Political Patriarch

-- The choice for the future Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church is up to Romanian politicians and businessmen.
In today's edition you can read the structure, kept secret, of the Church's Electoral College. Its members are due to elect the future Patriarch in September 9. 88 out of the 195 members are laymen, but over 70% of them are politically connected. Their polls, conducted by the pre-electoral games played in politics, may be decisive, especially if we take into account the fact that the clergymen in bishoprics are in tight connections with local officials.
On electors' list there are people like Dorel Onaca, a friend of President Basescu's, Social-Democrat Teodor Maghiar, now investigated for corruption, and the business mayor of Giurgiu, Liberal Lucian Iliescu.
Until the new Patriarch is elected his Holiness Daniel will be heading the Romanian Orthodox Church. If the latter decides to run as candidate, His Holiness Corneanu is to take over. (...)
Gusa: Masonry mustn't get involved
Cozmin Gusa, leader of the National Initiative Party, commented yesterday that the great peril related to the Patriarch to take over after the death of the Patriarch Teoctist was the influence of organizations such as the Masonry. Gusa argued: "I don't think an organization such as the Masonry should get involved in the election of officials for the Romanian Orthodox Church. I am not necessarily thinking about the Holy Synod, but about the National Churchly Assembly. Two thirds of the members are laymen and the Masonry has got significant influence over them".
According to the politician, the death of the Patriarch Teoctist is a regrettable event for the Orthodox Church in Romania. He added the death of a man who guided the Church's destiny in the last 21 years was highly important to a National Church such as the Orthodox one. (...)

D.I.
Ziua Miercuri 01 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english

Sex ambassadress to come to Bucharest

Manuela Vulpe, a Romanian ambassadress to Mexico, talked to Romania's foreign minister Adrian Cioroianu yesterday, demanding she should come to Bucharest to settle, by juridical means too, some personal matters that might harm the foreign ministry's activity and credibility. It was the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that announced it yesterday. The press release goes as follows: "Given the situation emerging after her private mail was intercepted and published, Mrs. Ambassadress demanded to return to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make clear, by juridical means too, some personal matters that may harm the Ministry's activity and credibility". The minister agreed to Mrs. Vulpe's demand.
In the release the Ministry outlines "this is a personal matter to be settled by Mrs. Manuela Vulpe herself and it does not interfere with Mrs. Ambassadress's professional activity, recognized and appreciated by Ministry officials".
It is to be reminded that the Romanian press received some emails sent and received my Manuela Vulpe, some of them to and from diplomat Teodor Baconsky, at present a presidency adviser recommended to become a Romanian ambassador to France. There is also the mail with Dorin Marian, an adviser of the Romanian PM. The mail with Baconsky includes clues about a possible private relationship. As for the one with Dorin Marian, the ambassedress takes interest in a law granting renters the preemption right to be used in the sale of flats belonging to the RA-APPS.
The private mail of Manuela Vulpe was posted on www.spiritofromania.com by Laurentiu Fulga, now a resident in Australia, where Mrs. Vulpe was an ambassadress before being appointed to Mexico.

D.E.
Ziua Miercuri 01 August 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english