Metropolitan Conon (Arămescu-Donici)
Metropolitan Conon (Arămescu-Donici) (1837-1922)
Conon may be spelt Konon.
Iosif may be spelt Joseph.
Early life of Conon Arămescu-Donici
On 2 February, 1837, Conon Arămescu-Donici was born into the family of a parish priest in the village of Urzici-Arămești, Bahma Commune, in Neamț County, in the Principality of Moldavia. Conon Arămescu-Donici was the son of Priest Vasile Gheorghe Arămescu, the priest of that village (and a priest in a family of priests). Thus, he was raised an Orthodox Christian in the bosom of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
He received his primary and secondary education in his home village.
Higher education
In about 1857, Conon entered the monastic community of the Neamț Monastery, where he received the usual formation, and where he was eventually tonsured a rasophor monk. Then he studied at the Târgu Neamț and Socola Monastery Seminaries.
After years of studies in Neamț, he attended the higher courses of the Veniamin Seminary in the capital of Moldavia (Iași).
Then, he studied at the University of Iași, from which he graduated in Literature in 1877.
Monastic tonsure, 1877
In 1877, Conon Arămescu-Donici was tonsured to be a Stavrophor- monk at Neamț Monastery. He was given the name of a different Saint Conon.
Diaconal ordination
Later in 1877, Monk Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was ordained to the Holy Diaconate at the Socola Monastery.
Diaconal service
Hierodeacon Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was assigned to the Socola Monastery.
Presbyteral ordination
Later, Hierodeacon Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Iași.
Presbyteral service
Between 1877 and 1880, Hieromonk Conon (Arămescu-Donici) served as a teacher at the National School of Iași, and then at the Normal School.
Metropolitan Iosif (Naniescu) could see in Hieromonk Conon not only a zeal for study, but also love for holy things.
In 1880, Metropolitan Iosif (Naniescu) elevated Priest Conon to the dignity of protosinghel.
Then Metropolitan Iosif sent him with a scholarship to the famous Faculty of Theology of the Franz-Joseph University of Czernowitz (Chernovtsi, Cernăuți), which was in the Duchy of Bucovina, within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In 1885, after 5 years of assiduous research, he received the Doctor of Theology degree.
Protosinghel Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite by Metropolitan Iosif (Naniescu).
After returning from studies, he was appointed professor of theology at the "Liceul Internat" (a "lyceum" or "gymnasium"), and at the "Veniamin" Seminary in Iași.
Metropolitan Iosif assigned him also to serve as preacher at the Metropolitan Cathedral in the city of Iași.
In 1887, amongst his other obediences, Archimandrite Conon received the obedience of bringing to Iași the bones of the unforgettable metropolitan-founder of the cathedral, Veniamin Costachi, from the Slatina Monastery in the Suceava Diocese, to be reburied in the premises of the great Temple, the rector of which was Metropolitan Iosif (Naniescu). This cathedral was sanctified a year later, in 1888.
He fulfilled his obediences willingly and well. He was subsequently nominated to be a candidate for the Holy Episcopate.
Episcopal ordination, 1897
In 1897, Archimandrite Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by Metropolitan Iosif (Naniescu) of Iași, Moldavia and Bucovina, with other bishops,
Episcopal service
Bishop of Bacău, 1897
Bishop Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was assigned to serve as Bishop of Bacău, Moldavia.
In this period of service, Bishop Conon remained near and under the guidance of Metropolitan Iosif. Between July, 1899, and February, 1900, he was Vicar-Bishop of the Diocese of Roman and Bacău.
Bishop of Huși, 1902
On 8 February, 1902, Bishop Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was elected to be Bishop of the Eparchy of Huși in Moldavia.
He was enthroned in the Huși Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul on 3 March, 1902.
Bishop Conon of Huși
Bishop Conon then served faithfully and pastorally in the Huși diocese for the next 10 years.
On 28 June, 1911, Metropolitan Atanasie (Mironescu) retired from active service as Metropolitan-Primate of Bucharest and All Romania. He lived for the rest of his life at the Cernica Monastery.
Metropolitan of Bucharest and Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, 1912
On 14 February, 1912, Bishop Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was elected by the Romanian Holy Synod to become the Metropolitan-Primate of the Church of Romania.
Bishop Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was elevated to the dignity of metropolitan.
On 19 February, 1912, Metropolitan Conon (Arămescu-Donici) was enthroned in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helen in Bucharest.
Primatial service
When he came to the metropolitical-primatial responsibility, there were, in the heart of the Church, heated debates regarding the organisation of the Church after the autocephaly that the Patriarchate of Constantinople had granted to it in 1885. Nor were the natural relations that had to be established between the village institutions and the Church yet well-defined. Worse, politicians, often using the Church as a means of propaganda, brutally used their high positions, and subdued church life through numerous interferences.
It had been thought that the experience and the irenic disposition of Metropolitan Conon would be a solution for soothing these tensions and achieving the irenic spirit that should reign in the Church.
Visit to Constantinople about elevating the Church of Romania to a patriarchate
In this context, in 1913, Metropolitan-Primate Conon (Arămescu-Donici) travelled to Constantinople (Istanbul) in order to meet with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (Germanus V (Kavakopoulos)) for the purpose of beginning the process of elevating the status of the already-existing Romanian autocephaly to that of a Patriarchate. However, when World War I began in 1914, it became impossible to continue the negotiations, and Metropolitan Conon was thus forced to abandon his important plans for the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Bible translation project
During 1914, Metropolitan-Primate Conon initiated the work towards the publishing of a correct and current Orthodox Synodal Translation (into Romanian) of the Holy Bible, in accordance with the text in use by the Orthodox Church. It was the intention to prepare a suitable replacement for the “Bucharest Bible” (also called the “Cantacuzino Bible”), which had been published in 1688.
Despite the out-break of World War I, the work was finally published during his primatial service. Because it was a translation of the correct text used by the whole Orthodox Church (indicated by the term "Synodal"), it remains (a century later) the most acceptable and authoritative translation of the Bible into Romanian.
There were other Romanian translations of the Bible in later times, including the 1938 publication under Patriarch Miron (Cristea) of the translation by Priest Grigorie Pisculescu (Gala Galacteon) and Priest Vasile Radu. However, this and other translations often use the Hebrew (Masoretic) text of the Old Testament. This Masoretic text was an adjustment from the original text (that is, the Hebrew text used for the Septuagint Greek translation). The Masoretic text was produced after the 6th century A.D., and based on texts not in general use at the time. Therefore, it is not the Masoretic text which has been used by the Orthodox Church for the past more than 2,000 years. Rather it is the Septuagint text (translated from the earlier and authoritative Hebrew text in use in the Temple and in Judaism long before apostolic times) which the Orthodox Church has always used. It is this Septuagint translation which the Orthodox Church received from the beginning, followed by a New Testament Greek text used throughout the Eastern Roman Empire, which differs somewhat from that used in the west.
World War 1 1914-1918
In August, 1914, World War I began, and Romania became allied with the Entente Powers (France, Russia, and the United Kingdom). This alliance came into being contrary to the 1883 agreement of King Carol to defend the German Empire, but it was in harmony with the will of the Romanian people. It was further part of a hope to acquire Transylvania from Austria-Hungary for the Kingdom of Romania.
On 10 October, 1914, King Carol I of Romania reposed, and his nephew Prince Ferdinand succeeded him as king.
King Ferdinand
In 1914, in his capacity as Metropolitan Primate, Metropolitan Conon (Arămescu-Donici) officiated at the service of conversion of Crown Prince Ferdinand to the Orthodox Christian Faith through (baptism), at the time when he was becoming King of Romania. In thus embracing the Orthodox Christian Faith, he was in harmony with his promise to govern as a good Romanian. In the context of his conversion and of the military alliance, King Ferdinand was repudiated by Kaiser Wilhelm II, and he was cast out of his Hohenzollern family.
Later, Metropolitan Conon served as an advisor to the king (perhaps primarily with regard to matters of the Faith and its practical application). During the time of his primacy, Metropolitan Conon is reported to have had a close communication with Raymond Poincaré, a lawyer and politician, who served as President of France 1913-1920.
Attacks on Romania, 1916
In 1916, during the course of World War I, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), a member of the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire) went to war against Romania.
The Romanian army was unable to withstand the furious attacks of the Central Powers for long. In the second half of 1916, it lost all of Muntenia. When the Romanian government (itself limited because of political divisions) lost the Battle of Bucharest (December, 1916) to the Central Powers, Bucharest was occupied by the Entente, and the government and the Royal House were forced to retreat to Iași.
The shepherd remains with the sheep
Metropolitan Conon, however, remained in Bucharest, as did the Muntenian hierarchs and clergy. He and they chose to remain and to care for the frightened and oppressed people. Although he had remained to care for the spiritual flock, he was also in a vulnerable position.
The occupation authorities avoided arresting Metropolitan Conon, due to his rank and the emotional impact that such an arrest would have had. However, they found other ways of exerting pressure on him. They began to resort to intimidation and threats in order to pressure the bishops to use their moral and spiritual influence to convince the Romanian authorities, now refugees in Iași, to capitulate. For instance, Bishop Sofronie (Vulpescu) of Râmnic was placed under house-arrest in 3 successive monasteries because of his refusal to collaborate with the occupying army. He was the target of the writer Tudor Arghezi, and he was ultimately forced to retire. The erudite Bishop Calist (Ialomițeanul) of Argeș was likely deliberately removed, because of the unexpected circumstances through which he suddenly reposed in Christ on 17 May, 1917.
The only legitimate hierarchs who continued to be officially active in the occupied territory were Bishop Dionisie (Climescu) of Buzău and Metropolitan Conon.
Occupiers' attempts to force compliance on Metropolitan Conon
Clearly, a huge weight of responsibility and negative pressure rested on the shoulders of the Metropolitan-Primate. Another sign that the occupiers were willing to do anything to reach their target was the bombing of the metropolitan residence, which was almost half destroyed.
The German government authorities forced him to sign a letter to the soldiers and the Orthodox faithful in Moldavia, and to urge them to give up the fight against Germany. The letter had been written by author Gala Galaction at the request of collaborationist politician Virgil Arion (brother of Constantin C Arion), but it was subsequently modified by the German authorities without Gala Galaction's consent. In order to avoid other important destructions which were ready to be "perpetrated" by the German army, Metropolitan Conon assumed the blame of his contemporaries and of later history, by signing a message to the Romanian Army and urging it to capitulate.
In January, 1917, the letter was dropped from aeroplanes as airborne leaflet propaganda over the Romanian trenches.
This act was considered by the Romanian authorities as proof of the betrayal by Metropolitan Conon. Only after the conclusion of the Bucharest peace between Romania and the Central Powers did Metropolitan Conon regain his authority ; but the final triumph of the Entente over the Central Powers changed the situation of the hard-pressed bishop, who was required by the state authorities to withdraw from the high ecclesiastical dignity, because he was accused of anti-Romanism, and he was called “the German” because of this.
It is to be kept in mind that if Metropolitan Conon had not signed the infamous document, most probably the enemy planes would have destroyed the cathedral itself and many other Temples in Bucharest. Furthermore, the bold intervention of Metropolitan Conon remains unforgettable when the Germans decided to melt the bells on the Metropolitan Cathedral, but also of many other churches and monasteries in Muntenia, to be turned into war munitions.
Transfer of the Holy Relics of Saint Demetrie the New, 1918
Nevertheless, before his retirement, Metropolitan Conon made efforts towards the recovery of the Holy Relics of Saint Demetrie the New, stolen from the cathedral by a Bulgarian military group on 17 February, 1918.
Union with Bessarabia, 1918
On 28 March, 1918, when Bessarabia united with Romania, Metropolitan Conon served a “Te Deum” service in the Metropolitan Cathedral. It was a service to thank God for this great step in achieving the Great Union.
Retirement, 1919
After the end of the war, and being accused of betrayal, Metropolitan Conon resigned from his responsibilities as Metropolitan-Primate of the Church of Romania on 1 January, 1919.
As his predecessor had done, Metropolitan Conon then retired (rather, was retired) to the Cernica Monastery of Saint George and Saint Nicholas to the east of Bucharest, by the town of Panteleimon (the first monastery there was named for Saint Panteleimon). There, living in a monastic cell, he spent his remaining years in suffering and in complete humiliation. Of course, he was formed as a monk, and he knew how to live as a monk.
In 1922, he was suffering from a kidney disease, for which he was receiving treatment, and from which it seemed that he might recover. On the last day, he seemed to be rather well. However, his heart was not as strong as it was thought to be.
Repose
On 7 August 1922, Metropolitan Conon (Arămescu-Donici) fell asleep in the Lord in Bucharest from an unexpected heart-failure. He was 85 years of age.
The funeral services took place at the Cernica Monastery.
After the funeral obsequies, his body was interred in the cemetery of the Cernica Monastery.
– Bishop of Băcău 1897-1902. Preceded by : ____. Succeeded by :____.
– Locum Tenens of the Roman Diocese 1899-1900.
– Vicar-Bishop of Moldavia 1897-1902. Preceded by : ____. Succeeded by :____.
– Bishop of Huși 1902-1912. Preceded by : ____. Succeeded by :____.
– Metropolitan of Bucharest and All Romania 1912-1918. Preceded by : Metropolitan Atanasie (Mironescu). Succeeded by : Patriarch Miron (Cristea).
Reflections
Probably the accusation that he was “anti-Romanian” hurt the old metropolitan the most, and not the loss of ecclesiastical dignity. Indeed, after his repose, his blood relatives reported that this was so.
Some contemporaries did speak, however, of many charitable actions in favour of the National Army, for which he had organised several collections of money, clothes and food for the Romanian soldiers on the front.
In fact, during the occupation, he never hesitated to affirm his belonging to the Romanian nation, and he concretely supported charity actions for wounded Romanian soldiers or prisoners. He openly and liturgically commemorated the Romanian king and royal family (which was considered “traitorous” by the Germans). He held services on the occasion of the union of Bessarabia with Romania. He commemorated actively the defence of the national heritage (it should be remembered, in this sense, his intervention alongside the German occupation command to prevent melting the bells of Bucharest for making ammunition. In doing so, among other items, the great bell of the Metropolitan Cathedral was saved.
Despite all the sufferings and accusations that were levelled against him after the ward, they were borne by Metropolitan Conon with deep humility. He, beyond all official functions, was a true monk : "As a man of the Church, Metropolitan Conon was a perfect believer and a perfect monk. He was kind at heart. He was not persecuting or vindictive. He was merciful and gave help with a generous hand ". The metropolitan's almsgiving was so great that no fortune remained. Anyone who asked for help received it. Those close to him testified that, for this reason, he often ran out of money, and he had to borrow to meet his own current needs.
Those who were around him during that period later testified to what pressures and humiliations the old metropolitan, who had blessed the war of national liberation of the Romanians in the summer of 1916, was subjected to : "Who does not know how exposed Metropolitan Conon was during The Great War ? Who does not know that at one point his life was threatened and miraculously he escaped being killed by enemy bombs ! Bishop Sofronie (Vulpescu) of Râmnic was imprisoned by the Germans for his firm attitudes towards the occupiers, Bishop Calist (Ialomițeanu) of Argeș reposed in Christ in May of 1917. The only legitimate hierarchs who continued to be officially active in the occupied territory were Bishop Dionisie (Climescu) of Buzău and Metropolitan Conon. It is an irony that Bishop Sofronie (Vulpescu) was retired in 1918, at the end of the war.
With how much pain Metropolitan Conon showed us how part of the metropolitan palace had been destroyed by the bombardment. Whoever saw him after this circumstance could see that he was dejected and changed.
Regardless of all this, Metropolitan Conon ended his days in punishment. The wife of one of his relatives shared what she had heard :
Licheria Aramă told us that 'Regarding the last years of his life, the former metropolitan was exiled in a cell of the Cernica Monastery. From what I was told, I found out that our relative was forced to live in a small hut in Cernica, not being allowed to hold religious services. He was only allowed to confess and share those who crossed the threshold of the cell. Probably, bitterness hastened his end.
References
Orthodox Encyclopaedia biography
Romanian Orthodoxwiki biography
Additional information :
(Daniliuc), Archimandrite Mihail, “The Metropolitan from Neamț Conon Arămescu Donici and the War of Reunification”
Enache, George, “Drama of Metropolitan Primate Conon” (Ziarul Lumina, 2 October, 2010)
Iorga, Nicolae, Vaum, Ecaterina, “Corespondență : documente literare” (Bucharest : Editura Minerva, 1984), p. 21.
Leustean, Lucian, “Orthodoxy and the Cold War Religion and Political Power in Romania, 1947-65” (Palgrave MacMillan, 2009), pp. 39-41. ISBN : 978-0-230-21801-7.
Păcurariu, Prof. Dr Mircea, “Dictionary of Romanian Theologians : Conon Arămescu-Donici, Primate Metropolitan”
Păcurariu, Prof. Dr Mircea, 'Arămescu-Donici, Conon' in “Dicționarul Teologilor Români”, (Editura Univers Enciclopedic, Bucharest, 1996)
World Biographical Encyclopaedia “Prabook” biography
Romanian Orthodox Church web-site
Romanian Wikipedia article about Metropolitan Iosif (Naniescu) [English translation]
Wikipedia article about Romania in World War I
“In Memoriam : A Romascan in the Seat of the Metropolis of Romania” (Monitorul de Neamț and Roma, 21 January, 2018)
Romanian Orthodox Church announcement : Metropolitan Primate Conon Arămescu-Donici passed away in Bucharest (7 August, 1922)