"Spiritual Answers" by the Great Spiritual Father Ioan Argatu

[augustin717]

I'll translate some from the book "Raspunsuri Duhovnicesti":
72. Părinte, poţi să botezi dacă nu eşti curată?
-Nu! O femeie dacă botează la vremea ei de necurăţie, copilul botezat de ea va avea un miros greu toată viaţa şi casa în care stă el va avea un miros greu, oricât ar aerisi sau ar da parfumuri tot greu va mirosi. De fapt femeia necurată nici nu are ce căuta în Biserică pentru că la carte scrie: „De va intra în biserică, femeia în cele 8 zile de necurăţie sau 40 de zile de lehuzie să se spele biserica şi să se cheme arhiereul şi să se sfinţească din nou”. Aţi văzut ce mare păcat este, vă daţi seama dumneavoastră câte biserici mai sunt curate?

"Father can one baptize when unclean?"
"No! An unclean woman, if she has her child baptized when still unclean, the baptized child will have a heavy odor his whole life  and the house in which he lives will have a heavy odor, no matter how much one will air it or how much they will spray it, it will still stink. In fact, an unclean woman has no business in church, at all for the book says <<If  a woman enters the church during the 8 days of her uncleanliness or 40 days after child-birth, let the church be washed and and let the bishop be called to re-consecrate it.>> So, do you see what a great sin it is, do you realize how many churches are no longer clean/pure?"

[augustin717]

Some more for our lenten journey:
403. Sânge
Părinte, se donează sânge?
-Da, acela da, pentru că se reface şi fără să primeşti plată în schimb. Când primeşti sânge trebuie să ai grijă de la cine este, să fie creştin botezat, să nu te trezeşti după aceea cu obiceiuri noi şi să nu ştii de unde vin.
"Blood"
"Father is blood to be donated?"
"Yes, that one yes, because it's renewable but not for money. When you receive blood you must be cautious from whom you're receiving it, only from a baptized Christian lest you end up with new habits, and you don't know where they come from."

[augustin717]

387/395. Sectele-ereticii
389. Părinte, ne vin pe la uşi tot felul de oameni, care vor să ne vorbească despre Dumnezeu, să ne dea cărţi gratis, ce să facem?
-Să-i luaţi la bătaie, să-i ruşinaţi, nu primiţi cărţi de la ei, nu-i primiţi în casă şi dacă v-au dat cărţi, le ardeţi. Sunt nişte ticăloşi, primesc bani grei ca să facă asta, puteţi să-i bateţi, vă dau binecuvântare pentru asta. Să plece în ţara lor cu învăţătura lor cu tot, aici avem preoţi care ne explică Evanghelia şi ne vorbesc despre Dumnezeu, au şcoală şi au primit har la hirotonire. Biblia nu poate fi interpretată de omul obişnuit, că de aia au apărut sectele, fiecare a interpretat după cum îl duce capul şi mai vrea să ducă în eroare şi pe alţii.

"The sects and the heretics"
"Father, all sorts of folks come to our doors that want to speak about God to us, give us free books, what should we do?"
"Beat them, shame them, don't take their books, don't let them in and if they gave you books, burn them. These are scoundrels, they get lots of money to do this, you may beat them, I give you my blessing. Let them go back to their country with their teaching, we've got priests here that explain us the Gospel and talk to us about God, went to school, have received grace at ordination. The Bible cannot be interpreted by an ordinary man, that's why sects appeared, each one interpreted how they saw it and now they want to drag into error others as well."

[Cognomen]

I'm doubting their authenticity, but I faintly remember reading these same replies in Frederica Mathewes Green's book "My Journey Towards Beating and Shaming the Unclean Heretics."

[augustin717]

They are authentic. The book is published by "Mila Crestina" ("Christian Mercy") printing house with the blessing of IPS Pimen, archbishop of Suceava and Radauti.
Now, I wonder when Conciliar Press is gonna translate this fine book, a sorely needed tool in the evangelizing of American Evangelicals.

[augustin717]

This is the book, if someone wants to buy it :
http://www.librarie.net/carti/56904/Raspunsuri-duhovnicesti-intrebarile-credinciosilor-Parintelui-Arhimandrit-Ilarion-Argatu-editia-doua

[augustin717]

319. Organe
Părinte, este voie să se doneze organe?
-Nu, trebuie să le ai pe toate la judecată.
"Father, is it allowed to donate organs?"
"No, you must have them all at the Judgement."

[Cognomen]

Why would I need my spiritual father's book?  I get my questions answered directly by him.  Of course I don't understand the language he speaks, but his wisdom transcends these boundaries.

That should be a top seller though!

P.S. Anything on tollhouse #23 in there?

[augustin717]

317. Părinte, femeia care a făcut avort are voie să intre în biserică?
-Nu, nu are voie. Femeia care a făcut avort, (sic!) este necurată timp de 40 de zile.

"Father, the woman that had an abortion, is she allowed to enter into the church?"
"No, she's not. The woman that had an abortion is unclean for 40 days."

[augustin717]

133. Atenţie părinţi! Să nu bateţi copiii după ora 3 noaptea şi să nu ţipaţi la ei, pentru că intră diavolul în ei din cauza fricii.
"Be careful, parents. Don't beat your children after 3 at night and do not yell at them, or the devil will enter into them because of the fear."

[NicholasMyra]

If only HE had written "Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy."

[augustin717]

I  especially love this one:
"Catolicii, (sic!) au păcatul schismei şi al ereziei. Adică în 1054 s-au rupt de Biserică, s-au separat şi n-au mai ascultat de Patriarhia Ecumenică de la Constantinopol, devenind schismatici."
"The Catholics are possessed of the sin of schism. That is, in the year 1054 they separated and no longer obeyed the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, becoming schismatics."
I wonder if Fr. Elpidophoros has heard of this one.

[biro]

Oh dear, oh dear. Lent is a time to renew our struggle against the passions- which apparently include bad smells.    

[augustin717]

Evreul nebotezat. Dacă te-ai cununat cu un evreu vei fi judecată la un loc cu el. El este apăsat de două mari păcate: de păcatul uciderii celor 14.000 de prunci şi de sângele Mântuitorului nostru Iisus Hristos pe care l-au răstignit
"The unbaptized Jew. If you married a Jew you'll be judged with him. Two great sins weigh on him: the sin of slaying the 14.000 children, and the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ whom they crucified."

[augustin717]

96. Părinte, ce părere aveţi despre căsătoriile cu alte naţii?
-Nu e bine, fiecare popor e într-un fel:
Românul e bun, credincios, sentimental şi primitor;
Neamţul e rece şi fără credinţă;
Ungurul e rău şi egoist;
Ţiganul e hoţ şi puturos.

"Father, what do you think about marriage between different ethnicities?
"It's not good, every nation has their own way:
Romanians are good, faithful, sentimental and hospitable;
Germans are cold and faithless;
Hungarians are bad and selfish;
Gypsies are thieves and lazy."

[augustin717]

This is the elder. His body was discovered incorrupt:
http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilarion_Argatu

[Cavaradossi]

319. Organe
Părinte, este voie să se doneze organe?
-Nu, trebuie să le ai pe toate la judecată.
"Father, is it allowed to donate organs?"
"No, you must have them all at the Judgement."

Ahah! I knew that the Appendix had a use! Those who have had an appendectomy shall sadly go to the eternal fire, just as I suspected.

[augustin717]

54.
O doamnă foarte supărată, cu noduli la ambii sâni, a venit la părintele să vadă ce-i spune, pentru că era programată pentru operaţie, nu era prea încrezătoare în ce-i va spune părintele, dar şi-a zis să încerce:
-Părinte, eu am noduli la sân! De ce credeţi că am păţit aceasta? Trebuie să mă operez?
-Aşa păţesc femeile care-şi refuză bărbaţii lor, se întorc cu spatele, se prefac că sunt obosite, că sunt bolnave sau că nu au chef să facă pe plac soţilor.
Femeia s-a ruşinat pentru că-i spusese de faţă cu toată lumea. Aşa proceda părintele în unele situaţii, pentru că era văzător cu duhul şi ştia când sunt în cameră mai multe persoane cu aceeaşi problemă şi din timiditate sau din îndemnul diavolului nu întrebau ca să nu râdă lumea. Prin răspunsul pe care-l da unuia care întreba, se foloseau mai mulţi.

" A lady, very sad, with tumors on both breasts, came to the Father to see what he was going to tell her; as she was scheduled for surgery she wasn't very trusting in what Father was going to tell her, but she thought it was worth a try:
"Father, I have breast tumors . Why do you think this happened to me? Should I get surgery?"
"That's what happens to those women that refuse their husbands, turn their back, pretend they are tired or sick or they just don't feel like pleasing their husbands.'
The lady was ashamed that he said all this within everybody's presence. That's how the elder did in some circumstances because he was a clairvoyant and he knew that there were in the room more persons with the same problem and either out of timidity or out of the devil's counsel they weren't asking for fear of being laughed at by the others. Through an answer given to one, many were edified."

[JamesRottnek]

Finally, permission to do something about those blasted Mormons...

[JamesRottnek]

I don't think I could ever venerate this man as a saint.

[biro]

96. Părinte, ce părere aveţi despre căsătoriile cu alte naţii?
-Nu e bine, fiecare popor e într-un fel:
Românul e bun, credincios, sentimental şi primitor;
Neamţul e rece şi fără credinţă;
Ungurul e rău şi egoist;
Ţiganul e hoţ şi puturos.

"Father, what do you think about marriage between different ethnicities?
"It's not good, every nation has their own way:
Romanians are good, faithful, sentimental and hospitable;
Germans are cold and faithless;
Hungarians are bad and selfish;
Gypsies are thieves and lazy."

Sweet mother Macree.

 

Who likes this guy? 

[augustin717]

This type of discourse is quite common among the Romanian "elders". Fr. Cleopa himself has said comparable things. And Fr. Iustin Pirvu still has a taste for iron Guard (Fascist) songs

[biro]

Yikes. Lord forgive me for judging, but yikes. 

[Iconodule]

Wow. It's kind of awesome, in a twisted way.

BTW, Augustin, have you seen this movie? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strigoi_%28film%29

[Ionnis]

C'mon, Augustin? What is the point of this thread? To make fun of a simple Orthodox priest? May his memory be eternal.

[biro]

C'mon, Augustin? What is the point of this thread? To make fun of a simple Orthodox priest? May his memory be eternal.

If nothing else, it may lead us to ask the Lord to help us with these difficulties. There's no human without imperfection.

[William]

C'mon, Augustin? What is the point of this thread? To make fun of a simple Orthodox priest? May his memory be eternal.

Agreed.

[augustin717]

C'mon, Augustin? What is the point of this thread? To make fun of a simple Orthodox priest? May his memory be eternal.

Judging by the amount of formal education he got he wasn't just a "simple priest" He graduated from the Theological Faculty of Cernauti and also went to a couple of other schools.
Plus he was a local celebrity, presented himself as a great exorcist, appeared on TV.

[augustin717]

This is cute:
"Părinte, este adevărat că aici la Mănăstirea Cernica, este un balaur care stă în lac şi mai iese din când în când la suprafaţă? L-aţi văzut? Este adevărat?
Da, este adevărat. L-am văzut. El există. Îşi are cuibul sub apă în malul lacului dinspre Biserica Sf. Nicolae, chiar sub Sf. Altar. De multe ori când am slujit la Biserica Sf. Nicolae, de sub podea venea un zgomot ciudat, seamănă zgomotul cu un plug care este tras pe pământ uscat, un hârâit, ceva care scrijeleşte pământul, ceva imens care, în timp ce se mişcă, având solzi scrijeleşte pământul. […] Eu l-am văzut, uitându-mă de aici din chilie pe geamul acela, care dă spre lac, plutea pe luciul apei. Este un balaur cu un singur cap, lung ca un şarpe, să aibă vreo 30 de metrii (sic!) şi o circumferinţă de vreo 10 metrii (sic!). Este mare. Este uriaş. De câteva ori a traversat drumul de la poartă şi alte ori drumul de la Mănăstire spre Cimitir."
"Father, is it true that here at the Cernica monastery, there is a dragon living in the lake and from time to time come out? have you seen it? Is it true?"
"Yes, it's true. I've seen it. It exists. Its nest is underwater, at the edge of the lake, close to St. Nicholas' church, right under the Holy Altar. Many times when I served at St. Nicholas' a strange noise would come from under the floor; it was like the sound of a plough scratching dry land, something that scratches the earth, something huge that, having scales, scratches the earth whenever it moves.
I have seen it, watching from my cell, through that window facing the lake, it was floating on the water,. It's a one head dragon, long as a snake, around 30 meters and 10 meters in circumference . It's large. Huge. Several times it crossed the road by the gate and on other times the road from the monastery towards the cemetery."

[Joseph Hazen]

C'mon, Augustin? What is the point of this thread? To make fun of a simple Orthodox priest? May his memory be eternal.

Judging by his posts, it bothers Augustine that other people actually believe in or practice Orthodoxy.

[augustin717]

C'mon, Augustin? What is the point of this thread? To make fun of a simple Orthodox priest? May his memory be eternal.

Judging by his posts, it bothers Augustine that other people actually believe in or practice Orthodoxy.

What a cheap shot. Unless you are totally LARP-ing your Orthodoxy is immensely different from the type of Orthodoxy contained within "Spiritual Answers."  Am I right?

[JamesRottnek]

96. Părinte, ce părere aveţi despre căsătoriile cu alte naţii?
-Nu e bine, fiecare popor e într-un fel:
Românul e bun, credincios, sentimental şi primitor;
Neamţul e rece şi fără credinţă;
Ungurul e rău şi egoist;
Ţiganul e hoţ şi puturos.

"Father, what do you think about marriage between different ethnicities?
"It's not good, every nation has their own way:
Romanians are good, faithful, sentimental and hospitable;
Germans are cold and faithless;
Hungarians are bad and selfish;
Gypsies are thieves and lazy."

Sweet mother Macree.

 

Who likes this guy? 

People who harbor a great deal of hate in their hearts.

[NicholasMyra]

"Yes, it's true. I've seen it. It exists. Its nest is underwater, at the edge of the lake, close to St. Nicholas' church, right under the Holy Altar. Many times when I served at St. Nicholas' a strange noise would come from under the floor; it was like the sound of a plough scratching dry land, something that scratches the earth, something huge that, having scales, scratches the earth whenever it moves.
I have seen it, watching from my cell, through that window facing the lake, it was floating on the water,. It's a one head dragon, long as a snake, around 30 meters and 10 meters in circumference . It's large. Huge. Several times it crossed the road by the gate and on other times the road from the monastery towards the cemetery."

This alone makes up for any of his faults.

And I'm not joking.

[Ansgar]

Gypsies are thieves and lazy."

 

I am not sure if I should feel offended by this.

[Cavaradossi]

Gypsies are thieves and lazy."

 

I am not sure if I should feel offended by this.

From my experience, an average Spaniard or Italian would be perfectly happy to agree with that statement about Gypsies.

[Ansgar]

Gypsies are thieves and lazy."

 

I am not sure if I should feel offended by this.

Maybe, but it's still pretty racist. We are having troubles with criminals from eastern Europe(especially romanians) but i don't think that romanians in general are thieves or othervise bad people. I mean, if you look at my familiy I think it's fair to say that those of my ancestors who were gypsies did pretty well.

From my experience, an average Spaniard or Italian would be perfectly happy to agree with that statement about Gypsies.

[Alpo]

We are having troubles with criminals from eastern Europe(especially romanians)

Romanians or Romanian Gypsies?

We have those too. The funny thing is that the most vocal opponents of Romanian Gypsies are Finnish Gypsies. Some of them went to the Interior Ministry to suggest that it should forbid entry of Romanian Gypsies to Finland.

[Ansgar]

We are having troubles with criminals from eastern Europe(especially romanians)

Romanians or Romanian Gypsies?

We have those too. The funny thing is that the most vocal opponents of Romanian Gypsies are Finnish Gypsies. Some of them went to the Interior Ministry to suggest that it should forbid entry of Romanian Gypsies to Finland.

Both. In Denmark, gypsies, no matter which country they originate from, are called romas, and romanians, well they are called romanians.

[Jetavan]

He's old school.

[biro]

This is cute:
"Părinte, este adevărat că aici la Mănăstirea Cernica, este un balaur care stă în lac şi mai iese din când în când la suprafaţă? L-aţi văzut? Este adevărat?
Da, este adevărat. L-am văzut. El există. Îşi are cuibul sub apă în malul lacului dinspre Biserica Sf. Nicolae, chiar sub Sf. Altar. De multe ori când am slujit la Biserica Sf. Nicolae, de sub podea venea un zgomot ciudat, seamănă zgomotul cu un plug care este tras pe pământ uscat, un hârâit, ceva care scrijeleşte pământul, ceva imens care, în timp ce se mişcă, având solzi scrijeleşte pământul. […] Eu l-am văzut, uitându-mă de aici din chilie pe geamul acela, care dă spre lac, plutea pe luciul apei. Este un balaur cu un singur cap, lung ca un şarpe, să aibă vreo 30 de metrii (sic!) şi o circumferinţă de vreo 10 metrii (sic!). Este mare. Este uriaş. De câteva ori a traversat drumul de la poartă şi alte ori drumul de la Mănăstire spre Cimitir."
"Father, is it true that here at the Cernica monastery, there is a dragon living in the lake and from time to time come out? have you seen it? Is it true?"
"Yes, it's true. I've seen it. It exists. Its nest is underwater, at the edge of the lake, close to St. Nicholas' church, right under the Holy Altar. Many times when I served at St. Nicholas' a strange noise would come from under the floor; it was like the sound of a plough scratching dry land, something that scratches the earth, something huge that, having scales, scratches the earth whenever it moves.
I have seen it, watching from my cell, through that window facing the lake, it was floating on the water,. It's a one head dragon, long as a snake, around 30 meters and 10 meters in circumference . It's large. Huge. Several times it crossed the road by the gate and on other times the road from the monastery towards the cemetery."

This one, I actually like.

[Ansgar]

Augustin, I hope you´re not taking any of this personally. i have no dout that the elder have probably lived a very pious life and you are very welcome to post more of Father ioans saying.

[Iconodule]

C'mon, Augustin? What is the point of this thread? To make fun of a simple Orthodox priest? May his memory be eternal.

Judging by his posts, it bothers Augustine that other people actually believe in or practice Orthodoxy.

So this is the Orthodoxy you practice?

"Germans are cold and faithless;
Hungarians are bad and selfish;
Gypsies are thieves and lazy."

[elephant]

Dear Everyone,

I am indeed cold and faithless and bad and selfish.  Lord have mercy.
Don't know if any of my ancestors were gypsies. 

love,
German-Hungarian-American-elephant

[Iconodule]

Gypsies are thieves and lazy."

 

I am not sure if I should feel offended by this.

From my experience, an average Spaniard or Italian would be perfectly happy to agree with that statement about Gypsies.

Who knew so many Spaniards and Italians possessed such spiritual discernment?

[Νεκτάριος]

A nice thread about village Orthodoxy in the old country.  I think most Western converts would die of shock if they ended up in an Orthodox village.  It is good to see it de-romanticized. 

Augustin, how does some mamaliga sound about now?  Unfortunately I don't have any brinza at home so cream will have to do the trick.  Village food is a lot better than village spirituality. 

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