Romanian Patriarchate spokesman Vasile Benescu reacted on Tuesday after Archbishop of Tomis IPS Theodosius announced through his lawyer that he would take him to court. Benescu says this action by IPS Teodosie is “another slanderous threat” and the accusation against him is “absolutely absurd and without substance”. “I have personally been subjected to serious public defamation by someone who has uttered outright lies against me and my family,” a spokesman for the Patriarchate charged.

The conflict between the Archbishop of Tomis IPS Theodosius and the spokesman of the Patriarchate, Vasile Benescu, entered a new phase. IPS Teodosie announced through its lawyer that it was suing Bănescu, accusing him of “serious violations of criminal law, namely the principle of the presumption of innocence”, in statements made after IPS Teodosie brought the DNA charges.

Why IPS Teodosie wants to sue Bănescu

This was stated by Iryna Luminica Stanciu, a lawyer at IPS Teodosie, who said that Vasile Benescu will be sued for statements made on January 18 Euronews Romania, after Archbishop Tomis was changed from a suspect to an accused in the case in which he is under investigation DNA regarding buying influence.

• “Vasile Benescu seriously violates the criminal law in the sense that he violates the principle of presumption of innocence. The principle of presumption should be followed in such a way as to provide the defendant with enhanced protection against the measures taken, as well as against abuse and public disgrace.
• Mr. Vasile Benescu is using this opportunity for personal revenge as his open conflict with IPS Teodosie is infamous.
• Mr. Benescu does not have the moral authority, behavior and personal life that correspond to Christian morality, which is denied by the vast majority of Orthodox Christians.
• Under these circumstances, Mr. Benescu is playing games within the BOR, and I believe that an investigation and disciplinary investigation should be initiated against him within the Romanian Orthodox Church.
• I will notify the civil court with a lawsuit, the purpose of which is to bring Mr. Vasile Benescu to civil liability. His Eminence should seek the truth in state institutions,” lawyer Iryna Luminica Stanciu said in a video message published by the Archdiocese of Tomis.

“The accusation is absolutely absurd and baseless”

Romanian Patriarchate spokesman Vasile Benescu responded on Tuesday, telling Digi24 that it was “another slanderous threat” and that the accusation against him was “absolutely absurd and without substance”.

• “I decided not to comment on the next slanderous threats. The charge against me is completely absurd and baseless.
• My objective answers to fair questions on public air, where I performed my professional duties, can be analyzed by everyone.
• The absurdity of the threat to sue me, apart from the complete lack of content, is due to the fact that when I am present in the show or in the public media space, I represent the institution of the Patriarchate, not myself,” – Benescu. stated on Digi24.
• “Slanderous calls will come, but I decided not to follow them,” Vasile Benescu also told News.ro.

“In my case, it’s malicious slander”

In a statement to Replica, he explained his statements, which prompted a reaction from Archbishop Tomis:

• “I am not aware of any sociological research being conducted in the Romanian space regarding my worthless persona and my activities, although public figures in office would really benefit from such an approach. Even if, of course, not everyone would like it.
• The statement of a person who does not know you personally, but publicly and slanderously expresses his opinion about someone’s moral authority, behavior and personal life, is, in my opinion, a self-exposure of the character and lack of integrity of the author of these statements.
• In short, in my case it is an evil slander: everything that has been published about me and my family is a huge psychoanalyzed lie. I was married once, to a faithful and impeccable morally and professionally person. Defamation is an abomination in its purest form and is the antithesis of any letter in the Gospel,” said Vasile Benescu.

He also told Replica that he only answered some questions on the show, in which he was asked questions that were fully justified by the context and that he had a professional duty to answer.

• “I personally suffered serious public defamation from someone who told outright lies about me and my family. I chose, however, the silence of common sense, and not the conflict path, including the legal one, to which I would have every right,” said Vasile Benescu.
• Also, when asked what he meant when he said it was a “shocking and sad” case, Vasile Benescu added that he was not strictly referring to the incomplete and inconclusive DNA investigation, but was speaking in the context of the images released by the Journalist-Registrar .