I have known Rada for more than 15 years. He is a psychotherapist, and a successful one at that, because unlike many of his colleagues in the profession, who firmly and enthusiastically claim that he could cure even a myopic birthmark, he instinctively feels the complexity and limits of this special profession that digs deep in the interior of the human soul.

So he reacts accordingly, delicately, calmly, devotedly to the requests of his “guardians”. When we meet, unfortunately, less often, my friend’s phone rings constantly, like an experienced plumber, which everyone needs in moments that cannot be put off.

I have met people so dependent on spiritual advice that they would not buy a train ticket without the blessing of a “spiritual father”

“Yes, Maria, you can go to him, it’s only on Saturday evening. Why should you be afraid? You have to get over that feeling and move on. You are a winner! Yes, you can call me, why not. I’m here to help you.” I think you understand, he is suffocated by the indecision of those who put their souls under his care, and the responsibility is enormous.

At the opposite pole, but still connected to the terribly complex alchemy of the human soul, are enslaved by the power of a dictator or a “strict” priest, as they say in church language. Again, I met people who were so dependent on the decision, on the spiritual advice, that they would not buy a train ticket to Ploiesti without the blessing of the “spiritual father”. I admit that I am exaggerating, but I do so to emphasize this strange but very common process of undoing the will that reaches the affective mechanisms of transmission between the “psyche” and the patient, the priest and the penitent.

From the very beginning of psychoanalysis, Freud established a ban on sexual relations or amorous flirtation between the patient and the psychotherapist. And this is not because he was not afraid of annoying relatives or friends of patients, but because he supported the idea that the psychotherapist should fade away, “forget” himself precisely in order to better explore the fears and phantasms of patients.

Jung had been the lover of patient Sabina Spielrein for years. Sandor Ferenczi, Freud’s student, used to “therapeutically” hug his patients for a long time

However, the history of psychoanalysis has a long list of titans of the discipline who have crossed the red line of convergence. Jung had been the lover of patient Sabina Spielrein for years. Sándor Ferenczi, one of Freud’s main students, was known for long “therapeutic” hugs to his patients. And this list can be continued for a long time. It was not until 1973 that the American Psychiatric and Psychoanalytic Association adopted a code of conduct that officially forbids this type of relationship because it is against professional ethics.

It is obvious that confession is a sacrament of the Church with all that it means, that is, the object of countless extremely strict norms and canonical orders, well regulated and established over time. We have to be sensitive to these cases where things get complicated: the desire for commitment, control, direction and, as I said, the mechanisms of affective transmission between the parties. I looked at little, very little, unfortunately, specialized literature on the Internet devoted to this topic. Most of the quoted authors claim that the psychotherapists themselves, who fall into the trap of “couch idylls”, in turn, are in difficult periods of their existence, are in various crises: age, professional, marital. Not priests? – I don’t know, I’m just asking.

If psychoanalysis accepts discussions about affective transfers of varying degrees of intensity, then theology does not at all

“Temptation”, in any form, comes from the Great Tempter and Devastator, the father of evil. But whoever writes these lines is not a theologian – unfortunately/fortunately – so I will not develop this idea further, intended for Gospel and altar professionals – btw, where are they at these key moments? This sad story with an uncertain ending is an excellent example for understanding the relationship between religion and modernity at the moment, as well as for understanding the religious fact in Romania. What do I mean?

First of all, one can see once again the enormous ethical pressure that exists at this moment on the entire clergy, both priests and monks. A mistake, the fault of one of them becomes one of all – the well-known image of a rotten apple, which eventually spoils the entire basket in which it is located. How did it get here?

The hyper-communication we live in, news spreads fast, but also a direct, powerful effect of religious secularization: we have such high expectations of the people of the Church that we forget that they are…people made of flesh. , bones and desires are more or less suppressed, as are those who judge them. Just like you, those who are reading these lines NOW. The statement is obviously not true only for the Orthodox religion.

(Positive) side of the coin: The Church has an obligation to react, respond and carefully evaluate such lapses. 30-40 years ago, I won’t say more, such sad stories for everyone involved, but always repeated, would have died out where they appeared. I will not describe the reasons in detail, but you yourself suspect them, because you are intelligent readers.

Secondly, the problem of passion for “communication” of some representatives of the Church is raised. I do not know this priest personally, but in all the press texts related to this scandal, they do not forget to mention that he was one of the “main communicators” of the Church, with him and for him, broadcasts were conducted as a worthy example. tracking, ticks, etc.

The Church wants to bring young people together, but the price for such mistakes is huge

“Communication” is the magic word of our time, everyone is obliged to “communicate” something, there are faculties, specializations, schools of communication, directions. In short, do not continue, we live under the tyranny of “communication”: you do not communicate, you do not exist. It’s just that the Church (actually, churches) works with transcendental Truth, which does not always overcome the communication barrier, no matter how much we want it to, no matter how hard we try.

In addition, any professional communicator knows, even if he does not speak about it publicly, that images and sounds help, but at a certain point tire both the person and the institution they represent. Yes, the Church wants to bring young people together, make their activity in society real, more well-known, but the price of such mistakes is huge. By the way, I also sometimes wonder, like you, if Jesus Christ would have an active presence on Tictoc’? Or in Insta’? Who can know…

The third aspect, and the last one, which I have already drawn attention to in other articles, is the insane passion that the mass media invests in such “scandals” that connect sexuality with religious practice.

Let’s recall the case of a nun who gave birth to twins almost ten years ago

Let’s recall the case of a nun who gave birth to twins almost ten years ago. Creature and destroyed fate. Not to mention the violence, vulgarity and shamelessness, completely unethical, with which they lash out at those involved. I am constantly wondering how to explain this state of affairs.

The first of them, the simplest, but which does not satisfy me, is the logic of clickbait and radio-television audience, topics and titles that “glue” readers/viewers to the screens, bringing money from advertising. But allow yourself not to be hypocritical, I specifically chose this title to attract you, to encourage (hopefully) to read this text.

The second is a background story related to the popular religiosity of Romanians and the ambivalent image of the priest, summarized in the well-known formula “do what the pope says, not what the pope does.” Any serious collection of Romanian proverbs is full of examples in which the priest is feared because he disposes of holy things, but at the same time he is greatly ironized.

Let’s also mention the well-known commercial of a fairly niche media plan with a priest thrown from a balcony, which was banned shortly after its appearance. The surrounding characters joyfully shouted Batman, Batman! – this is where we are, even if in different coordinates of time and space. The masses, the public, “the people,” it is difficult to choose an exhaustive word, need sacred consumption, even captured and camouflaged in sad and unexpected forms, as it was in previous cases, this and others.

Let’s allow human, church and… God’s justice to work this time, hoping for a fair and honest trial

Final. Let’s allow human, church and… God’s justice to work this time, hoping for a fair and honest trial. Behind it all, however, is a hidden reality that is hard to deny: our society is moving forward at a rapid pace, modernity has simply fallen upon us, and religion is being secularized at a rapid pace, even faster than even its most ardent propagandists.

I have a proven saying in Braille, in Tanta Elvira, where it is easy to earn a lyre, as the song says: “you cannot stop the water of the Danube with your hand.” Just as the victorious course of secularization cannot be stopped. The case of Visarion Alexa is his example and leaven. The rest is justice, cancan and, I repeat, a fair trial.

From the editor: Mirel Banika is a researcher in the field of anthropology of religions.