The Wealth of the Romanian Orthodox Church [ nat tv report ]

"Cu ochii in 4 - Averea Bisericii" (Romane) - TVR

The Wealth of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Format:

Video: WebM (VP8)
Audio: Vorbis

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Watch it online with subtitles on YouTube

Don't bother downloading if you don't understand Romanian. :) ...I couldn't get a subtitle file to embed in the video, but the YouTube version is OK and is the work of some dedicated people.

The file here is in WEBM format, which is a modern video format also used by google , in YouTube flvs, (and opensource and free format). It should work with VLC player if all else fails.

From my professional experience, WebM is the best format. Period. It has the best picture quality for the smallest bitrate. Learn more here: http://www.webmproject.org/ (there are free encoders)

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Some context:

The Romanian Orthodox Church was formed at the end of the 19th century on a nationalist-autonomous basis (becoming independent of the Greek orthodox patriarchate). It united the smaller local patriarchates which have been in place for basically centuries, centuries of brutal feudalism and slavery (gypsies were the lowest slaves, especially owned BY the O.Church). The "BOR" (or ROC in English) has been one of the most regressive forces in Romanian history and it has profited greatly from that.

Like in Russia, feudalism was eradicated slowly and with much corruption.

The Church has always collaborated with all regimes, from the royal ones, to the fascist ones to the soviet and "communist" ones, Christian Orthodoxy being the most favorite religion in Romania under the soviet and Ceausescu regimes (despite the "atheistic ideology").

And it has been rewarded by all regimes with lands, buildings, often confiscated from persecuted minorities, with tax breaks, budget "gifts", special donations and many others, in exchange for helping the image of the authorities, keeping the flock calm and acting as spies for the secrete service (Securitate)... spiritual confessions are great for debriefing.

After 1989, the O.Church started a major expansion of real-estate, trying to build new churches all over place, but mostly on land "given" by the authorities (very good land) and from public budgets, despite there being constitutional conflicts with this. Along with certain monopolies, indoctrination in schools and a general "shield of accountability" for this institution, the O. Church has been getting really close to political power and is slowly trying to convert Romania to a theocratic republic, now with neoliberal leanings (so basically ---- feudalism ). You can generally recognize an orthodox high-priest by the "bling" (real one) he's wearing, usually at events full of poor people gathered awaiting miracles, magic water and magic bread.

Romania is an EU country and it's supposed to respect certain secular principles, but the political class love to pander to the O.C. to get votes from the flocks of naive people (or just paying for protection), especially the older folk with very rural backgrounds.

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I am very pissed off about the culture of ignorance and obedience the Church has been spreading for CENTURIES. Consider me anti-theist...

"zdrako" aka dumnezero