38 Facts About Visarion Puiu

Visarion Puiu created the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Western Europe under the authority of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and for a few years played an important role in the Romanian diaspora.

Victor Visarion Puiu was born on 27 February 1879 in Pascani, Romania.

Visarion Puiu attended a local primary school before pursuing an education in seminaries in Roman and Iasi.

Visarion Puiu graduated from the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Theology in 1905 and became a monk in Roman on 22 December 1905.

Visarion Puiu took the monastic name Visarion and was ordained a deacon three days later.

On 17 March 1921, Visarion Puiu was elected Bishop of Arges.

In 1935, Visarion Puiu appointed Archimandrite Antim Nica exarch in charge of the monasteries in his Bishopric of Hotin.

Visarion Puiu started restricting the employment of ethnically non-Romanian individuals.

Visarion Puiu allowed antisemitic articles to be published in the Romanian Orthodox Church's periodicals in Bukovina and would do the same later-on in Transnistria, but the only time he penned a political text himself was in September 1936, in Cuvantul preotesc, when he published The Church Facing the Communist Danger.

Visarion Puiu's article endorsed the thesis of Judeo-Bolshevism and attacked other Christian denominations.

In May 1940, Visarion Puiu was forced to resigned from his position as Metropolitan of Bukovina.

However, the coup failed and in the aftermath, Visarion Puiu was once more replaced as Metropolitan of Bukovina by Simedrea.

Visarion Puiu would join this emigre Iron Guard community in the final stages of World War II.

In November 1942, Visarion Puiu was called back from retirement to take over Scriban's duties in Transnistria.

Visarion Puiu received the official title of "Bishop of Odesa and all Transnistria", but his ecclesiastic province was, under canon law, a temporary exarchate of military nature.

On 1 December 1943, Visarion Puiu sent a letter of resignation to Marshal Antonescu requesting that he be allowed to return to the Neamt Monastery.

Visarion Puiu argued that preparations were made for the evacuation of the province, that he had insufficient human and financial resources to run the mission and complained that he had waited six months to receive a printing press and was facing difficulties with the paper supply.

The tide of the war was turning and, arguably, Visarion Puiu was being cautious.

Visarion Puiu was still abroad on 23 August when, following the 1944 Romanian coup d'etat by King Michael I, Romania changed sides and joined the war against Nazi Germany.

Visarion Puiu decided not to return to Romania and went into exile.

The plan was opposed by Sima, who suggested that Visarion Puiu join his government instead.

Popa citing intelligence service reports, argues that when Radio Donau finally aired the announcement about the creation of Horia Sima's government in exile in December 1944, Visarion Puiu was listed as a member.

Visarion Puiu asked what I thought the Americans would pay him to switch sides.

The ambiguous wording of the Tribunal's sentence is, according to Popa, a source of confusion as to the exact reasons for which Visarion Puiu was convicted to death.

On 30 January 1947, Visarion Puiu sent a memoir to the Prime-president of the Romanian Court of Cassation addressing the charges for which he had been convicted.

Visarion Puiu claimed that he had been utterly unaware of any "actions of terror" committed in Transnistria during his tenure and furthermore stated that had he heard rumors of such actions, he would have informed the king.

Visarion Puiu went on to comment on his 1942 report arguing that as a leading clergyman, he only focused on matters of the soul and peaceful activities, as opposed to other authorities.

Finally, Visarion Puiu outright denied any connection to the Iron Guard government in exile, despite all the compelling evidence, and requested an annulment of his sentence which would have allowed him to return to Romania.

Visarion Puiu crossed into France, and his immigration status there, at least until 1955, is unclear.

In 1948, the Eastern Orthodox Romanian figures in Paris chose to break communion with the Patriarchate in Bucharest and in the following year, Visarion Puiu created the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Western Europe.

Visarion Puiu behaved as a leader of the Romanian diaspora in Western Europe and embodied an element of resistance to the new Church hierarchy in Bucharest.

On 20 August 1955, Visarion Puiu sent a letter to the Romanian Legation in Paris requesting repatriation.

The demands were so unreasonable that in 1956, the authorities concluded that Visarion Puiu was not genuinely interested in returning to Romania.

Popa and Leustean indicate Paris as the place of death, but Orthodox priest and professor Mircea Pacurariu cites Viels-Maisons, west of Paris, where Visarion Puiu was first interred.

Visarion Puiu's memory is particularly glorified by Orthodox groups with antisemitic views.

Visarion Puiu's silence protected not just friends such as Antim Nica, but others irrespective of any personal relationship.

Popa argues that Visarion Puiu "supported German propaganda against Judeo-Bolshevism" and rejects the possibility that Visarion Puiu was unaware of the antisemitic crimes that were being committed on the territory of his exarchate.

Visarion Puiu had to be tried for his actions during the war.