Rosia Montana: Creation and Worship are not for Sale

Urgent Alert - Rosia Montana: "Creation and Worship are not for Sale!"

Campaign Alert from Albumus Maior, 25th October 2003

On 15th November 2003 Romania's Orthodox Church Council (Sfantul Sinod) will hold its annual meeting in Bucharest. The fate of the Orthodox Church properties in Rosia Montana and Corna will be decided during this meeting. Andrei Andreicut - the Archbishop with jurisdiction over the Rosia Montana area - in spring 2003 tentatively agreed to the sale of the Orthodox Church properties to Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC).

If realised, RMGC's gold mining project foresees the so-called 'relocation' (destruction) of a total of ten churches and nine cemeteries. Until now the Orthodox Church has refrained from taking an official position regarding the Orthodox churches and cemeteries.

On the other hand, the Bishops and Archbishops of the Historic Hungarian churches in July 2003 declared that their church properties in Rosia Montana are not for sale and that the mining project will have disastrous consequences for the people and the environment.

The decisive moment concerning Rosia Montana's churches and cemeteries is near. It is therefore of the utmost urgency that the Orthodox Church leaders should act with integrity and take the right decision for Rosia Montana. It is necessary for them to know that a firm and uncompromising decision not to sell their church properties to RMGC enjoys wide support and is the righteous thing to do.

Please write an email or fax a message to: Patriarch TEOCTIST Fax: +40 (0)21 337 0822 and+40 (0)21 406 7172; email: Patriarhia@dnt.ro

Please copy your letter to: Arhiepiscop Bartolomeu, Fax: +40 (0) 264 595184 e-mail: bartolomeu@arhiepiscopia-ort-cluj.ro and Episcop Vicar Vasile, Fax: ibid., email: vasile@arhiepiscopia-ort-cluj.ro

Please copy also to: Alburnus Maior, fax: +40 (0) 258 859328, email: alburnus_major2002@yahoo.com

Please consider mentioning the following in your letter:

1. You are writing because you are aware that the 'Sfantul Sinod' will convene for its annual meeting on 15th November 2003. The fate of Rosia Montana and Corna is on the agenda.

2. You understand that the Orthodox Church is a first party in the sense that they need to communicate a decision regarding their properties in Rosia Montana and Corna directly to RMGC, the mining company.

3. After discussions with RMGC the church fathers of the Historic Hungarian Churches in July 2003 declared that their church properties are not for sale.

4. You can only applaud this decision that, first and foremost, is an affirmation of the sacredness of Creation and Life. Importantly, church and life are closely interwoven in harsh mountainous regions such as Rosia Montana. To the orthodox churchgoers who refuse to leave their homes to make way for Europe's largest open cast mining project, the sale of their churches would effectively mean the violation of the very symbol that represents a living community.

5. You would like to encourage the Orthodox Church to embrace and officially adopt the spirit inherent to the declaration of their Christian brothers; the Historic Hungarian churches.

6. In addition to the direct destruction of the Rosia Montana community, its churches and cemeteries; RMGC's mining project will only benefit its Canadian project sponsor and investors. It will directly destroy and displace two inhabited valleys and unique cultural treasures. In long term RMGC's project will but only provoke greater social deprivation and misery.

7. Finally you want to highlight a strange paradox. For the past two years, the Orthodox Church spent much energy in designing the 'People's Cathedral' in Bucharest (Catedrala Neamului). To date the Orthodox Church is stil reconstructing many houses of worship all over Romania; in order to house all those believers that suffered during the reign of Ceausescu. Given this you fail to understand how the Orthodox Church, whilst busily constructing on the one hand, would agree to 'de- construct' on the other.

8. You look forward to receiving good news

For more information and references please visit www.rosiamontana.org