371-1434), Baia (1418-1525) and Bacău (1607-1818), constituted in the context of the Polish crown’s Catholic interests. For the Bacău bishoprie, the De Propaganda Fide Congregation nominated the Minor Conventual Franciscan Order with the purpose of watching over the destiny of the Catholics in Moldavia. Until the XVIIIth century, the conventuals had great difficulties in Moldavia, conquered by the Ottoman empire and devastated by various wars and pillages, and this missionaries had to watch over „the Catholic flock”, the Catholic minority that, by 1600, numbered about 300 souls. At the end of the XVIIIth century, the number of Catholics rose up to 13,000. The article presents the extreme conditions of the Catholic mission in Modavia, stoping upon some facts, institutions and persons that influenced the development of the mission. Thus, the authority of the Bacău bishops is underlined, and the main discussion is upon the protectorate of the big European powers – as Polland, Russia and Austria –, upon the missionaries’s relations with the local authorities – the rulers, the boyards and the Orthodox clergy – ; the controversies among the minor conventual franciscans aren’t much underlined.
Emil DUMEA: Monumente paleocreştine din Dobrogea
Based only on archeological sources, numerous and credible, the author gives us a general point of view over Dobrogea’s paleochristian monuments, which bring informations about important and powerful Christian communities. There are analyzed not more than 14 places that had one church at least, which ruins still can be investigated. Very important is the fact that these monuments were build close related with the absolute Christian testimony, the martirage. Next to this places where the archeological traces are still visible and already have been studied, there are another 21 places which are reminded in literary sources of having Catholic communities and churches, but the archeology cannot tell us anything about them yet. In the end of this article there is an interesting point of view about the metropolitan See of Tomis and his jurisdictional and canonical importance over the other episcopal Sees of Scythia Minor.
Anton DESPINESCU: Saxa loquntur. Mărturii despre trecutul catolicilor din Moldova
The rock, an element that has a great receptivity of recording and durability, has the capacity to open beams of lights in a far away and darken past. In east of Carpathians this simple modality, but very expressive, of preserving a specific way of life, has its importance. Historical, archeological and literary analyse made by the author, dissipates a part of history’s ignorance fog over Moldavia’s Catholics identity. Great churches, such as the Cuman’s Episcopy, or those from Siret, Baia, Săbaoani and Cotnari, ruined by the passing by of time, speak about a Catholic presence in this area. Next to this impressive archeologic informations, there are also literary sources nevertheless important as well, which add their already established partiture to the archeologic harmony.
Fabian Doboş: Contribuţia Episcopului Dominic Jaquet (1895-1903) la dezvoltarea culturii în Dieceza de Iaşi
At the beginning of its existence, the Diocese of Iaşi was led by alien Bishops who perceived the spiritual and the material problems of the new Diocese and contributed in many ways to solve them. One of the greatest Bishops who worked in Moldavia was the Franciscan Swiss Dominic Jaquet (1843-1931). After presenting the main steps of his historical research, the author of this study exposes briefly the biography of this brave Bishop, underlining the central aspects of his formative curriculum. Then Fabian Doboş illustrates the activity as Bishop of Dominic Jaquet and his pastoral and cultural accomplishments; finally the author bring into bold relief the role of the Bishop Dominic Jaquet in promoting the cultural life in the Diocese of Iaşi, especially his contribution in building and supporting the Institute Cipariu.
Josef Makarczyk: Ioan Paul al II-lea şi Biserica Catolică din Bielorusia
Biserica în timpul pontificatului Papei Ioan Paul al II-lea a arătat puterea pe care lumea politicii nu a revelat-o de multă vreme. Papa pelerin, prin puterea credinţei sale, a contribuit la căderea comunismului. În acest articol, pr. Josef Makarczyk, vrea să arate meritele lui Ioan Paul al II-lea pentru Biserica din Bielorusia. Enumerând în prima parte câteva statistici cu privire la numărul de parohii, credincioşi şi preoţi, în partea a doua enumeră acţiunile papei care au contribuit la renaşterea religioasă a Bielorusiei, precum şi situaţia actuală a Bisericii din Bielorusia, care a intrat pe drumul ce conduce la încrederea în sine şi la formarea unei tradiţii proprii, bazată pe moştenirea primită de la predecesorii ei.