(…)
The souls of Orthodox Christians
in Bulgaria sank into new sorrows when, in 1944, power passed into the hands of
the Bulgarian communists, who were supported by the Soviet authorities. [*] For
the long-suffering Russian émigrés, most of whom were spiritual children of
Saint Seraphim, this meant that they would be subjected to new persecutions,
repressions, forcible repatriation to Russia, unlawful confiscation of
property, and to all the newly introduced methods of the godless authorities to
be physically and spiritually broken, even to be declared enemies of the
Fatherland.
The same danger hung over Saint
Seraphim, all the more so since he was well known to the Russian special
services as a member of the Synod of the ROCOR, from which, by force of the new
circumstances, he was territorially cut off, but not in spirit. The agents of
the Soviet services knew of his monarchist views. Reports had also reached them
about sermons of the hierarch that openly condemned the atheistic authorities.
It seemed that storm-laden black clouds were gathering over Archbishop
Seraphim, who governed the Russian church communities.
But the holy pastor did not look
toward the earthly sky; rather, he sang with the prophet: “They have
strength, but I flee to You, for God is my defender” (Ps. 58:10). “Look
mercifully upon me and have mercy on me; give Your strength to Your servant,
and save the son of Your handmaid; show me signs for good” (Ps. 85:16–17).
Having from his youth desired to
enter the podvig of voluntary martyrdom, the hierarch humbly and
unwaveringly followed the will of God and, as a good pastor, was ready even to
lay down his life for the sheep of his rational flock. At this most difficult
moment for the Russian emigration, Saint Seraphim made the decision to pass
into the diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate. [118] As with every step in his
equal-to-the-angels life, this step too followed the single law that was
important for the hierarch—the divine law of love:
Saint Seraphim passed to the
Moscow Patriarchate in order to preserve his flock from the lawlessness of the
communists. Painfully zealous for the truths of the faith, the hierarch did not
undertake this action of his rashly or without principle. After the Second
World War, the Church in Russia for the first time felt a breath of
freedom—albeit limited, yet still allowing it to exercise soul-saving care for
the Orthodox Christians who had until recently been persecuted. [**] The
hierarch’s loving, childlike trusting heart saw in this an opportunity to help
the homeland.
A stranger to all political
interests and intrigues, Saint Seraphim managed to preserve the inner freedom
of church life and of his flock in Bulgaria, untouched by the brazen
encroachment of the ruling godless authorities. Truly meek, he rose in defense of
the wronged—a true guardian angel of the souls entrusted to him, whom he
continued to instruct in the apostolic faith and the life according to it.
Holiness is rarely understood by
the blinded reason of the sinner, whose mind often wanders between truth and
falsehood, between good and evil. Righteousness is useless to the unrighteous,
just as the sun is to diseased eyes. And the truth about the works of holiness
is always hidden from the eyes of the vainly curious, as it is written: “But
the spiritual man examines all things, yet he himself is examined by no one” (1
Cor. 2:15).
The worthy pastor did not utter a
single flattering word about the communists. He never addressed any reproach
whatsoever toward his brother archpastors of the ROCOR. Silently, without
complaint, with complete renunciation, with spiritual joy, the hierarch bore
this new, extraordinary, and complex cross of life laid upon him by the holy
right hand of God. Together with this cross, the very life of the archpastor
was transformed into an unceasing miracle, taking place before the eyes of many
witnesses:
The communists left the widows of
Russian émigrés without housing, but through the prayers of Saint Seraphim the
courts returned their homes to them, and the helpless women found firm
protection from all manner of injustices. After the invasion of Bulgaria by
Soviet troops in 1944, numerous arrests of Russian émigré White Guards
followed; they were often sent back to the Soviet Union, where they were
subjected to unheard-of cruelties. The wonderworking prayer of their archpastor
Seraphim delivered many such families from grief—some court cases were
terminated seemingly without cause; one woman was even released without any
charges being brought against her. All the faithful children of the saint knew
who their benefactor was in the name of the Lord. The godless communist
government persecuted wealthy Bulgarians with particular severity. Respected
members of society were declared unscrupulous profiteers; special lists were
published with the names of those who, according to the false accusations of the
authorities, had “illegally enriched themselves.” It was terrible to find
oneself on such a list: the authorities confiscated all the property of the
accused; destroyed or closed shops, factories, and enterprises; subjected the
owners themselves to humiliation, harassment, and imprisonment, while their
relatives fell into very difficult circumstances.
(…)
[* Translator note: “September 9 remains one of the most
controversial and tragic dates in Bulgarian history. The 1944 coup d’état,
often described as the greatest national catastrophe of the 20th century,
marked the violent seizure of power by the Fatherland Front with decisive
support from the Soviet Union. Overnight, Bulgaria’s political and social
order was overturned, and the country embarked on nearly half a century of
totalitarian rule that would transform every aspect of national life…
“September 9 did not simply change a government. It
fundamentally restructured Bulgaria’s political system, economy, and society.
Private property was gradually nationalized, agriculture forcibly
collectivized, and the Orthodox Church placed under strict state control.
“The monarchy itself was abolished in 1946 after a
manipulated referendum, and Bulgaria was declared a ‘People’s Republic.’ The
Communist Party, following the Soviet model, monopolized power and installed a
regime that brooked no dissent. Civil liberties disappeared, censorship became
absolute, and all opposition was eliminated.” Source:
118. A petition of 15 April 1945 to Patriarch Alexy, in whose
person the trusting and love-filled Saint Seraphim saw a good hope for a change
in the governance of the Russian Church in the direction of its once again
becoming spiritually independent of the Soviet authorities. In fact, the saint
received permission to transfer only at the beginning of 1946.
[** Translator note: “On 7 October 1941, Joseph Stalin does
something that only a few months previously would have been unthinkable: he
lifts the ban on religion in order to boost morale. This is one of a series of
moves that Stalin makes to reintroduce defunct aspects of Russian Empire ways,
such as removing Commissars from the decision-making process at all army
headquarters. Due to previous persecution, in 1941 there are only about 500
churches remaining open out of the 54,000 in existence prior to World War I.
However, this decision by Stalin permits thousands of Russian Orthodox churches
to reopen until there ultimately are 22,000 in the 1950s.” Source:
https://worldwartwodaily.filminspector.com/2018/12/october-7-1941-stalin-gets-religion.html]
Bulgarian source:
https://bulgarian-orthodox-church.org/rr/vita/st_Bulgarian_martyrs/st_Seraphim_Sofia.html
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