Astra Salvensis (Jul 2019)
The Patriotic Discourse from Blaj of the Priest Simion Bãrnuţiu-Source of Inspiration for Andrei Mureşanu and Condemnation Act of the Church Union? Plausible Assumptions
Abstract
In the nineteen century the Romanians from Transylvania were facing the danger of magyarization. In this huge risk, a Romanian revolutionary priest, Simion Bãrnuţiu preached the Romanian identity and patriotism at the Romanian National Assembly from Blaj in 1848. His sermon is the synthesis of all historical, cultural, educational, theological, legal, administrative, political and economic arguments for the Romanian national identity. His speech is a sermon due to its motivational, emblematic character, with special rhetoric and drama, and due to the fact that it is spoken in the church on Sunday, after the Divine Liturgy, by a clergyman, in the context of a ”feast” of the Romanian nation. Through the importance of Simion Bãrnuţiu’s preaching in the consciousness of the participants, it becomes the inspiration for the National Anthem of Romania, composed by his student, Andrei Mureşanu. And by analyzing and combating the Greek-Catholicism from a community perspective, the author highlights the issue of religious historical conflicts. At a time when nation consciousness was in formation, Simion Bãrnuţiu’s sermon is one of the pillars of affirmation of the Romanian identity and patriotism.
