Bishop Andrei (Moldovan)

Bishop Andrei (Moldovan) of Detroit 1885-1963

Andrei may be spelt Andrey, André, Andrew.

Early life of Andrei Moldovan

On 15 July, 1885, Andrei Moldovan was born in Apoldul de Sus, Trapold (today, Apold), Sighisoara, Mureș County, Romania.

Andrei was raised by his family as an Orthodox Christian, and he grew up in the bosom of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

He received his primary and secondary education in his home region, and he completed the gymnasium.

Higher education

In 1903, Andrei then entered the Pædagogical Theological Institute in Sibiu, Romania, from which he graduated in 1906.

Sibiu Pædagogical Theological Institute

In 1907, Andrei next entered the Theological Institute of Arad, Romania, from which he graduated in 1910.

Arad Theological Academy

Marriage

There is evidence that Andrei was married, and that he and his wife had a daughter.

Ordinations, 1911

Andrei Moldovan was ordained to the Holy Diaconate at an unknown date.

On 12 November, 1911, Deacon Andrei Moldovan was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Archbishop John (Meţianu) of Henndorf (today Brădeni), in Sibiu County.

Pastoral service

Priest Andrei Moldovan then served in parishes in Ardeal (Transylvania) from 1911-1923.

This pastoral service was interrupted during World War I (1916-1918). Romania was affected only for 2 years, because the country was neutral until 1916. During these 2 years, Father Andrei was assigned to serve as a military chaplain.

Transfer to the USA, 1923

In 1923, Father Andrei Moldovan (with a group of others) was sent by Metropolitan Nicolae (Bălan) of Transylvania to serve in the USA.

In the course of the following years, Father Andrei served in many parishes : in Philadephia, Pennsylvania ; in Warren, Ohio ; Saint Paul, Minnesota ; Gary, Indiana ; Akron, Ohio.

From 1935, Father Andrei served in the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (ROEA) under its first bishop, Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca).

However, from 1939, World War II blocked the return to the USA of Bishop Polycarp from Romania, where he had gone to attend a Holy Synod meeting during that year.

From 1939 until 1947, Father Andrei served as secretary of the administration of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate in the USA.

Division grows in the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate

After the war, other political factors in Romania (chiefly the arrival of communism) continued to block the return of Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) to the USA.

A long-existing and strong difference of opinion within the episcopate persisted. A substantial number of the episcopate were determined to remain with Bishop Polycarp despite his being kept by force in Romania. Political events in Romania exacerbated the situation.

In 1947, the new Romanian socialist government law (No. 166 of 1947) dissolved the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and it placed Bishop Polycarp in retirement.

In 1949, another law enacted by the same government required that any leaders who were to be appointed by the Romanian Patriarchate for Romanian Orthodox communities outside Romania must be approved by the political authorities. The first hierarch appointed to lead the American Romanian Orthodox community, Bishop Antim (Nica), was not accepted by the existing Romanian American Episcopate.

Bereavement

There is evidence that at some time during his pastoral service as a parish priest in North America, his wife fell asleep in the Lord.

Their daughter was an adult by this time and she was living in Romania.

In 1948, Priest Andrei Moldovan moved from Gary, Indiana, to serve the Romanian Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio.

Formation of the Romanian Archdiocese under the Patriarchate of Romania, 1950

The differences of opinion continued amongst Romanians in North America. The main concern was whether to remain as a diocese belonging to Bishop Polycarp and to continue awaiting his return, or to accept a new administration from the Romanian Patriarchate under the conditions associated with the new socialist government. In this context, a group of dissident priests met in early 1950, and they established a new entity : the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Episcopate of America. This new entity was to belong directly and clearly to the Romanian Patriarchate.

On 17 May, 1950, the assembly of clergy of this new entity elected (that is, nominated) Father Andrei Moldovan, now a citizen of the USA, to become the bishop of the new Romanian diocese in the USA.

On 12 July, 1950, the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Episcopate in America (later, the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America) was chartered by a decision of the Romanian Orthodox Holy Synod.

The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Romanian Patriarchate then elected the Priest Andrei Moldovan to be the bishop to lead the new Missionary Episcopate. He was summoned to travel to Romania for his ordination.

Consequently, Priest Andrei Moldovan returned to Romania for the ordination.

This situation brought about the existence of 2 Romanian Orthodox dioceses in North America : the original Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and the Romanian Orthodox Missionary Episcopate in America. Such a situation was, in effect, the visible establishment of a schism between the the dioceses.

Monastic tonsure, 1950

Later in 1950, Priest Andrei Moldovan was tonsured to be a monk in the Neamţ Monastery of the Holy Ascension. He was given the name Andrei in honour of a different saint from his baptismal saint.

Holy Ascension Monastery, Neamţ

Episcopal ordination, 1950

On 12 November, 1950, Hieromonk Andrei (Moldovan) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate in Sibiu, Romania.

Episcopal service

Bishop Andrei (Moldovan) was assigned to serve as the Bishop of Detroit, Michigan.

After his ordination, Bishop Andrei returned to the USA, where he began to organise the parishes which were loyal to the new Missionary Episcopate.

It had been the intention of Bishop Andrei (Moldovan) on his return to take up the episcopal leadership of the previously-existing Romanian Diocese (Episcopate) (and presumably to blend the 2 diocesan structures into one). However, he was not accepted by the clergy and the people of the Romanian Episcopate. They continued faithfully to await the return of Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca), and they refused to have any association with the communist government in Romania.

In 1952, a court-battle ensued, in which Bishop Andrei, with the support of the Romanian (communist) government, attempted to force a union. However, Bishop Andrei and his administration did not prevail in court. Bishop Andrei was unable to succeed in any way to take the leadership of the Romanian Episcopate, nor the publishing of the "SOLIA" periodical (established in 1938 by Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca)).

Bishop Andrei (Moldovan) proceeded to establish a distinct and different diocese directly under the Romanian Patriarchate, known at that time as the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada (ROAA). In conjunction with this change, Bishop Andrei took the title “Bishop of Detroit and the Romanian Missionary Diocese”.

As a consequence of this development, some of the parishes of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America left the episcopate to join him, although the number was at that time small.

Bishop Andrei (Moldovan) served as a delegate of the Romanian Orthodox Church at the first Pan-Orthodox Consultation in Rhodes (1961).

Repose, 1963

On Thursday, 14 March, 1963, Bishop Andrei (Moldovan) reposed in the Lord in a Detroit, Michigan, hospital.

On Tuesday, 19 March, 1963, the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Hierarch were offered in Detroit. The services were led by Metropolitan Justin (Moicescu) of Moldavia and Suceava in Romania. Many clergy and lay-people participated.

After the funeral services, his body was interred in that city.

— Bishop of Detroit 1950-1963. Preceded by : The see was created. Succeeded by : Archbishop Victorin (Ursache).

— Bishop of the Romanian Archdiocese in America and Canada 1950-1963. Preceded by : The diocese was created. Succeeded by : Archbishop Victorin (Ursache).

Reflections

Bishop Andrei (Moldovan) was survived by his daughter who lived in Romania.

After the repose and the funeral of Bishop Andrei (Moldovan), Metropolitan Justin (Moicescu) of Moldavia and Suceava (later, patriarch of Romania) visited various parishes of the Romanian Archdiocese. These visits included the parishes in Windsor, Ontario, and Regina, Saskatchewan.

As was reported in “The Windsor Star”, Saturday, 4 May, 1963, p. 3 :

 Archbishop-Metropolitan Justin Moisescu, D.D., of Moldavia and Suceava, Romania, is visiting 
 Windsor as part of a familiarization tour of North America.  Archbishop Justin will be the 
 officiant and guest speaker at 45th anniversary celebrations of the St. George's Romanian 
 Orthodox Cathedral, this evening at 6 o'clock.  He will celebrate the Divine Liturgy on Sunday.  
 
 Archbishop Justin, on his first trip to North America, visited Detroit 19 March when he participated 
 in the funeral of Bishop Andrei Moldovan.  He is now touring Romanian Orthodox communities in both 
 Canada and the United States before returning to Bucharest in June.  One of the objects of his visit 
 is the establishment of closer relations between the Mother Church in Romania and parishes on the 
 North American continent, he said.

In the same news item, Spiros de Bono wrote :

'In Archbishop's View : Church Fusion Seen Unlikely'

A complete fusion of Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, the dream of many a Christian idealist,
is almost impossible at present because of dogmatic differences existing between the two churches,
said His Eminence Justin Moisescu, Archbishop of Moldavia and Suceava, today. Archbishop Justin is
now visiting Windsor and will be the guest speaker during the 45th anniversary celebrations at
St. George's Romanian Orthodox Cathedral which began today. The prelate is the second-ranking
official of the Orthodox Church in Romania and a director of the World Council of Churches. 'It is
very unlikely that such a union would take place for a long time because of the dogmatic differences
now existing between the two churches', Archbishop Justin commented. 'But what might come out of the
Ecumenical Council, and we all hope this will be so, is a better understanding and more co-operation
between the two churches. There is today a movement of rapprochement between the churches of different
denominations and we hope this movement will expand and co-operation will increase, but churches are
not mature enough to embark upon an outright fusion'. Archbishop Justin said the main reason the
Romanian Orthodox Church did not send observers to the Ecumenical Council in Rome in 1962 was because
it had received an invitation from Vatican authorities too late to do so. He denied allegations that
the Romanian Orthodox Church was prevented from sending observers to the Council by Russian Church
authorities which participated in its place. 'The Russians received their invitations much earlier than
we did and consequently were in position to make arrangements much earlier. We were advised only a few
days before the council sessions began and we were unable to send observers in time. We maintain friendly
relations with the Russian Orthodox Church as we do with other churches, but there is no truth in the
allegations we are subservient to it', he declared.

Archbishop Justin said since Romania became a People's Republic following World War II, relations between
the Church and state have not undergone strains as in other countries. 'We keep our authority and the
state keeps its own. We are operating in different fields and there is no friction between us', he explained.
'The state provides the Church with funds for the training of priests, and it maintains old churches and
monasteries as historical monuments. Two theological colleges and six seminaries are maintained by the
government, but there is no state influence on the policies of the Church'. He said one of the reasons
for this separation between Church and state is the absence of religious teaching in Romanian schools.
'The state controls education and since we of the Church do not participate in educational programs, there
is no point of misunderstanding between the two authorities. Religious schools come entirely under the
Church and the state has no control over them'.

The statements about the relationship between the communist government and the Church of Romania do not reflect clearly the state of affairs at that time. It was, however, necessary that anyone who travelled abroad describe the situation in such terms in order not to bring down more trouble upon the Church and her Faithful.

As was reported in “The Leader-Post” in Regina, Saskatchewan, on Wednesday, 8 May, 1963, p. 3 :

 'Metropolitan Justin, Romanian archbishop, to visit Regina church'
 
 For the first time in the history of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Regina, a high ranking prelate from
 Bucharest will visit the city.  Archbishop-Metropolitan Justin Moisescu of Moldavia and Suceava, Romania, 
 will spend Saturday and Sunday with the parishioners of St. George's Romanian Orthodox Church in Regina 
 along with congregations from Dysart, Kayville and Assiniboia.  His Eminence is visiting as part of a
 familiarization tour of North America.  He came to America from Romania early in March to conduct funeral
 services for the Romanian Orthodox bishop of North America, Right Rev. Andrei Moldovan of Detroit.  
 Metropolitan Justin, who is second ranking prelate in the entire church next to Patriarch Justinian of
 Bucharest, will lead the Divine Liturgy at St. George's Romanian Orthodox Cathedral Sunday, assisted by 
 Rev. Peter Avram, parish priest and several other Saskatchewan clergy.  The metropolitan is also a director 
 of the World Council of Churches.

Later elevation of the Missionary Episcopate to the status of archdiocese, 1974

By a decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Romania (no. 14079 of 12 December, 1974), the Holy Synod or the Church of Romania approved the elevation of the Missionary Episcopate to that of an archdiocese in recognition of the elevation of the ruling bishop (Archbishop Victorin (Ursache)) to the dignity of archbishop. It also renewed the status of autonomy of the now Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada.

References

Bugea, Eleanor, “Romanians in Canada” (Michigan : Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, 2009). ISBN : 978-1-929200-14-6.

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., "Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America" (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE

Orthodoxwiki biography

Crestinortodox biography

Crestinortodox.ro biography (in Romanian)

Russian Wikipedia biography

Dva Grada biography

Drevo Encyclopaedia biography

Additional information :

The obituary was printed in “The Akron Beacon Journal”, Akron, Ohio, Saturday, 16 March 1963, p. 20.

A news item about the visit of Metropolitan Justin (Moicescu) was printed in “The Windsor Star”, Saturday, 4 May, 1963, p. 3.

Romanian Wikipedia biography

Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA) web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America