In the context of the recent appearance on social media of accounts which falsely claim to represent clerical and monastic personnel, and through which money is requested in exchange for non-Orthodox practices (fortune-telling, “deliverance prayers”, “witchcraft” or other activities of an occult nature), the Romanian Patriarchate draws attention to these fraud attempts, urging awareness of the phenomenon and proper information, from official sources, regarding the ways in which donations may be made.
The Romanian Orthodox Church does not practise and does not in any way encourage such manifestations, which are contrary to Christian teaching and Orthodox spirituality. Any association of these practices with clerical life or with the activity of the Church is false and unacceptable.
Accounts that use the images of alleged “nuns”, “monks”, “priests” or “bishops” to request money online, especially through social media, without verifiable identification, must be treated with the utmost caution.
Accordingly, the Romanian Patriarchate addresses an appeal to the faithful:
- to ignore requests for financial support coming from unofficial, unverifiable sources which promote practices contrary to the teaching of the faith while claiming a false affiliation with the Romanian Orthodox Church;
- to verify the authenticity of pages or accounts invoking the names of monasteries or parishes, as well as those of alleged clerics or monastics;
- to address themselves directly to known church institutions or official websites when they wish to offer material support;
- to report any possible cases of fraud to the competent authorities.
The Romanian Patriarchate urges discernment, responsibility and correct information, underlining that helping one’s neighbour and supporting parish and monastic places of worship must be done transparently and in full accordance with the values of the Christian faith.
Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate
Photo: Basilica.ro
