Ieremia Cecan
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Ieremia Teodor Cecan (first name also Jeremia, Eremia or Irimia, last name also Ciocan; ; May 31, 1867 – June 27, 1941) was a
Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
n-born
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n journalist, Bessarabian Orthodox priest and political figure. During the first part of his life, he was active in the
Bessarabia Governorate The Bessarabia Governorate was a province (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its administrative centre in Kishinev (Chișinău). It consisted of an area of and a population of 1,935,412 inhabitants. The Bessarabia Governorate bordered t ...
of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, earning his reputation as a Christian philanthropist and putting out the pioneering church magazine ''Nashe Obyedineniye''. His opposition to
Russification Russification (), Russianisation or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians adopt Russian culture and Russian language either voluntarily or as a result of a deliberate state policy. Russification was at times ...
and his advocacy of social improvement led to a public scandal and then to is demotion by church officials, and pushed Cecan into independent journalism. However, his sympathies remained with the conservative-antisemitic
Union of the Russian People The Union of the Russian People (URP) (; СРН/SRN) was a royalist, loyalist Far-right politics, far-right Nationalism, nationalist political party, the most important among Black Hundreds, Black-Hundredist Monarchism, monarchist political organ ...
, developing into a critique of
Romanian nationalism Romanian nationalism is a form of nationalism that asserts that Romanians are a nation and promotes the identity and cultural unity of Romanians. Its extremist variation is Romanian ultranationalism. History Antecedents The predecessors of ...
that was well liked by the imperial authorities. During the latter stages of World War I, Cecan was a chaplain in the
Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...
. Opposing the
union of Bessarabia with Romania The union of Bessarabia with Romania was proclaimed on by Sfatul Țării, the legislative body of the Moldavian Democratic Republic. This state had the same borders of the region of Bessarabia, which was annexed by the Russian Empire following t ...
from a conservative position, Cecan fled to
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
in November 1918. For the following two years, he championed the cause of Russian Bessarabia, and came into contact with the
Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
. He recruited for the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
, and was himself drafted in 1919, briefly serving under Mishka Yaponchik. Threatened with retaliation by the
White movement The White movement,. The old spelling was retained by the Whites to differentiate from the Reds. also known as the Whites, was one of the main factions of the Russian Civil War of 1917–1922. It was led mainly by the Right-wing politics, right- ...
, and hoping that Romanian loyalism would save his son from a Romanian prison, he returned to Bessarabia in 1920. During the subsequent two decades, he found himself at odds with the Bessarabian church hierarchs, especially after advocating the preservation of services in Russian and Slavonic. Cecan founded a series of short-lived newspapers in Russian, most of which bridged the distance between the Romanians and the
White émigré White Russian émigrés were Russians who emigrated from the territory of the former Russian Empire in the wake of the Russian Revolution (1917) and Russian Civil War (1917–1923), and who were in opposition to the revolutionary Bolshevik com ...
s. Much of his work focused on attempts at dialogue and reunification between the Orthodox and the Catholics, sparking controversy among his colleagues in the
Romanian Orthodox Church The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the East ...
, but earning notoriety in Western circles. He maintained to his death the vision of a "world church" centered on
anti-communism Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism, communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global ...
and
anti-Masonry Anti-Masonry (alternatively called anti-Freemasonry) is "avowed opposition to Freemasonry",''Oxford English Dictionary'' (1979 ed.), p. 369. which has led to multiple forms of religious discrimination, Religious violence, violent Religious persec ...
, which, in Cecan's opinion, were intertwined. In the 1920 and early '30s, Cecan became a perennial candidate in elections for the
Parliament of Romania The Parliament of Romania () is the national Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Romania, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania), Chamber of Deputies () and the Senate of Romania, Senate (). It meets at the Palace of the Parliament i ...
. In 1933, retired from active priesthood and finally
defrocked Defrocking, unfrocking, degradation, or laicization of clergy is the removal of their rights to exercise the functions of the ordained ministry. It may be grounded on criminal convictions, disciplinary problems, or disagreements over doctrine or ...
, he veered toward
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
, which he considered a manifestation of
Christian socialism Christian socialism is a Religious philosophy, religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe cap ...
. He served for as regional president of the Romanian National Socialist Party, and put out its Russian-language newspaper, ''Telegraf''. When the party fell apart, Cecan attempted to resume his political career with the
Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
and the
National Renaissance Front The National Renaissance Front (, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romanian political party created by King Ca ...
. His final activities in the press evidenced his turn to
anti-fascism Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...
, condemnation of antisemitism, and admiration for the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. Increasingly isolated during the final stages of his life, he focused on his work as an agricultural inventor. Cecan was captured by the Soviets during the 1940 occupation of Bessarabia, then sentenced to death for his anti-communist past. He was ultimately shot in
Tiraspol Tiraspol (, ; also /; , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Transnistria, a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the third-largest city. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River. Tiraspol is a regional hub of cul ...
during the retreat of June 1941.


Biography


In the Russian Empire

Cecan was born among the Romanians of Novoselitsa (''Noua Suliță'' or ''Novoselytsia'') or Beleuța village,
Hotin County Hotin County was a county ( ținut is Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, județ after) in the Principality of Moldavia (14th-18th centuries), the Governorate of Bessarabia (1812–1917), the Moldavian Democratic Republic (1917–1918), and the K ...
. Both were located in the northern tip of the Bessarabia Governorate, Russia (now in
Chernivtsi Oblast Chernivtsi Oblast (), also referred to as Chernivechchyna (), is an oblast (province) in western Ukraine, consisting of the northern parts of the historical regions of Bukovina and Bessarabia. It has an international border with Romania and Moldo ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
). His native area had been split from ancient
Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...
;
Western Moldavia Western Moldavia (, ''Moldova de Apus'', or , also known as Moldavia, is the core historic and geographical part of the former Principality of Moldavia situated in eastern and north-eastern Romania. Until its union with Wallachia in 1878, the P ...
remained in Romania, whereas the Moldavian sub-region of
Bukovina Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...
, just west of Novoselitsa, was administered by
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. Ieremia Teodor's original surname was ''Ciocan'' ("hammer"), which was approximated into Russian as ''Chekan'', then mutated back into Romanian as ''Cecan''. He went on to study in Kishinev (''Chișinău''), training at the
Theological Seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and Christian theology, theology, generally to prepare them for ordinatio ...
(in 1889). He began his mission as a priest in Kotylevo, just outside Novoselitsa, before being assigned the central Bessarabian parish of Roșcani, then transferred to Nișcani. In 1910 Cecan built a new local church, its inauguration attended by Governor Ivan Kankrin and Marshal of Nobility Alexander N. Krupensky.Ion Muscalu, "Din Basarabia", in '' Neamul Românesc'', Issue 120/1910, p. 1914 His activity doubled as a schoolteacher and catechist, allowing him to open the Nișcani parish school, after running a successful fundraiser in 1912; he then did the same for the communities of Răciula and Păulești. He was by then married and had five children of his own: Lyudmila, Zinaida, Alexander, Nikolai, and Boris.Șornikov, p. 142 The Eparchy of Kishinev and Khotin appointed Cecan as its "spiritual investigator" in Orhei County, and also assigned him to an unpaid position at the Diocesan Temperance Committee.Șornikov, p. 143 He recommended himself as an early champion of the lower classes: "To the end of his days, he remained proud of the fact that he had achieved the dismissal of a ''
zemstvo A zemstvo (, , , ''zemstva'') was an institution of local government set up in consequence of the emancipation reform of 1861 of Imperial Russia by Emperor Alexander II of Russia. Nikolay Milyutin elaborated the idea of the zemstvo, and the fi ...
'' chief, who struck a peasant in the face."Șornikov, p. 144 While active in his parishes, Cecan also furthered his studies in theology at Kiev Academy. He became a passionate reader and follower of Vladimir Solovyov, as well as a speaker for the reunification of Orthodoxy and Catholicism.Naghiu, p. 2 In his later articles on the subject, Cecan favored leniency toward the use of ''
Filioque ( ; ), a Latin term meaning "and from the Son", was added to the original Nicene Creed, and has been the subject of great controversy between Eastern and Western Christianity. The term refers to the Son, Jesus Christ, with the Father, as th ...
'' in the
Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed, also called the Creed of Constantinople, is the defining statement of belief of Nicene Christianity and in those Christian denominations that adhere to it. The original Nicene Creed was first adopted at the First Council of N ...
and accepted the doctrine of
papal infallibility Papal infallibility is a Dogma in the Catholic Church, dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Saint Peter, Peter, the Pope when he speaks is preserved from the possibility of error on doctrine "in ...
. Officially, Cecan favored
Russification Russification (), Russianisation or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians adopt Russian culture and Russian language either voluntarily or as a result of a deliberate state policy. Russification was at times ...
and displayed his support for the
House of Romanov The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russi ...
and
Tsarist autocracy Tsarist autocracy (), also called Tsarism, was an autocracy, a form of absolute monarchy in the Grand Duchy of Moscow and its successor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire. In it, the Tsar possessed in principle authority an ...
—by 1906, he had joined the
Union of the Russian People The Union of the Russian People (URP) (; СРН/SRN) was a royalist, loyalist Far-right politics, far-right Nationalism, nationalist political party, the most important among Black Hundreds, Black-Hundredist Monarchism, monarchist political organ ...
(SRN, known locally as the "League of True Russians"), serving as a member of its executive board in
Călărași Călărași (), the capital of Călărași County in the Muntenia region, is situated in south-east Romania, on the banks of the Danube's Borcea branch, at about from the Bulgarian border and from Bucharest. It is one of six Romanian county se ...
. Cecan "was co-opted into the union's leadership in 1907 and served as the official Bessarabian representative within the union's Main Board." Later, he put up some opposition to Archbishop Seraphim Chichagov, who opposed all forms of
Romanian nationalism Romanian nationalism is a form of nationalism that asserts that Romanians are a nation and promotes the identity and cultural unity of Romanians. Its extremist variation is Romanian ultranationalism. History Antecedents The predecessors of ...
. On the archbishop's orders, the Eparchy began putting out journals with increasingly Russified content, and also with shows of support for the monarchy. As seen by historian Piotr Șornikov, Cecan was an exponent of " Moldavian patriotism" during the
Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
; this meant advocating for Bessarabian autonomy and language rights in the province, while expressing loyalty toward the Romanovs' "Russian statism". The outlook was shaped by Seraphim, whom historian Andrei Cușco depicts as "the first Moldovanist"; Seraphim himself "articulate the idea of the fundamental difference and even antagonism between Moldovan and Romanian linguistic identity". From December 18, 1909,Serjant, p. 324 Cecan and his wife Eugenia began putting out ''Nashe Obyedineniye'' ("Our Association" or "Our Union"). Presumably "the only private-owned church magazine" in early 20th-century Russia, it had a maximum of 800 copies per issue. Although mostly in Russian, this publication was mainly aimed at the Bessarabian–Moldavian priests and other Romanian-speaking intellectuals. Its Romanian-language content was directed at the peasants and the schoolteachers, focusing on ideals of social improvement and education. These were regarded as independent and progressive stances—for such reasons, it came to be indexed by ''
Okhrana The Department for the Protection of Public Safety and Order (), usually called the Guard Department () and commonly abbreviated in modern English sources as the Okhrana ( rus , Охрана, p=ɐˈxranə, a=Ru-охрана.ogg, t= The Guard) w ...
'' agents. As a Romanian nationalist, Ion Pelivan doubts that ''Nashe Obyedineniye'' was ever pro-Romanian in content: " tcame out with corresponding text in Roumanian to fight against the increasing influence of Roumanian newspapers." Similarly, in a Bessarabian column published by '' Neamul Românesc'' in October 1910, Cecan's paper was described as a "clerical gazette", whose Moldavian-only content was to "facilitate the learning of Russian by the Moldavians." It called Cecan (or "Ciocan") a "Russified Romanian priest". Criticized by Seraphim and by the conservative Russian press (the journals ''Besarabskaya Zhizn'' and ''Drug''), ''Nashe Obyedineniye'' closed down formally in August 1911 and reemerged instantly as ''Obyedineniye'', with Eugenia Cecan for its editor. Published from Nișcani, it drew contributions from Orthodox intellectuals such as Andrei Murafa. Despite being identified as anti-conservative dissenters, the Cecans generally took up the cause of far-right
Russian nationalism Russian nationalism () is a form of nationalism that promotes Russian cultural identity and unity. Russian nationalism first rose to prominence as a Pan-Slavism, Pan-Slavic enterprise during the 19th century Russian Empire, and was repressed duri ...
. In its pages, ''Obyedineniye'' expressed full support for the SRN, and in particular for the antisemitic agitator Pavel Krushevan. Reportedly, Father Ieremia was also co-opted by his former critics at ''Drug'', which was otherwise noted for its strong expressions of
anti-Romanian sentiment Anti-Romanian sentiment, also known as Romanophobia (, ''românofobie'') is hostility, hatred towards, or prejudice against Romanians as an ethnic, linguistic, religious, or perceived ethnic group, and it can range from personal feelings of hatr ...
. In preparation for the legislative election of September 1912, he was called upon by Alexander Makarov, the Russian Minister of Internal Affairs, to oversee the election and ensure that overt expressions of Romanian nationalism were being marginalized. Cecan and
Alexandru Baltagă Alexandru Baltagă (April 14, 1861 – August 7, 1941) was a Bessarabian Romanian Orthodox priest, a founder of the Bessarabian religious press in the Romanian language, a member of Sfatul Țării (1917–1918), a Soviet political prisoner, and, ...
founded some 29 electoral committees on Eparchy grounds. This led them into open conflict with Archbishop Seraphim, who had ordered his clergy not to interfere with politics. After signing their names to a letter of protest against Seraphim's "absolutism", Cecan and Baltagă were demoted and stripped of their parishes. ''Obyedineniye'' put out its last issue on August 23, 1912.


World War I and revolutionary exile

Șornikov notes that, although in conflict with Seraphim and threatened to lose his income, Cecan was honored by the Russian authorities. Awards he received included medals marking the annexation of Bessarabia centennial (1912) and the 300th anniversary of the Romanovs (1913), as well as the
Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...
, 3rd class. Reassigned to the Kishinev Church of the Nativity, where he opened a school, Cecan was finally able to resume his journalistic activity, founding, in 1914, the newspaper ''Bessarabets''. He was moderating his stances: although still representing the "right-wing section of the Eparchy", he opened up to former adversaries on the right and the left, together with whom he put out ''Bessarabya'' (1914), then ''Bessarabaskaya Pochta'' and ''Nash Dolg'' (both 1915). The latter functioned as an appendage of the Church of the Nativity and its orphanage. During World War I, Cecan enjoyed friendly contacts with the eparchy's officials, who allowed him to publish in the official bulletin, ''Kishinyovskie Eparhial'nye Vedomosti''. In August 1915, he contributed therein a piece in favor of agricultural schools for the newly orphaned. He argued that doing so would empower the future peasants economically and ensure that they remained patriotic and proud citizens of the Empire. Sociologist Andrei Dumbrăveanu describes this text as proof that Cecan, "many times defeated, arrived, whether aware or unwitting, at shaping the minds of Bessarabians as required in times of war." The following year, Cecan was designated as editor of the revamped ''Kishinyovskie Eparhial'nye Vedomosti'', though this revival never actually took place. Pelivan notes that, like ''Drug'', ''Bessarabya'' was receiving secret funding from the Russian Interior Ministry. Cecan himself acknowledged that the government of Prince Golitsyn was paying him 1,200
ruble The ruble or rouble (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is a currency unit. Currently, currencies named ''ruble'' in circulation include the Russian ruble (RUB, ₽) in Russia and the Belarusian ruble (BYN, Rbl) in Belarus. These currencies are s ...
s monthly, because he "championed ethnic-Russian interests on the periphery of Russia and fought against the separatism of Moldavian elements". According to Șornikov, Cecan's overall activity at that stage shows him as a "defensist", or one who fully supported Russian victory against the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
.Șornikov, p. 145 In 1934, Cecan claimed to have predicted the anti-Christian strife of the Revolutions of 1917 as early as 1909."Rozhled náboženský. Rumunsko", in ''Hlídka'', Vol. LI, 1934, p. 177 During the
February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...
, he had joined the
Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...
as a chaplain. In the aftermath, the
Russian Provisional Government The Russian Provisional Government was a provisional government of the Russian Empire and Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately after the abdication of Nicholas II on 2 March, O.S. New_Style.html" ;"title="5 ...
stopped donating to propaganda outlets, including Cecan and his newspapers, causing him to issue a note of protest. In April of that year, he attended the Kishinev Priests' Congress, which gave endorsement to the notion of an autonomous Bessarabia—organized in December as the
Moldavian Democratic Republic The Moldavian Democratic Republic (MDR; , ), also known as the Moldavian Republic or Moldavian People's Republic, was a state proclaimed on by the ''Sfatul Țării'' (National Council) of Bessarabia, elected in October–November 1917 foll ...
. During its proceedings, he supported land reform and allotment for the clergy, arguing that such measures could result in material advancement for his class; the Congress endorsed his position, allowing priests to partake in agararian reforms. Cecan remained committed to Russian federalism; he was therefore vexed when the Moldavian Republic united with Romania in early 1918, claiming at the time that his former friend Baltagă had been corrupted into endorsing
Greater Romania Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
. As reported by Șornikov, Cecan defied the
Romanian military intervention in Bessarabia The Romanian military intervention in Bessarabia took place between 19 January and 8 March (Old Style, Old Style .S.5 January – 23 February) 1918, as part of the broader Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. It pitted the Kingd ...
by making frequent trips into the
Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...
(UNR) and bringing back with him works of anti-Romanian propaganda. Sensing himself threatened by the new regime, Cecan finally left Bessarabia for the UNR in November 1918. Settling in
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
(which remained his main residence to May 1920), he was first co-opted by the Committee for the Salvation of Bessarabia, formed there by two Russian nationalist leaders, Krupensky and Alexandr K. Schmidt.Șornikov, p. 146 The activity also absorbed his son Nikolai, who was captured by the Romanians in March 1919 "while transporting his father's letters and anti-Romanian newspapers from Odessa". The same month, Chișinău's Tribunal issued a warrant for "the priest Ieremia Cecan, formerly of Chișinău, current address unknown". Cecan Sr's collaboration with the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
and the
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...
had begun some two months later, when he proceeded to recruit Bessarabians exiles to fight as partisans behind Romanian lines in the Ukrainian civil war. A late report notes his presence in Odessa station, "cross in hand", and using the racial trope conflating Romanians with nomadic Romanies (he was "urging the Russian soldiers to chase the Gypsies out of Bessarabia").A. C., "In Basarabia ațâțările sunt în toi. Propagandă hitleristă și rusofilă", in ''
Adevărul (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Kingd ...
'', June 29, 1933, p. 3
Though he was largely successful in organizing a detachment, he was placed under surveillance by the city's Special Department, and twice arrested as a "counterrevolutionary". In mid 1919, Cecan was recruited by the Red Army in its clashes with the UNR, and joined the Odessa riflemen commanded by a Jewish mobster, Mishka Yaponchik. He saw action against the
Ukrainian People's Army The Ukrainian People's Army (), also known as the Ukrainian National Army (UNA) or by the derogatory term Petliurivtsi (, ), was the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–1921). They were often quickly reorganized units of the former I ...
, including outside
Voznesensk Voznesensk (, ) is a city in Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Voznesensk Raion within the oblast. It hosts the administration of the . The city has a population of History This city was founded in 1795 o ...
on the
Southern Bug The Southern Bug, also called Southern Buh (; ; ; or just ), and sometimes Boh River (; ),
, where Yaponchik was killed. One hostile report suggests that Cecan fled the battle; according to Șornikov, this cannot be accurate, as all deserters, including Yaponchik, had been massacred on the spot by the
Cheka The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission ( rus, Всероссийская чрезвычайная комиссия, r=Vserossiyskaya chrezvychaynaya komissiya, p=fsʲɪrɐˈsʲijskəjə tɕrʲɪzvɨˈtɕæjnəjə kɐˈmʲisʲɪjə, links=yes), ...
.Șornikov, p. 147 A clampdown on Bolshevik activities began during the Odessa Operation, with the area now controlled by the
Armed Forces of South Russia The Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR or SRAF) () were the unified military forces of the White movement in southern Russia between 1919 and 1920. On 8 January 1919, the Armed Forces of South Russia were formed, incorporating the Volunteer Ar ...
—and, as such, by the anti-communist
White movement The White movement,. The old spelling was retained by the Whites to differentiate from the Reds. also known as the Whites, was one of the main factions of the Russian Civil War of 1917–1922. It was led mainly by the Right-wing politics, right- ...
. Fearing for his life, Cecan moved to the city of
Tiraspol Tiraspol (, ; also /; , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Transnistria, a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the third-largest city. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River. Tiraspol is a regional hub of cul ...
, on the border with Bessarabia, and established there the newspaper ''Tiraspol'skoe Slovo'' ("Tiraspol's Word"); he was reportedly active there in early 1920, during the brief episode of Bolshevik rule under
Grigory Kotovsky Grigory Ivanovich Kotovsky (, ; – August 6, 1925) was a Soviet military officer and political activist, and participant in the Russian Civil War. He made a career from being a gangster and bank robber to eventually becoming a Red Army command ...
. Though his son was still held by the Romanians in Chișinău prison, Cecan finally decided to emigrate into Romania and pledge himself to the new
Metropolis of Bessarabia The Metropolis of Bessarabia (), also referred to as the Bessarabian Orthodox Church, is an Autonomy (Eastern Orthodoxy), autonomous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Metropolitan bishopric of the Romanian Orthodox Church, situated i ...
. He obtained approval from Metropolitan Gurie Grosu (in exchange for Cecan's promise that he would stay out of Chișinău), but still returned to Bessarabia "essentially illegally", by rowing his boat across the
Dniester The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
.Șornikov, pp. 147–148


''Raza'' and ecumenism

As noted by Șornikov, Cecan became unusually "laconic" about his Ukrainian exile, and did not mention his service under Yaponchik. During his later life in Romania, he simply noted his activity at ''Tiraspol'skoe Slovo''; the priest always mentioned that his
Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
captors were merciful, "although they knew I was a monarchist." During or after the Bessarabian union, Cecan had married off his daughter Zinaida"Litigiul dintre biserica ortodoxă și moștenirea dr. Oct. Vasu din Făgăraș", in ''
Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 No ...
'', August 4, 1935, p. 10
to a
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
n Romanian lawyer, Octavian Vasu. In February 1914, Vasu held an executive's position inside the
Romanian National Party The Romanian National Party (, PNR), initially known as the Romanian National Party in Transylvania and Banat (), was a political party which was initially designed to offer ethnic representation to Romanians in the Kingdom of Hungary, the Tran ...
of Austria-Hungary. Noted for his excellent command of Russian, he was taken prisoner in Bessarabia during the world war, when he helped set up the Romanian Volunteer Corps in Russia. During the subsequent creation of Greater Romania, he became the first
Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...
of
Făgăraș County Făgăraș County is one of the historic counties of Transylvania, Romania. The county seat was Făgăraș. Geography Făgăraș County covered and was located in the central part of Greater Romania, in the southeastern part of Transylvania, alon ...
. Cecan's status was improved by these political developments, seeing him ordained as a ''
Protoiereus A ''protoiereus'' (from , "first priest", Modern Greek: πρωθιερέας), or protopriest in the Eastern Orthodox Church, is a priest usually coordinating the activity of other subordinate priests in a larger church. The title is roughly equiv ...
'' of the
Romanian Orthodox Church The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the East ...
.Colesnic, p. 372 In October 1920, he asked Romanian authorities to grant him 500 thousand lei for propaganda work to contain the spread of communism in Bessarabia. However, he would not honor his agreement with Gurie Grosu, refusing to leave Chișinău for a countryside posting; described in official records as a "provocateur", he was swiftly
defrocked Defrocking, unfrocking, degradation, or laicization of clergy is the removal of their rights to exercise the functions of the ordained ministry. It may be grounded on criminal convictions, disciplinary problems, or disagreements over doctrine or ...
in 1920.Șornikov, p. 148 In March 1921, he published a pamphlet against Baltagă and other figures of the Metropolis, claiming that they were using their relative autonomy to embezzle church funds. He eventually returned to his Nișcani parish, and continued to involve himself in political and religious disputes. His reissue of ''Obyedineniye'' sold poorly and ended abruptly.Șornikov, p. 149 By 1925–1926, he was putting out the magazine ''Unirea'' (or ''Yedineniye''), which was a continuation of ''Obyedineniye''. At some point between 1920 and 1923, he adhered to the League of Bessarabian Christians, a political party created by Nicolae Negru, where the focus was on far-right antisemitism and Bessarabian regionalism. In both ''Unirea'' and his propaganda brochures, Cecan took a strongly anti-communist and
anti-Soviet Anti-Sovietism or anti-Soviet sentiment are activities that were actually or allegedly aimed against the Soviet Union or government power within the Soviet Union. Three common uses of the term include the following: * Anti-Sovietism in inter ...
position, describing communism as being intertwined with
Pan-Slavism Pan-Slavism, a movement that took shape in the mid-19th century, is the political ideology concerned with promoting integrity and unity for the Slavic people. Its main impact occurred in the Balkans, where non-Slavic empires had ruled the South ...
and Russian Orthodoxy. He investigated ways of emancipating Romanian Orthodoxy from its Slavic counterparts, looking into the precedent set by the
Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic The Romanian Greek Catholic Church or Romanian Church United with Rome is a ''sui iuris'' Eastern Catholic Church, in full union with the Catholic Church. It has the rank of a Major Archbishop, Major Archiepiscopal Church and it uses the Byzanti ...
. However, Cecan had lost confidence in autonomist projects, noting that they could only bring failure in the long run. He instead defended worship in Slavonic or Russian, against official
Romanianization Romanianization is the series of policies aimed toward ethnic assimilation implemented by the Romanian authorities during the 20th and 21st century. The most noteworthy policies were those aimed at the Hungarian minority in Romania, Jews and as ...
. Such activities, and questions about his status during the Revolution, pushed the Romanian intelligence agency, ''
Siguranța ''Siguranța'' was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety () ...
'', to keep a file on Cecan. Informants believed that he was de-legitimizing mainstream autonomists as a ruse, so that his own "subversive" movement of "Bolshevik tendencies" would gain exposure and popularity. Other reports focused on Cecan's interpretation of the "
Jewish Question The Jewish question was a wide-ranging debate in 19th- and 20th-century Europe that pertained to the appropriate status and treatment of Jews. The debate, which was similar to other " national questions", dealt with the civil, legal, national, ...
": in September 1930, shortly after an attempted
pogrom A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of Massacre, massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe late 19th- and early 20th-century Anti-Jewis ...
in Chișinău, he reportedly told publisher Averbukh that "he had never been an antisemite with all his heart".Șornikov, p. 150 As noted by Șornikov, the Cecan dossier became unusually large; although agents working his case "were illiterate and negligent", the file offers a minute record of his beliefs and affiliations. Cecan unsuccessfully ran in the parliamentary elections of May 1926, June 1927, December 1928, and July 1932.Dumbrăveanu, p. 13 In the mid 1920s, he had reconciled with the regionalist caucus, and was pushing for increased autonomy of the Metropolis (though he still disliked Gurie, and called his election a sample of "banditry" by the Romanian state officials); he returned to his old ecumenical goals, working closely with the Catholic Bishopric of Iași and Monsignor Anton Gabor to set up a Christian institute in Bessarabia. He was also in touch with Nicolae Brînzeu, the Greek-Catholic priest, who regarded Cecan as a "most courageous" intellectual.Brînzeu, p. 2 His ideas on reunification were circulated by liberal Catholic papers in the West, including, in 1924, ''La Paix''.Naghiu, p. 3 The latter newspaper also gave exposure to Cecan's take on the
Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...
, on which topic he did not "foresee insuperable difficulty"."News and Notes", in ''
The Tablet ''The Tablet'' is a Catholic Church, Catholic international weekly review published in London. Brendan Walsh, previously literary editor and then acting editor, was appointed editor in July 2017. History ''The Tablet'' was launched in 1840 by ...
'', Vol. 161, Issue 4850, April 22, 1933, pp. 1–2
In January 1929, days after executive power had been handed to the
National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; , or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an Agrarianism, agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It was formed in 1926 throu ...
(PNȚ), Cecan attended the Bessarabian Agronomists' Congress, where he spoke about the need to increase productivity among the smallholders. At the Eparchy Assembly of October 1930, he voiced his distrust toward ''Nasha Rech'' and Romania's other Russian-language newspapers, seen by him as enemies of the church. He had become publicly opposed to the PNȚ and all other mainstream groups, growing supportive of the anti-establishment
Vlad Țepeș League The Vlad Țepeș League (, LVȚ; colloquially ''Țepiști'', singular form: ''Țepist''), later Conservative Party (''Partidul Conservator'', PC), was a political party in Romania, founded and presided upon by Grigore Filipescu. A "right-wing conse ...
. In a letter he sent to the League's newspaper, '' Epoca'', he theorized that Romanian "politicking" and "demagoguery" were a threat exponentially greater than communism.Costin G. Sturdza, "Ultima oră. Viața politică. 'Vlad Țepeș' în Basarabia", in '' Epoca'', September 5, 1930, p. 4 Also then, Cecan explained that he was no longer an active priest, and was collecting his pension, wishing only to become a "free citizen". The PNȚ's relaxation of censorship laws convinced him that he could return to his work as a publicist, with backing from the Union of the Bessarabian Clergy. Called ''Raza'' ("The Ray") or ''Svet'' ("Light"), his newspaper drew negative attention from the ''Siguranța'', which intervened to have the Union sack Cecan from his editorial position. Cecan was upset to note that ''Raza'' was being republished under new management, and resorted to recounting his version of events in another newspaper he issued for a period, called ''Khristianskaya Pobeda'' ("Christian Victory"). In 1931, he and Ioan Știucă revived the newspaper. This again irritated the sensibilities of mainstream Romanian nationalists by continuing to advocate in Russian; as Cecan noted in his rebuttal, there was a practical reason framing this decision: "We are proud that we know Russian almost as well as Romanian; ..we are proud that we will be able to respond in the same language to mistakes, delusions, fabrications and attacks of the minority ussianpress". Unpersuaded by such pleading, Metropolitan Gurie obtained that ''Raza'' be shut down after its first issue. That October, Cecan still addressed a meeting of the Bessarabian clergy in Russian, causing most of those present to leave the hall in protest.


''Telegraf'' and Nazism

Cecan's pro-Catholic outlook, including his stance on papal infallibility, were openly criticized by conservative bishops—in particular, by Roman Ciorogariu of Oradea. In his polemic with Bishop Roman, made public in early 1933, Cecan insisted that a unified church would naturally be led by the popes."Mișcarea spre Unire", in ''Curierul Creștin'', Issues 11–12/1933, pp. 122–124 During that interval, he lamented the decline of Orthodoxy, concluding that: "Our Church no longer wields any influence upon society, upon the institutions of the State, or upon the life of the nation. It neither enlightens nor warms the souls of the faithful." In rendering his verdict, ''
The Tablet ''The Tablet'' is a Catholic Church, Catholic international weekly review published in London. Brendan Walsh, previously literary editor and then acting editor, was appointed editor in July 2017. History ''The Tablet'' was launched in 1840 by ...
'' saluted Cecan as an "earnest man and acute thinker". The letter to Bishop Roman also included a critique of atheism, which Cecan associated with
Masonry Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar (masonry), mortar. The term ''masonry'' can also refer to the buildin ...
, claiming that they acted under a "unified command". Also according to Cecan,
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...
was the herald of
anti-Masonry Anti-Masonry (alternatively called anti-Freemasonry) is "avowed opposition to Freemasonry",''Oxford English Dictionary'' (1979 ed.), p. 369. which has led to multiple forms of religious discrimination, Religious violence, violent Religious persec ...
resistance, much more powerful in this respect than the Orthodox bishops. He expanded on such topics in the March 3 issue of ''
Viața Basarabiei ''Viaţa Basarabiei'' (Romanian for "Bessarabia's Life", ) is a Romanian-language periodical from Chişinău, Moldova. Originally a literary and political magazine, published at a time when the Bessarabia region was part of Romania, it was foun ...
'', where he responded to the attacks of an unnamed Orthodox journalist. In this piece, he announced that he and other supporters of the "world united church" met and prayed weekly at
Chișinău City Hall Chișinău City Hall () is a historical and architectural monument built in Italian Gothic style located in Central Chișinău, Moldova. Originally constructed to house the city Duma in 1901, the building was nearly destroyed during World War I ...
. In early April, Gurie Grosu ordered an investigation of Cecan's activity, with the latter "accused of having carried out an intense propaganda in favor of uniting the Romanian and Catholic churches. He is likewise suspected of having defended communism." Cecan had retired from priesthood by April 11, complaining to Brînzeu that he was being formally investigated by the
Romanian Synod Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
for "Catholicizing" Bessarabia, but also noting that he had gained many followers. With assistance from his son-in-law Vasu, by then a former Senator of Romania, and with contributions from the public, he intended to set up a daily newspaper. Reportedly, some 300 priests, or a third of the Bessarabian clergy, had signed up his pro-Catholic platform.Irénée Merloz, "Le mouvement d'union en Bessarabie. 300 prêtres ont adhéré", in ''La Croix'', November 4, 1933, p. 1 Between May and November 1933,Ileana-Stanca Desa, Elena Ioana Mălușanu, Cornelia Luminița Radu, Iuliana Sulică, ''Publicațiile periodice românești (ziare, gazete, reviste). Vol. V: Catalog alfabetic 1930–1935'', p. 442. Bucharest: Editura Academiei, 2009. ''Protoiereus'' Cecan published in Chișinău the Russian-language ''Telegraf'' (also ''Bessarabsky Telegraf'' or ''Khristiansky Telegraf''). The newspaper featured both his disdain toward Soviet policies (including his attacks on the Romanian–Soviet friendship society) and his calls on the Romanian state to afford more representation to, and protection of, the working classes; he claimed of the Romanian regime that it "outrages honest people who say despairingly: the Bolsheviks should get here sooner and put things in order." ''Telegraf'' was also an openly antisemitic tribune, with editorials in which Cecan himself called for "destroying the Jewish press", referring to
Bessarabian Jews The history of the Jews in Bessarabia, a historical region in Eastern Europe, dates back hundreds of years. Early history Jews are mentioned from very early on in the Principality of Moldavia, but they did not represent a significant number. Th ...
in particular as "leeches"."În jurul 'Frontului Naționalist Unic'", in ''Crez Nou'', Issue 7/1933, p. 1 The stance was praised by Irénée Merloz of the Romanian
Assumptionists The Assumptionists, formally known as the Congregation of the Augustinians of the Assumption (; abbreviated AA), is a worldwide congregation of Catholic priests and brothers. It is active in many countries. The French branch played a major rol ...
. According to Merloz: "the press was entirely Jewish and of a marked communist tendency, and so Father Jérémie Cecan's review, then his newspaper, also have roles in social defense and in the workers' and peasants' organization, as well as in the religious unification with Rome." In June 1933, ''
Adevărul (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Kingd ...
'', the left-wing central daily, explicitly asked the authorities, including Minister
Pan Halippa Pantelimon "Pan" Halippa (1 August 1883 – 30 April 1979) was a Bessarabian and later Romanian journalist and politician. One of the most important promoters of Romanian nationalism in Bessarabia and of this province's union with Romania, he w ...
, to ban Cecan's newspaper, noting that Cecan was the only signed owner—alongside a "committee of twelve". It noted that ''Telegraf'' was distinctly Russophilic in its non-Romanian content, and that it had called Halippa "Bessarabia's idiot". The discourse promoted by ''Khristianskaya Pobeda'' became the topic of a larger controversy when the
Mayor of Chișinău The Mayor of Chișinău, officially the General Mayor of the Municipality of Chișinău (), is the head of the executive branch of Chișinău's government and a member of the city's Municipal Council. History The first mayor of Chișinău ...
, Dimitrie Bogos, drafted a citizens' letter which openly censured Cecan for his "right-wing extremism". The priest was immediately defended by a group of supporters, who noted that Bogos had no mandate to speak for the whole citizenry, and that he had issued no such protest against communists, even as they "carried out violent attacks in the city streets." Though turning to far-right antisemitism, Cecan had initially derided
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
: in a 1930 article for ''Khristianskaya Pobeda'', he had disparaged
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
by calling him a "
German painter This is a list of German painters. A > second column was into info box --> * Hans von Aachen (1552–1615) * Aatifi (born 1965) * Karl Abt (1899–1985) * Tomma Abts (born 1967) * Andreas Achenbach (1815–1910) * Oswald Achenbach (182 ...
". By 1933, he was calling for a Romanian Hitler, as well as a Romanian Torquemada—appeals read by the ''Adevărul'' correspondent as alluding to the mass murder of Jews. Styled "independent national-Christian" in its original format, ''Telegraf'' became identifiable as a tribune of an openly Nazi group, the Romanian National Socialist Party (PNSR). The merger of platforms began in August 1933, when Cecan and an associate, Major Rotaru, wrote a piece favoring a "Singular Nationalist Front" comprising the PNSR, the
National-Christian Defense League The National-Christian Defense League (, LANC) was a far-right political party of Romania formed by A. C. Cuza. Origins The LANC had its roots in the National Christian Union, formed in 1922 by Cuza and the famed physiologist Nicolae Paulescu. ...
, and the
Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
. This alliance, they argued, would follow the model of the
German Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor, the German Workers ...
by uniting Romanians "around the national Christian flag", "uproot ngthe old, Jewified, rot of politicking". In September 1933, Cecan was also elected honorary president of the PNSR's Bessarabian branch. The same month, ''Telegraf'' published his musings on "National and International Socialism". As read by Șornikov, it was primarily a
center-left Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commonl ...
piece, calling for an overhaul toward
social ownership Social ownership is a type of property where an asset is recognized to be in the possession of society as a whole rather than individual members or groups within it. Social ownership of the means of production is the defining characteristic of ...
, and reviewing Nazism as a political expression of
Christian socialism Christian socialism is a Religious philosophy, religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe cap ...
. In October, Cecan spoke at the PNSR Congress in Chișinău, alleging that Bessarabia was suffering under "the vampiresque exploitation of Judaism". Elected to the party's executive leadership structure on that occasion, Cecan also served as leader of the PNSR cell in Chișinău, alongside Vasile Leidenius, publisher of ''Voskresenie'' newspaper. Over the following years, the party broke apart; most Bessarabian Nazis joined up with the Iron Guard, the more successful fascist movement. In November 1933, shortly before the parliamentary election of December, Cecan and Sergiu Florescu were put up as the two Iron Guard candidates in Lăpușna County; Cecan was also assigned the second list position in Orhei County. This announcement was closely followed by a government ban on Guard activities. One report of December 10 noted that, as part of this clampdown, Cecan had been taken into Chișinău police custody along with other "principal Guardists", such as Rodion Mantea and Trofim Colev. He was the only one released on December 16. As reported by ''
Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 No ...
'' newspaper, such clemency "solidified the belief of Iron Guard members, namely that he had betrayed them." His case workers dismissed that claim, "while acknowledging that the defrocked priest had asked
hem A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the ga ...
for forgiveness in respect to his action, and had given assurances that he would never again repeat it." A month later, Cecan's son Alexander was himself arrested, charged with having embezzled Basarabia Bank, where he worked as a clerk. He was sentenced two a three-month jail term in January 1936.


Final years and execution

Shortly ahead of the election itself, Cecan Sr signed his name as an "Iron Guard member" to a manifesto asking sympathizers to embrace the
National Liberal Party-Brătianu National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
. In April 1934, during Orthodox Easter, he returned to preaching a rapprochement with the Catholics, urging his church bishops to renounce "outdated prejudice". In June, he addressed the Romanian Orthodox Church in an open letter, calling for a renewed work of religious instruction and "pastoral apostolate", which, he argued, would have prevented Romania from going the way of the Soviet Union. The letter also restated that "all the Christian world should form one unbreakable front" around the "invisible citadel" of Rome."Rome Reunion Urged by Orthodox Priest", in ''
The Catholic Transcript ''The Catholic Transcript'' is a monthly magazine of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, serving Hartford, New Haven and Litchfield Counties. It is the largest catholic newspaper in Connecticut. History ''The Catholic Trans ...
'', Vol. XXXVII, Issue 4, June 1934, p. 9
Late that month, this polemical stance resulted in Cecan being cited before his Metropolis, to answer for his "propaganda against the Orthodox Church." His multiculturalism still found backers inside the ecclesiastical structures—in July, his associate Pavel Guciujna again attempted to raise the issue of multilingual publishing by the Union of the Bessarabian Clergy.Șornikov, p. 152 The Greek-Catholic press also stood by Cecan when it came to his anti-Soviet politics: the official church magazine, ''Cuvântul Adevărului'', welcomed Cecan's book ''Tainele și scopurile ascunse ale comunismului'' ("The Secrets and Covert Agenda of Communism"), published at Chișinău during the early 1930s. In early 1934, Cecan was collecting funds for a "truly Russian newspaper", specifically intended as a new edition of ''Nashe Obyedineniye''. At the time, he and ''Telegraf'' were again moving away from Nazism. In his articles for the paper, Cecan decried the victories of fascism—from the rise of Japanese statism and the assassination of Alexander Karađorđević, to
German rearmament German rearmament (''Aufrüstung'', ) was a policy and practice of rearmament carried out by Germany from 1918 to 1939 in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which required German disarmament after World War I to prevent it from starting an ...
and the establishment of a Reich Labor Service; he also applauded the Romanian–Soviet rapprochement as a seed of "union with Russia". He had by then moved with his family to a small house in Chișinău, where he reportedly lived in poverty and relative isolation, his son-in-law having died in early March 1935. He and Sergiu Florescu were irregularly publishing ''Unirea Noastră''—with the exact same title as ''Nashe Obyedineniye'', but in Romanian, as this was the only form allowed by the Romanian censors. The two men sought to evade censorship and, in June 1934, put out an issue entirely in Russian, immediately confiscated by the ''Siguranța''; in October, agents reported that the ''Unirea Noastră''
nameplate A nameplate identifies and displays a person or product's name. Nameplates are usually shaped as rectangles but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone's written name. Nameplates primarily serve an informat ...
was still partly in Russian, and, as Șornikov notes, took active measures which resulted in Cecan going out of the publishing business. He soon revived ''Khristianskaya Pobeda'', and, in 1935, managed to reopen ''Unirea Noastră'' without incident. The latter newspaper had become explicitly moderate in its political outlook. It hosted cartoons which mocked Hitler and the local fascists, including
Octavian Goga Octavian Goga (; 1 April 1881 – 7 May 1938) was a Romanian far-right politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator. Biography Early life Octavian Goga was born on 1 April 1881 in the village of Rășinari, on the northern sl ...
and
Alexandru Vaida-Voevod Alexandru Vaida-Voevod or Vaida-Voievod (27 February 1872 – 19 March 1950) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician who was a supporter and promoter of the union of Transylvania (before 1920 part of Hungary) with the Romanian Old K ...
. During mid-to-late 1935, Cecan issued pamphlets and an article in ''Unirea Noastră'', calling antisemites "sick" and defending
Jewish assimilation Jewish assimilation (, ''hitbolelut'') refers either to the gradual cultural assimilation and social integration of Jews in their surrounding culture or to an ideological program in the age of emancipation promoting conformity as a potential so ...
. A 1968 letter by Greek-Catholic bishop
Ioan Ploscaru Ioan Ploscaru (19 November 1911 – 31 July 1998) was a Romanian bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church. Born into a peasant family in Frata commune, Cluj County, he studied in Blaj. He was ordained a priest in 1933 and a bishop in November 19 ...
notes that Cecan was again defrocked, one final time, in 1935. According to Ploscaru, Cecan had by then also alienated his Catholic backers upon revelations about his past: "Our bishops sent one of our priests to Cecan's home, to learn about him. Once there, they discovered that the pro-unionist was a priest defrocked for his immoral lifestyle, that he was missing an eye, that he had wrestled the
sacristan A sacristan is an officer charged with care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents. In ancient times, many duties of the sacrist were performed by the doorkeepers ( ostiarii), and later by the treasurers and mansionarii. The Decretal ...
over some money, and that all of Bessarabia detested him. As soon as this report came out, we put a stop on all propaganda." By 1936, he had sued the Union of the Bessarabian Clergy for 40 thousand lei, which he claimed as back pay for his work at ''Raza''. The regular and labor courts of Chișinău both declined competence, since the complaint did not involve a regular salary."Jurisprudența Curții de Casație adusă in legiuirea muncii dela 1920—1940", in ''Buletinul Muncii'', Vol. XXI, Issue III, August–December 1941, p. 616 On June 11, 1937, Cecan attended the Eparchy Assembly meeting. As reported by ''Universul'', he had to be evicted by police after "provoking a scandal" during Halippa's address. At around the same time, his daughter Zinaida (or Zenaida) Vasu was engaged in a legal dispute with the Church over her late husband's house in
Făgăraș Făgăraș (; , ) is a municipiu, city in central Romania, located in Brașov County. It lies on the Olt (river), Olt River and has a population of 26,284 as of 2021. It is situated in the historical region of Transylvania, and is the main city of ...
. Though still affiliated with the Iron Guard, Cecan eventually defected to
Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930, until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. As the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Romania, King Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I, ...
's
National Renaissance Front The National Renaissance Front (, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romanian political party created by King Ca ...
in 1938. His case against the Union of the Bessarabian Clergy appeared before the
Court of Cassation A court of cassation is a high-instance court that exists in some judicial systems. Courts of cassation do not re-examine the facts of a case; they only interpret the relevant law. In this, they are appellate courts of the highest instance. In ...
in October of that year; it ruled that the labor court was in fact competent in the matter. The Catholic convert Teodosie Bonteanu, who visited Cecan in 1938, noted that he had stopped putting out ''Unirea Noastră'', and had become an avid agriculturist. However, he had also been drawn into the Confraternity of Saint Benedict, an international ecumenist body founded by Serge Bolshakoff. By 1939, upon the resignation of Tikhon Lyashchenko, Orthodox Bishop of Berlin, Cecan became that group's president. In July of that year, Cecan announced his invention of an affordable
seed drill file:7263 Canterbury Agricultural College farm.jpg, Filling a feed-box of a seed drill, Lincoln University (New Zealand), Canterbury Agricultural College farm, 1948 A seed drill is a device used in agriculture that sowing, sows seeds for crops by ...
which purportedly doubled yields, and which he designed especially for "small rural households." In late June 1940, Bessarabia was occupied by the Soviet Union, and the
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
swiftly arrested Cecan. His antisemitic articles and his PNSR membership were brought up against him by the government of the
Moldavian SSR The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic or Moldavian SSR (, mo-Cyrl, Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ), also known as the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan SSR, Soviet Moldavia, Sovie ...
. On March 13, 1941, Kishinev Tribunal sentenced him to death as a "counterrevolutionary", citing Articles 54-11 and 54-13 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code. His execution was postponed while his activity as a Russophile was being reconsidered; some political figures intervened on his behalf with
Lavrentiy Beria Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria ka, ლავრენტი პავლეს ძე ბერია} ''Lavrenti Pavles dze Beria'' ( – 23 December 1953) was a Soviet politician and one of the longest-serving and most influential of Joseph ...
, the then- Deputy Premier. However, his cause became indefensible in June 1941, with a coordinated German–Romanian attack on the Soviet Union. On June 27, five days after the start of war, Cecan was secretly shot by the NKVD. Though some works suggest that this took place in Kishinev prison, NKVD files record his place of death as
Tiraspol Tiraspol (, ; also /; , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Transnistria, a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the third-largest city. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River. Tiraspol is a regional hub of cul ...
. Cecan's fate was the subject of confusion in Romania: while some simply noted that he had gone missing, others acknowledged that "somewhere in Bessarabia, under a simple cross", he was "awaiting his resurrection". In August 1941, news of his killing were featured in ''Universul''. By September 1941, responding to praise of Cecan in the Greek-Catholic press, Orthodox scholar Grigorie T. Marcu argued that none of the quotes from Cecan showed that he asked for submission to the pope. According to Marcu, Cecan was spuriously reinvented as a Catholic martyr. In the Soviet Union, he was chiefly remembered for his Nazism: in 1988, philosopher Alexandru Babii described Cecan as a "vivid example of the link between clerical anti-communism and German fascism". His fate was only revisited after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
, by the authorities of the new
Republic of Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised ...
, and by intellectuals from all Romanian-speaking territories. In early 1994, Catholic theologian Eugen Pantea published an article which argued that Cecan had been correct in his activity as a church unionist. According to Pantea, the split between the revived, pro-Romanian, Metropolis of Bessarabia and a Russian Metropolis of Moldova proved that local Romanians were being targeted by a "Slavic steamroller". On December 21, 2001, Moldova's Supreme Court of Justice overturned the Soviet verdict against Cecan.Guțuleac, p. 56. See also Șornikov, p. 153


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cecan, Ieremia 1867 births 1941 deaths People from Novoselytsia Ethnic Romanian politicians of the Bessarabia Governorate Members of the Union of the Russian People Moldovenists Bessarabian Bolsheviks Politicians of the National Socialist Party (Romania) National Renaissance Front politicians Romanian political candidates Moldovan anti-communists Romanian Christian socialists 20th-century Romanian journalists Romanian columnists Russian-language writers Romanian magazine editors Romanian magazine founders Romanian newspaper editors Romanian newspaper founders Moldovan magazine editors Moldovan magazine founders Moldovan newspaper editors Romanian male journalists Moldovan newspaper founders Magazine editors from the Russian Empire Magazine founders from the Russian Empire Newspaper editors from the Russian Empire Newspaper founders from the Russian Empire Russian propagandists Romanian propagandists Romanian Orthodox priests Russian Eastern Orthodox priests Romanian theologians Eastern Orthodoxy and far-right politics Catholic–Eastern Orthodox ecumenism People in Christian ecumenism Schoolteachers from the Russian Empire Moldovan schoolteachers Romanian schoolteachers Philanthropists from the Russian Empire Moldovan philanthropists Romanian philanthropists Romanian temperance activists Agriculturalists from Bessarabia Governorate 20th-century Romanian farmers Romanian agriculturalists 20th-century Romanian inventors People from Khotinsky Uyezd Executed Iron Guard members Romanian people of Moldovan descent Kyiv-Mohyla Academy alumni Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class Christian chaplains Russian Provisional Government military personnel Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War Soviet people of the Ukrainian–Soviet War Moldovan exiles Moldovan expatriates in Ukraine Soviet emigrants to Romania Fugitives wanted by Romania Prisoners and detainees of Romania Romanian people of World War II Eastern Orthodox Christians executed by the Soviet Union Moldovan people executed by the Soviet Union People executed by the Soviet Union by firearm Deaths by firearm in Moldova