{Fr. Roman Braga} ~ suffering strengthens us and the church

"I think that the Church, at least in Romania and Russia, 

was strengthened during the communist persecution. 

I dare to say that suffering matures not only the individual but the Church also. 

N. Berdeiev, in one of his books, 

affirms that the Church was strong during the 300 years of persecutions.

Later, when Constantine gave freedom to the Christians, the spiritual life of the Church became diluted; the Church was more of an institution than a spiritual reality. 

The same thing I happened during communism: the Church was obligated to limit all her activities only to the inside of the four walls of the temple. 

I do not know the situation in other countries, but the Romanian Church today launched a campaign of physical and spiritual reconstruction. 

Priests are reaching into the schools, into the hospitals, the army. 

I am optimistic; 

I think the Romanian Church will have its contribution in re-bringing Orthodoxy 

into the soul of the Romanian nation."

~ Fr. Roman Braga "On Compromise in the Hierarchy During the Communist Yoke"