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Paper short abstract

The 2024 canonization of the former Orthodox priest Ilie Lăcătușu has sparked controversy due to his fascist past and a legal deadlock over his relics. These issues, combined with rising nationalism, has strained the Romanian Orthodox Church and deepened social divides during its Centenary year.

Paper long abstract

Since the fall of communism, the Romanian Orthodox Church has canonized 171 local saints, accelerating efforts for the 2025 Centenary. Among them is Ilie Lăcătușu, a priest celebrated for his spiritual resilience during communist persecution and canonized in 2024. However, his interwar ties to the far-right Legionary Movement sparked protest from the “Elie Wiesel” Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania. The Church acknowledged the facts, but pointed out that it prioritizes his spiritual transformation over past “transgressions”.

Lăcătușu’s case presented further complications due to a legal deadlock: his descendants refused to relinquish ownership of his relics, thereby compromising the 2025 proclamation. Beside the general guidelines, Orthodox canonization relies on “Church tradition”. Such a tradition stipulates that a candidate for sainthood should have no living family — a requirement that have been overlooked in this instance.

The 2025 pilgrimage to the crypt of Ilie Lăcătușu lacked the formality of an official proclamation, yet it stood apart from previous years. Held in a cemetery, on the outskirts of Bucharest, the event was marked by several notable shifts. The relics were displayed on an improvised podium, and while several priests attended, no Church officials were present. Attendees wore traditional clothing and carried national flags; however, a group of far-righ supporters in green shirts prominently displayed legionary flags, prohibited by law since 2015.

Amidst rising nationalism and social polarization, the discussed pilgrimage presents unique challenges for an already embattled Orthodox Church, further widening the fractures within the Romanian society.