Father Constantin Galeriu, an Orthodox cleric who was imprisoned in the 1950s and later gained fame for his sermons in the waning days of communism, has died. He was 84.
Galeriu died at Bucharest University Hospital late Sunday, three weeks after suffering a stroke, the state news agency Rompres reported.
"He was the Billy Graham of the Orthodox Church," said Dan Ciachir, a commentator on Orthodox affairs. "He was quite non-Orthodox in his style."
Orthodox clerics, who administer discreet pastoral guidance to their flocks and preserve the mystery of faith, usually are not known for their public rhetoric.
But Galeriu was close to politicians and artists known for their anti-communist views. When President Emil Constantinescu came to power in 1996, Galeriu publicly prayed with him.
A frail man with a straggly gray beard, Galeriu was blessed with a melodious and compelling voice which added appeal to his sermons. He was also a "duhovnic," or spiritual father, a title the church gives to older priests who are spiritually mature.
In the late 1980s, when religious freedoms were restricted, Galeriu's Saint Silvestru Church in Bucharest was a magnet for young and intellectual Orthodox Romanians. His style appealed to a broad range of people and gave them confidence in religion.
"He was a symbol of liberty in a sea of repression and communism," said Catalina Chelu, who worshipped at the church. "I remember the Easter service in 1989 you could sense a current of freedom."
After communism ended that year in a bloody revolt, Galeriu was a frequent guest on news programs and religious broadcasts where he defended the Orthodox faith, which has undergone a revival in recent years.
Although he was close to the anti-communist movement, Galeriu opposed disclosure of the thousands of priests who are believed to have collaborated with the communist-era secret police, the Securitate.
In an interview with The Associated Press in 2001, he said opening the files would wreak havoc among Romanians. Nine out of ten Romanians adhere to the Orthodox creed.
Born in the village of Racatau-Razesi in northeastern Romania, Galeriu studied theology and became a priest in 1943.
He was imprisoned by the communists for religious reasons for three years in the 1950s. Later, he was sentenced to forced labor on the Black Sea Canal, a 50-mile channel linking the Danube River to the sea, where tens of thousands of people perished.
Galeriu is survived by a wife, and four sons. His burial was set for Wednesday, Realitatea TV reported.