Fodor György - Török József - Tusor Péter (szerk.): Felekezetek az Igazság szolgálatában: történelem, teológia, önazonosság (1500-2000) - Studia Theologica Budapestinensia 34. (2009)

I. Catholic-Orthodox symbiosis in Transylvania (Katolikus-ortodox együttélés Erdélyben) - Ioan Chirila: Tolerance and intolerance in t he Transylvanian legislative corpora (the 16th-19th centuries)

K. Hitchins observed in diis way: “the reformative zeal of Joseph the II"d gave a supplementary impulse to the activity of the Romanians. Although he was an adept of the ideals of the Enlightenment - rationalism in government, religious tolerance, cessation of the injustices produced hy serfdom - in his politics, he was conducted by his desire to strengthen the authority of the central government relying on the privileged local States”, a fact which had bad consequences upon the Transylvanian Romanians under the form of some intolerant attitudes shown by the noble representatives of the three privileged nations. Such an edict of toleration which generates intolerance falls under the incidence of the political compromise for the sake of politics. Hitchins continued by saying that “the consequence of his reforms in Transylvania was the labefaction of the authority of the three nations... they diminished the power of the feudal lord upon the serves... they offered to the Romanians the frame in which they should work at their emancipation”.

II. The Religious Freedom/Tolerance as Understood by the Romanians

The coercions and the restrictions imposed to the Romanian nation, especially those regarding the sphere of the liturgical practice, have generated in the conscience of the people a deep understanding of the natural need of the human being of expressing in a free way, above all, its religious experience. This perspective has determined them to formulate in a brotherly spirit the petitions sent to the Court. The Romanians have asked for the freedom of manifestation for all the confessions, as ones who suffered and understood the suffering of the religious oppression. Here are some examples:

1. Supplex Libellus Valachorum28:

The first wish of the Romanians was that the repulsive and shameful names as: tolerated, admitted, uncounted among the States and others of this kind should be entirely removed, revoked and dissolved publicly, as being unworthy and unjust. The Roma28 D. PRO DAN, Supplex Libellus Valachorum. From the History of Ike Formation of the Romanian Nation, Ed. §tiintifica §i Enciclopedica, Bucharest 1984.

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