Author: Adrian N. Petcu
August 12, 2010
Behold what the Romanian Patriarchate says about Bishop Policarp, in a recent edition of its own newspaper.
This article is found at: http://www.ziarullumina.ro/articole;1342
(an unofficial translation into English)
He was the first Bishop of the Romanian emigrants from across the ocean, on the new continent. In 1935, after much delay caused both by the Romanian Government and misunderstandings among priests serving in America, the Romanian emigrantshad an Episcopate and a Bishop to lead them spiritually and to help them not lose their maternal language.But the pride of some priests who led the Episcopate, had them encourage a denigration campaign, emanating from the old country, against their Bishop. More than that, they wanted some sort of independence, so that they may alone conduct themselves, without the approval of the Holy Synod from the old country.
Bishop Policarp was obliged to return to the old country, and then was caught up in the war and was never able to return to his Episcopate. During this time, those priests succeeded in declaring an “autonomy” and the breaking away from the Synod of the Mother Church. In this way the schism began, that was the cause of Bishop Polycarp’s great suffering.