Romania: 1) Current political situation in Romania; 2) Freedom of religion for an adherent of the Orthodox or Catholic faith
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ROM1928 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Romania: 1) Current political situation in Romania; 2) Freedom of religion for an adherent of the Orthodox or Catholic faith, 1 September 1989, ROM1928, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab083b.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
1) For information on the political situation in Romania, please see the attached documentation. Included is the U.S. Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, The Europa Yearbook 1988, along with several newspaper and periodical articles. In addition, excerpts from the most recent Radio Free Europe Situation Reports on Romania have been attached to provide more specific details on Romanian government policies.
2) The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988 states that the Romanian Constitution provides for freedom of conscience and the penal code states that a penalty of up to six months imprisonment or a fine is the punishment for anyone who impedes or disrupts any recognized religious sect. [U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989), p. 1174.] In practice however, the DOS report further adds that the state exercises broad control over religious activity through various laws including, inter alia, those regarding the licensing of clergy, the distribution of religious literature, the building of church edifices, and the admission of students to seminaries. [Ibid.]
Both the DOS Report and The Europa Year Book for 1988 mention that the Orthodox and Catholic Churches (with the exception of the Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite, or Uniate Church as it is also called) are officially recognized by the state. They do not, therefore incur the same ill treatment which the authorities reserve for the churches which are not recognized. An article appearing in The Christian Science Monitor on 27 December 1987 claims that Romania's Orthodox Church avoids confrontation with the authorities. [William Echikson, "Ceausescu stands firm as workers rebel", The Christian Science Monitor, 21-27 December 1987.] However, with the exception of the Amnesty International documentation which you already have, no further information is available at the present time in the sources regularly consulted by the IRBDC on the treatment of adherents to the Orthodox and Catholic faiths in Romania.
