Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca)

Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) (1883-1958)

Polycarp may be spelt Policarp, Polikarp, Polykarpus, Polykarpos.

Early life of Pompei Moruşca

On 29 March, 1883, Pompei Moruşca was born into the family of Priest Ioan and Preoteasa Ana Morușcă, in Cristeşti in Mogoş, Alba County, Transylvania, Romania (at that time in the Austro-Hungarian Empire).

His siblings included : Ana, Matei Silvestru, Remus, Adrian, Lucretia.

Father Ioan and Preoteasa Ana were poor people, but they were nurturing and hard-working so as to give the best growth and education to their children, and they sent them all to school.

Thus, Pompei was raised as an Orthodox Christian in the bosom of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

He spent his childhood in Craiva, near Cricău. He received his primary education in the schools in Ighiu and Alba Iulia. He received his secondary education in the Hungarian Gymnasium in Alba Iulia, and also in the Romanian Gymnasium in Blaj (founded in 1874 as the first Romanian language high school in Transylvania, this was the first school to use the Romanian language systematically). About this school, Ion Eliade Rădulescu said : "Here rose the sun of the Romanians").

Family of Priest Ioan and Preoteasa Moruşca

Higher education

After he had completed these coursez, Pompei entered and completed the courses of the Theological Institute in Sibiu (1902-1905).

He was blest to be taught by Onisifor Ghibu (illustrious pedagogue and renowned Romanian patriot), Moise Balea, and Teodor Scorobeț (the future Vicar-Bishop of Sibiu Diocese).

"Andrei Saguna" Faculty of Theology, Sibiu

After this (following an old Transylvanian custom), he served as a teacher at the confessional primary schools in Sebes-Alba, Ludoş-Sibiu and Pâclişa-Alba (1905-1908).

Marriage, 1908

By this time, Pompei had met and married the daughter of a priest, Marioara (Maria) Balan.

Priest Pompei and Preoteasa Marioara (Maria) Maruşca.

Ordinations, 1908

Pompei Moruşca was ordained to the Holy Diaconate, and then to the Holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Ioan (Mețianu) on 19 June, 1908.

Pastoral service

The Priest Pompei Moruşca was assigned to serve as the parish priest in Şeica Mare near Sibiu (1908-1919).

World War I, 1917-1918

During World War I, Father Pompei was transferred, and he was mobilised into the armed forces, where he was assigned to serve as a military chaplain for the Romanian soldiers in the Habsburg army during World War I.

With his mobilisation to the front (as was the case for the families of many other Transylvanian priests), the ensuing events were particularly painful for the Morușcă family.

Preoteasa Marioara permanently deported to Hungary, 1916

In 1916, Preoteasa Marioara (along with many other preoteasas) was arrested and deported to Hungary (to Rust in 1916 and then to Sopron) in the far west of Hungary in 1917. Because she was never able to return to Transylvania, this situation effectively ended the marriage, and it led to their involuntary, unavoidable and official divorce in 1922.

In 1918, at the end of the war, Transylvania was united to Romania.

Other pastoral responsibilities

In 1918, because of this painful situation, the bishop transferred Father Polycarp away from Șeica Mare. Father Pompei was then employed at the Governing Council based in Sibiu in the Cults and Instruction department, in association with Grigore Comșa and Vasile Goldiș.

In 1919, Father Pompei was elected by the Church Congress of the Metropolitan Church of Transylvania, as Economic Advisor in Cluj in the developing Eparchial Consistory of the Diocese of Cluj (founded in 1921). Thus, he was trained as a competent administrator, acclaimed writer, true publicist, refined intellectual, visionary and whole-hearted servant of the Church.

His next assignment was to serve as the Secretary General of the "Andrei Șaguna" Association of Clergy of Transylvania (1920), and then as the confessor at the Theological Institute of Sibiu 1920-1921).

He then was assigned to serve as the Director of the Statistical Office of the Metropolitan of Transylvania (1921), and then as the editor of the "Theological Review" from Sibiu (1921-1922).

After this, he was assigned to serve as the director of the Priests' Association of Sibiu (1921-1925).

In 1925, Father Pompei participated in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land which was led by Metropolitan Nicolae (Bălan). It was in Jerusalem that he was awarded the title "Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre". It was also during this pilgrimage that Father Pompei came to understand that it was time for him to embrace the monastic path in his service to the Lord.

Monastic tonsure, 1925

In 1925, Priest Pompei Moruşca was tonsured to be a monk, and he was given the name Polycarp (Policarp). He was named after the Hieromartyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna.

Monastic pastoral service

Subsequently, Hieromonk (Priestmonk) Polycarp (Moruşca) was raised to the dignity of "protosinghel", and he was assigned to be the abbot of the Hodoş-Bodrog Monastery in Arad County.

In 1926, Protosinghel Polycarp (Moruşca) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

Protosinghel Polycarp distinguished himself by invigorating the monastic life of the monks in this ancient monastery (documented since 1177), while also taking care of the spiritual life of the 4 parishes belonging to it : Bodrog-Nou, Bodrog-Vechi, Vinga Nouă and Zădăreni. He improved the religious life of the Faithful through organised pilgrimages, and through his sermons and talks which were appreciated by all.

In 1935, when it was observed what sort of fruit was produced through his pastoral labours, Dr. Ioan Matei, a well-known parliamentarian, journalist and Orthodox missionary, proposed to the Holy Synod that he be ordained to become a bishop for the Romanians in the United States of America and Canada.

North American prehistory of the Romanian Episcopate

Although Romanian Orthodox parishes were in existence in the USA and Canada from about 1900, the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America was established as a diocese only at a general Church Congress held in the city of Detroit, Michigan, on 25-28 April, 1929.

During the early 1930s, the Romanian parishes in the USA were organising themselves into an “Autonomous Missionary Episcopate” under the Church of Romania. With recognition by the Church of Romania, the newly named “Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America” requested the assignment of a bishop.

On 24 January, 1935, the Holy Synod of Romania chose Archimandrite Polycarp (Moruşca) to be the first missionary bishop of the Romanian Episcopate in North America.

Episcopal ordination, 1935

On 24 March, 1935, Archimandrite Polycarp (Moruşca) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate by the Romanian Patriarch Miron (Cristea) of Bucharest and All Romania, and by other bishops.

Episcopal service

Assignment to North America, 1935

Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) was assigned to travel to North America, and to work as a missionary bishop both in order to develop the faith of the believers there, and to establish a Missionary Diocese (Episcopate) in North America in order to care for the expatriate Romanians who lived there.

Archpriest Ioan Truță warned him that: "A bishop who will come to America with a staff, royal pretensions and parades or as a political employee will not be successful there."

Soon after his ordination to the Holy Episcopate, Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) departed for the USA. He arrived in New York in June, 1935.

Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) was enthroned in Detroit, Michigan, on 4 July, 1935.

After the enthronement in Detroit, Michigan, Bishop Polycarp began to work towards healing the enmity between the 2 priestly factions within the Romanian Episcopate by accepting the situation and starting anew under his declaration :

 I accept you as I found you, but from now on, we shall have order and discipline. 

“Order and discipline” soon followed. He then set out to make canonical visits to all the parishes of the diocese.

Between 14 July, 1935, and 18 July, 1936, Bishop Polycarp made a tour of as many as possible of the parishes and institutions of the Romanian Orthodox diocese in North America, during which he blessed all the Temples that had not yet been sanctified.

In the autumn of 1936, he initiated the development of normal diocesan organisation through a general pastoral letter. He established his diocesan cathedral in Detroit, Michigan, at Saint George's Church.

Through his activities, and through his personal encounters, Bishop Polycarp quickly became beloved of his people.

There was fractiousness between the clergy who had been properly assigned to serve in North America, and those who had appeared there without an assignment (and presumably without a blessing to be there). Bishop Polycarp accepted them and through his writings he was able to pacify many hard feelings. This sort of situation existed amongst other nationalities in the USA, Canada and elsewhere for decades after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in the Russian Empire. It was, for various reasons, often difficult for people to work together co-operatively. Very often the difficulty was rooted in conflicting political opinions.

14 June, 1936, visit to Saint George's Temple, Dysart, Saskatchewan, Canada

On 14 June, 1936, Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) visited the parish of Saint George in Dysart, Saskatchewan, Canada, and he served the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy together with Archimandrite Daniil (Maxim). Vladika Polycarp also served at the parishes of Saint Nicholas in Regina, and Saint Mary in Kayville (as well as other Canadian parishes) during his visit.

Group photo with Bishop Polycarp, 1936

In 1936, Bishop Polycarp was received by President F D Roosevelt. The president received him warmly and treated him very kindly.

Bishop Polycarp composed the Statutes for the Romanian Orthodox Church in America, which established the Romanian Missionary Episcopate in America. The first general assembly was held on 5-7 September, 1936.

As a bishop, he organised the diocese into 6 deaneries, “having 44 parishes, 62 branches (branches), with 43 churches and 5 chapels, served by 34 priests.

In 1937, Bishop Polycarp travelled to Romania for the first time with regard to official matters, but he also visited his extended family.

Moruşca extended family in Romania, 1937

Diocesan centre ; founding of “Solia”, 1938

Bishop Polycarp established the centre of the diocese in Detroit, Michigan, with the Church of Saint George as its cathedral. He also established the diocesan newspaper, “Solia”, as the official publication of the diocese. The newspaper continues to be published. Bishop Polycarp encouraged and supported the purchase of property in Michigan in 1937 which was called “Vatra (Hearth)” and which became the headquarters of the Episcopate. Its inauguration was on 4 July, 1938.

"Vatra" buildings, 1938

Bishop Polycarp also began organising Church auxiliaries of the youth and ladies of the diocese, but these would not take an active form until after World War II.

It was during these years also that the many Romanian parishes in Canada (mostly on the prairies in the west) began to find their connexion with this new diocese. The Romanian-speaking communities in Canada had earlier been served by the bishops of the Diocese of Canada in the jurisdiction of the “Metropolia” (later called the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America : ROGCCNA). Many of the Romanian-speaking immigrants came from the same region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire as did many of the Russian-Ukrainian speakers : the region of Bukovina (which was until World War II part of Romania). It was for such a reason that there were tensions with regard to the move of parishes into the new Missionary Diocese. These difficulties included the use of the Old (Julian) Calendar to which they were accustomed, some of them having been founded 20-35 years earlier (at the beginning of immigration). There was a resistance to moving to the New (Revised Julian) Calendar (used in Romania by this time, and also in North American parishes). These parishes consisted mostly of emigrants from the Province of Bucovina.

Bishop Polycarp was concerned about establishing friendly relationships with other Orthodox Christian dioceses, and also with various Christian religious organisations, and particularly with the Roman Catholics and Episcopalians in the USA. In this, he was generally successful. However, in Romania, by contrast, certain Greek Catholic priests in Romania took revenge on him and denounced him. They filled his file in Bucharest with very many complaints. Another adversary presented itself in the "America" newspaper, a dependency of the Union and League SRA. Yet another, more virulent adversary was the "Order of the Workers International" a representative of the "American Communist Party". This pressure against him caused him grief, and not all his advisers were supportive.

The matter of the Priest-monk Glicherie (Morariu) (1879-1973) is another example of a painful difficulty faced by Bishop Polycarp, and also by bishops in other national jurisdictions. Hieromonk Glicherie was a man with a checkered reputation, and he was promoting the formation of an "independent" episcopate. The Vicar of the Romanian Episcopate, Father John Trutza had opposed the acceptance of Father Glicherie into the episcopate, because he was already under investigation by the Central Chancellory of the Iași Metropolia, and by a legal firm. As a result of various circumstances, Bishop Polycarp deposed this monk in 1939. Evidence shows that in revenge, Father Glicherie used his various resources during the following years both to fulfil his desire to establish a separate episcopate, and to block the return to the USA of Bishop Polycarp, and he continued this studied opposition until 1950.

In 1939, at an anniversary dinner, Bishop Polycarp summarised these 4 years in North America :

 The first year was one of orientation for both you and me ; the second was one of organisation ; 
 the third was one for achievements ; and the fourth, this year, should bear the seal of a year 
 of consolidation, founded on the experience of the three preceding years and the results obtained.  

By 1939, the diocese included 44 parishes, 62 missions, 43 Temples and 5 chapels (paraclis), served by 34 priests and 6 deacons.

A meeting in Romania ; detention in Romania, 1939

Having established the diocese on a firm footing, Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) returned to Romania in August, 1939, in order to attend a session of the Romanian Holy Synod of bishops. Many advised him not to travel, but he was determined to go.

Earlier in the year, Patriarch Miron (Cristea) had fallen asleep in the Lord, and a new patriarch had been chosen.

Bishop Polycarp wished to see his family, and to make a personal report to the new Patriarch Nicodim (Osvećeni) about the development of the North American diocese.

Bishop Polycarp was completely unaware of how thorough had been the campaign against him : before the Romanian government, before the Church authorities, and even before the American government.

World War II ; inability to return to North America

Since World War II had broken out while he was in Romania, travel obstacles and other circumstances prevented his return to the USA.

Bishop Polycarp spent 1940 and part of 1941 in retreat in Craiva, not far from his sister Lucretia and her family.

He maintained a steady correspondence with the members and the leadership of the Missionary Diocese in the USA, and he constantly encouraged them to persevere and to maintain their contacts with Romania as well as they might.

Radu Voda Theological Institute, 1941

Then in 1941, Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) was assigned locally to serve as the director of the Radu Vodă Theological Institute at the Radu Vodă Monastery in Bucharest. This school had been closed and evacuated by the authorities, but during his brief service there, Bishop Polycarp managed to prepare for the renovation, and re-development of this Institute.

Radu Vodă Theological Institute (left) Radu Vodă Monastery (right)

Diocese of Alba-Ismail Fortress, 1941

After the retirement of Bishop Dionisie (Erhan), the patriarch assigned Bishop Polycarp to serve as the Administrator of Alba-Ismail Fortress (1941-1944) on the north side of the Dniester River. This was during the period when it was again a part of Bessarabia, to the east of Moldavia.

Although he took up this responsibility as an "obedience" in the manner of a monk, he gave himself whole-heartedly to the work in this very disorganised territory that suffered from wars and the movements of borders. Quickly, he began to give normal organisation to the life of the diocese ; and in 1942, he revived the "Bulletin of the Episcopate of Alba-Ismail Fortress" in the same format in which it had formerly been published. It was also in this year that his brother-in-law Sabin Nicoara was killed in action on the eastern front of the war (his grave was found in Odessa).

At that time, he came into contact with Metropolitan Visarion Puiu, who served at occupied Transnistria at Odessa. In an article in the "Bulletin of the Alba Fortress - Ismail Episcopate" (no. 1-2, 1942), Bishop Polycarp was described as

 [...] a tried and true missionary who came with missionary experience from America, has understood 
 the great importance of the appeal made by the mission of Trans-Dnestr and has responded through the 
 call made to the best clerical forces and to work with all his devotion and understanding on the 
 Christian land on the other side of the Dnestr.  

He himself commented that the hardships and obstacles he faced in this region did not frighten him, because

 I never was a pessimist and I never got discouraged — not even when I arrived in America [...]. 

Bishop Polycarp was deeply concerned about the poverty of the people under his care, and as well the ignorance of the Gospel from which they suffered because of previous Soviet activity. He addressed the poverty in practical ways, and he addressed the ignorance through prolific writing in the diocesan bulletin.

During 1942, Bishop Polycarp united the existing parishes, and he established 30 new parishes. Through this, he began to give life-giving spiritual food to the people who had been greatly deprived by the activities of the Soviets. He further established the School of Church Singers, and also the republishing of the periodical "Word of Truth". He began to publish the periodical "The Weapon of the Word". He provided nourishing retreats and missions at the monasteries of the diocese.

In 1943, at the time of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, Bishop Polycarp appealed to the readership of the diocesan bulletin to provide help in the matter of social assistance.

The state authorities awarded him with the "Order of Cultural Merit, Class I Knight". He was lauded for his merits in keeping up the morale of the population, in educating the peasants, in reorganising Church life in Bessarabia and for the spiritual aid he gave to the Romanian Army. All this he did not because of mere politics, but as an Orthodox Christian who also loved his motherland. Therefore, besides all his archpastoral visiting and activities, he also published the brochure "The Holy Blessed Martyr Polycarp and his Letter to the Philippians" in the collection of the "People's Religious Library", entitled "Christian Thoughts".

As bishop in Alba-Ismail

In 1944, his interim assignment ended with the assignment of the new Bishop of Ismael, Antim (Nica). Bishop Antim thanked the "Bishop of America" for his very productive contribution in serving the Church in this diocese, in which he had served

 with great zeal and diligence and had known how to attract the deserving love of everyone. 

At this time, the war came to an end in this region ; but this did not mean that there was any possibility that he return to North America. There was no American political representation in Bucharest, and because of the agreements at Yalta, Romania fell into the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union. At this time, Bishop Polycarp became aware that his many letters to the Vatra had not been received. (The period of the war was interrupting correspondence, and when the communists took power in Romania, all correspondence was intercepted and read before or if it was forwarded.) Because of this blockage, his supportive words never arrived. Their non-arrival meant that the diocese in North America was bereft of help.

Radu Vodă Theological Institute, 1944

In 1944-1945, Bishop Polycarp was again assigned to serve as the Director of the Bucharest Theological Institute at Radu Vodă. One of his students at that time was Archimandrite Roman (Braga).

It was at this time, in 1945, that the bishop came into contact with the "Burning Bush" movement whose meetings came to be held at the Antim Monastery in Bucharest. This movement provided much prayerful strength to its participants and to many of the people, especially in the context of the Soviet occupation. However, many of its participants were committed by the Communist government to the Aiud Prison and to other concentration camps, where very many people were tortured to death.

Diocese of Maramureș, 1945

After demonstrations on 6 March, 1945, a pro-communist government was installed. The Communist government's attitude towards the Church became steadily more repressive.

On 4 December, 1945, Bishop Polycarp was assigned to be the Administrator of the new Mission in Sighet in Maramureş. He resided in Sighetul Marmatiei (1945-1946).

From the beginning, Bishop Polycarp was concerned that "the missionary Episcopate of Maramureș would not be able to fulfil the mission for which it had been re-established". However, the new communist authorities were suspicious of this assignment by Patriarch Nicodim, and there were repercussions.

In the meantime, the communist authorities (through the police) had begun to investigate the lives of the clergy, and to establish files on all the priests. As a result, the diocese in which he found himself was left on its own resources. Bishop Polycarp had only 4 students in the seminary. The whole region was in a state of miserable poverty. Most of those priests that he ordained quickly found their way south and out of the diocese because of the miserable conditions, and particularly because it was impossible for a priest to sustain his family on the meagre resources available. Even the bishop was unable to provide himself with more than 2 very small meals per day. Nevertheless, he wrote an appeal to the patriarchate for help in order to give some sort of nourishment to this diocese that had only recently been returned from "Horthyist Hungary" (Hungary under the Regent Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya).

In all this, Bishop Polycarp maintained proper dignity, and he did not in any way darken the good name of Romanian-Americans. Rather, he diligently visited the Faithful in the diocese of which he had temporary care. He did so without any personal resources. He lacked money. He was effectively homeless, and without any belongings. He lived solely on the kindness and generosity of the faithful people in this destitute, mountainous region. Under these circumstances, his health deteriorated and re-awakened an old illness. He soon required a surgery, which occurred in Sighet on 23 July, 1946. By this time, he was doubting his ability to persevere in this archpastoral responsibility. With the blessing of Metropolitan Nicolae (Balan), Bishop Polycarp returned to Craiova in order to recover from the surgery.

He found peace and interior stability in his convalescence. However, because of the overall situation, the patriarchate was in no position to provide him any help. Rather, his requests for help seem to have stirred up a negative attitude towards him.

From September, 1946, all religious publications were subject to censorship. In October, the Minister of Cults requested the Holy Synod to send the patriarch to Moscow in order to "consolidate relations between Russia and Romania". Then, in December, 1946, the Church of Romania was forbidden by the Department of Cults to "interfere" in the political changes taking place in the country. This was followed by the abusive confiscation and expropriation of buildings and properties of the Maramureș Diocese.

At the same time, Bishop Polycarp learnt that the Holy Synod had accepted (or had to accept) the complaints against him. Moreover, the Communist authorities applied pressure upon the leadership of the Church of Romania with regard to the Romanian Episcopate in North America. While the elected bishop of the Romanian Episcopate of North America was constrained to remain in Romania, on 30 June, 1946, the Holy Synod (which had always to be in consultation with the Department of Cults) assigned Bishop Justinian (Marina), the Vicar-Bishop of Vaslui in the Iaşi Metropolitanate, to serve the Episcopate in North America. Bishop Justinian, however, refused the assignment. Then the Holy Synod decided to send Bishop Emilian (Antal), Vicar-Bishop of Suceava of the Iaşi Metropolitanate. However, he also refused the assignment.

At the same time, the Romanian Episcopate of North America had not been declared vacant. That the see was not vacant usually would block any attempts to appoint another bishop.

On 25 December, 1946, by "Monitul Official" no. 148, Bishop Polycarp was informed that he was released from his responsibilities in the Maramureș Diocese. There was no mention of his responsibilities in the North American Episcopate.

What was perhaps not understood by the leadership of the patriarchate was that the North American Romanian Episcopate had an approved statute which required the involvement and assent of the Episcopate in an assignment of a bishop to the diocese. As a corporation in the USA, there was a legally-required procedure to be followed. However, the Romanian authorities were also being provided with both misinformation and disinformation by those in the USA who desired power.

In March, 1946, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Britain made his pronouncement in the USA that following World War II, the "Iron Curtain" of separation between East and West had been established around the Soviet-bloc countries.

This fact in itself explains much of the confusion, misinformation and difficulty that had begun to characterise the relationship between the Church of Romania and her daughter episcopate in North America, and in particular Bishop Polycarp.

By a pastoral letter of 30 July, 1947, Bishop Polycarp informed the diocese of the difficulties surrounding his return and added that he considered himself still to be the bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America. Indeed, he was officially regarded as such by the Patriarchate of Romania, which is why he was sent to various places only as an administrator. Nevertheless, this did not stand in the way of the attempts to send a replacement (no doubt at the direction of the Department of Cults). In the context of all these unusual behaviours, Patriarch Nicodim (Munteanu) was not trusted by the new government authorities, who considered him to be too "independent". There are indications that the patriarch was more resistant at that time than certain members of the Holy Synod of bishops. There are other indications which suggest that the Holy Synod was more responsible for the maltreatment of Bishop Polycarp (for whatever reasons) than was Patriarch Nicodim. It was, however, due to the faithful activities of Father John Trutza that the canonical statute of the Romanian Episcopate was followed as far as possible. Father John and his parishioners had been the first to help in the establishment and organisation of the facilities at the "Vatra".

A few months later, Bishop Polycarp wrote to advise his diocese of further developments in Romania concerning the Episcopate, noting that the North American Episcopate had been eliminated in the Church budget, which effectively dissolved it in the eyes of the communist government.

The relationship between the State and the Church in Romania became the same as the communists had imposed on the Church in Russia : the same relationship that those communists had inherited from the Romanov Tsar Peter I and his successors, and the same system that was imposed in every communist country. The Church was forced into subsisting as a department of the government, with a member of this government forcefully controlling the decisions of the Church. The Minister of Cults was responsible for bringing the Church into compliance with government policies, and the promotion of its "progressive ideas". There were clear threats for non-compliance.

In December, 1947, the communist takeover was complete with the forced resignation of King Michael.

Restricted life ; retirement, 1948

The Orthodox Church was in all communist countries perceived to be the "last major obstacle to the achievement of socialism". Therefore, since the Church was perceived by the government as being non-compliant, in March, 1947, the government's Ministry of Cults issued Law 166, which defined the retirement age of bishops (age 70). This law, which had been suggested by the "Securitate", had until then applied only to priests. Immediately, several bishops found themselves retired, and they were replaced by more compliant persons. Some of the retirees would have been, under normal circumstances, candidates for election as patriarch in the future. Moreover, this action was taken in advance of the 1948 elections, in order to control the outcome of these elections through control of the influence of the Church on the people.

The bishops who were involuntarily retired that year included : Metropolitan Visarion (Puiu) ; Metropolitan T (Semedrea) ; Metropolitan Nifon (Criveanu) ; Metropoitan Efrem (Enachesu) ; Metropolitan Ireneu (Mihalesecsu) ; Bishop Veniamin (Nistor) ; Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) ; Bishop Partenie (Ciopron) ; Bishop Pavel (Serpe) ; Bishop Lucian (Triteanu) ; Bishop Cozma (Petrovici) ; Bishop Grigorie (Leu), and many others. More than 1,600 priests were arrested, along with more than 800 other Church workers.

Retirement, 1948

In 1948, Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) was forcibly retired by the government, in the same way that many other hierarchs were retired, who had become inconvenient and who made the authorities uncomfortable by their way of life. This action opened the way for the government to see to it that a compliant bishop would be assigned. Bishop Polycarp was, in fact, not the only bishop of a diocese abroad who was thus affected.

In 1950, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Romanian Patriarchate asked the government to provide Bishop Polycarp with a passport, but such a passport was not forthcoming. Such was the effectiveness of the campaign against Bishop Polycarp that King Carol II was aware of the situation, and he was in agreement that Bishop Polycarp ought to forget about returning to America at the time. In a letter to Metropolitan Balan, Bishop Polycarp wrote :

 I never dealt in any kind of party politics, except for Church and Romanian politics, 
 if they can be called politics.  

When he was blocked from returning to the USA, this situation affected him deeply, and he even became ill for a time because of his distress.

He subsequently worshipped and served at the “Reunification Cathedral” in Alba Iulia after 1955. This cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel received this nickname because it was constructed soon after and in commemoration of the Union of Transylvania with Romania. It was the site of the 1922 coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie.

In 1958, he was sent to serve as the abbot of the Saint John the Baptist Monastery in Alba Iulia.

In retirement, standing with 2 relatives

Nevertheless, during these years, although he had lived effectively as a prisoner in Romania, he published a series of works with ethical/moral or historical content.

Repose, 1958

Bishop Polycarp (Moruşca) reposed in Christ on 26 October, 1958.

After the Funeral Service for the Burial of a Hierarch, his body was interred at the Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner (Baptist) in Alba Iulia, Romania.

— Bishop of Detroit 1935-1948. See created. Succeeded by : Archbishop Valerian (Trifa).

— Administrator of Alba-Ismail Fortress Diocese 1941-1944 Preceded by : Bishop Dionisie (Erhan). Succeeded by : Bishop Antim (Nica).

— Administrator of Maramureş Diocese 1945-1946 Preceded by : ____. Succeeded by : ____.

— Former Bishop of Detroit 1948-1958.

Reflections

At the time of his episcopal ordination, Bishop Polycarp said (with the Prayer of Saint Ephrem in mind) :

 O Lord and Master of my life, the spirit of idleness, of many cares, of the love of mastery 
 and of speaking in the desert, do not give it to me.  And the spirit of purity, of humble 
 thought, of patience, and of love, give to me, Your servant.  So, O Lord, King, Jesus Christ, 
 give me the strength to pour out dewdrops over the souls burned by the bitterness of alienation ; 
 from the flame of my faith to be able to light the candle of souls, to feel all one again with 
 the mother Church and with the soul of the whole nation, the same here and everywhere.  
 'You will send out Your Spirit, and they shall be created, and You will renew the face of the earth. 
 You open Your hands, and out of Your good-pleasure You fill up every living thing' (Psalms 103:30 ; 144:16).  

Awards

• "Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre" (1925)

• Order of Cultural Merit, Class I, Knight (1943)

Writings

• "Arc to the Third Millennium", Șerban, Radu, ed. (Bucharest : Dareco Editions, 2008).

• "Soul building : Speeches, Stories, Articles", Șerban, Radu, ed. (Cluj-Napoca : Dacia Editions, 2009).

• "The Holy Blessed Martyr Policarp and his Letter to the Philippians" in "People's Religious Library", entitled "Christian Thoughts" (1943). (in Romanian)

• “The Road of Life” (Bucharest : Atos, 2001) (in Romanian)

• “Feminism and Feminity in the Light of the Gospel” (Sibui : Tipografia Arhidiecezana, 1925). (in Romanian)

• “The Case of Policarp Morusca : a Chronology of Facts” (Bishop Policarp with Aurel Sasu) (Cluj-Napoca : Limes Publishing House, 2002). (in Romanian)

• “Pastoral Letter from Exile of 23 November, 1947”. (translated from Romanian to English)

• Letter to Father John Trutza, 8 December, 1947”. (translated from Romanian to English)

References

‘Bishop Policarp (Morusca) and Archbishop Valerian (Trifa)’ in “Orthodox Christians in North America 1794-1994”, chapter 7

Grama, Rev. Fr. Dr. Remus, “Bishop Policarp Morusca : First Bishop of Romanians in America, An Exile in his own Country” (Jackson, Michigan : Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, 2005). ISBN : 973-7833-18-X.

Orthodoxwiki biography

Romanian Wikipedia biography

Romanian Wikipedia biography (in Romanian)

Additional information :

Grama, Remus, “Policarp Morușca, the first Bishop of the Romanians in America : Letters from Captivity : the Tragedy of the Church Separation of the Romanians in America” (Cluj-Napoca : Eikon, 2004)

Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, “50th Anniversary of the Installation of Bishop Policarp Morusca” (with the blessing of Bishop Nathaniel Popp) (Jackson, Michigan : Department of Publications of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, 1985)

Șerban, Radu, “The Most Reverend Policarp” (Bucharest : Dareco Editions, 2007)

Șerban, Radu, “Under the Sign of Love : a Conversation with Father Pantelimon about Bishop Policarp Moruşca” (Sibiu : Andreiana Publishing House, 2010).

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.

World Catalogue reference

Former Hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America

2019 reference to Bishop Polycarp by Bishop Ioan-Casian

Radu Vodă Monastery, Bucharest

Radu Vodă Theological Institute, Bucharest

The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America

The Orthodox Church of Romania web-site

Orthodoxwiki article on the Church of Romania

Wikipedia article on the Orthodox Church of Romania

The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America

"A Volume of Documents about Bishop Policarp Morusca in America" (in Romanian)

"Bishop Policarp Morusca, the Head of the Diocese of Ismail and Cetatea Alba" (in Romanian)

"From the Correspondence of Bishop Policarp to his Pastors Overseas" (in Romanian)

"Exile of Bishop Policarp of America" (in Romanian)

"The Suffering of Bishop Policarp of America" (in Romanian)

Saint John the Baptist Monastery, Alba Iulia

"Memory of the Church in Images" (in Romanian)

Patriarch Miron (Cristea)

Patriarch Nicodim (Munteanu)

Metropolitan Ioan (Mețianu)

Metropolitan Visarion Puiu

Bishop Antim (Nica)

Metropolitan Nicolae (Balan)

Bishop Justinian (Marina)

King Michael

King Carol II

From Cărpiniş to Detroit: His Eminence Policarp Moruşcă, the first Orthodox bishop of Romanians in the USA and Canada

"Archbishop Nathanial (Popp) participates in Memorial Service for Bishop Policarp (Morusca) in Alba Iulia, Romania, 5 May, 2003"

"His Eminence Polycarp Morusca was mentioned at the memorial service, Sunday, 24 February, 2019, at the Romanian Episcopal Cathedral of Saint George in St-Hubert, Québec".

Departed Bishops in/of Canada

Canadian Orthodox Church History Project, no. 21, pp. 81-82.