The "christian" regimes of Romania and the jews, 1940-1942

Abstract

This paper elaborates on the attitude adopted by the Romanian Orthodox Church towards the persecution of the Jews in Romania during the two fascist regimes: the Iron Guard State (September 14, 1940-January 23, 1941) and Antonescu's dictatorship (February 1941-August 1944). Both regimes considered themselves "Christian"; both absorbed traditional Christian antisemrtism, conveying it to a new dimension of cruelty. The elite of the Romanian Orthodox Church were themselves antisemitic and did not publidy condemn the crimes against the Jews or the extermination policies of Antonescu's regime, nor did they call upon the people to obey Christian principles of mercy or opposition to crimes committed in the name of Christianity. Only a few intervened to aid Jews. © 1993 by Oxford University Press.