Cleopa Ilie
Encyclopedia
Father Cleopa Ilie was an archimandrite
and abbot
of the Sihastria Monastery
. He was a well-known spiritual representative of the Romanian Orthodox Church
.
to a family of peasants. He was the fifth of ten children born to Alexandru Ilie. He attended the primary school in his village. Afterwards he was an apprentice for three years to the monk Paisie Olaru, who lived in seclusion
at the Cozancea hermitage
.
Together with his elder brother, Vasile, Ilie joined the community at Sihastria hermitage in December 1929. In 1935, he joined the army in the town of Botoşani
, but returned a year later to the hermitage, where he was anointed a monk
on 2 August 1937, taking the name "Cleopa" (i.e. "guide") at his baptism
. In June 1942, he was appointed to hegumen
deputy because of abbot Ioanichie Moroi's poor health.
On 27 December 1944, he was ordained a hierodeacon
(deacon-monk) and on 23 January 1945 a hieromonk
(priest-monk) by the archbishop Galaction Cordun, abbot of the Neamţ Monastery
at the time. Afterwards he was officially appointed hegumen of the Sihastria Hermitage.
In 1947, the hermitage became a monastery and vice-archimandrite
Cleopa Ilie became archimandrite on approval of Patriarch Nicodim
. Because the Communist secret service
was looking for him in 1948, he disappeared into the woods surrounding the monastery, staying there for six months. On 30 August 1949, he was appointed abbot of the Slatina Monastery in Suceava
county, where he joined 30 other monks from the Sihastria Monastery community as a result of Patriarch Justinian
’s decision.
There he founded a community of monks with over 80 people. Between 1952 and 1954 he was being chased again by the Securitate
and, together with hieromonk Arsenie Papacioc, escaped to the Stanisoara Mountains. He was brought back to the monastery after two years upon Patriarch Justinian’s order.
In 1956 he returned to Sihastria monastery, where he had been anointed, and in the spring of 1959 he retired for the third time to the Neamţ
Mountains, spending the next five years there. He returned to Sihastria in the fall of 1964, as confessor
for the entire community and continued to give spiritual advice to both monks and lay people for the next 34 years. He died on 2 December 1998 at Sihăstria Monastery.
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
and abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the Sihastria Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. He was a well-known spiritual representative of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
.
Biography
Cleopa Ilie (lay name: Constantin) was born in Suliţa, BotoşaniSulita, Botosani
Suliţa is a commune in Botoşani County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Cheliş, Dracşani and Suliţa....
to a family of peasants. He was the fifth of ten children born to Alexandru Ilie. He attended the primary school in his village. Afterwards he was an apprentice for three years to the monk Paisie Olaru, who lived in seclusion
Seclusion
The act of secluding, i.e. shutting out or keeping apart from society, or the state of being secluded, or a place that facilitates it . A person, a couple, or a larger group may go to a secluded place for privacy, or because the place is quiet...
at the Cozancea hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
.
Together with his elder brother, Vasile, Ilie joined the community at Sihastria hermitage in December 1929. In 1935, he joined the army in the town of Botoşani
Botosani
Botoșani is the capital city of Botoșani County, in northern Moldavia, Romania. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu and Nicolae Iorga.- Origin of the name :...
, but returned a year later to the hermitage, where he was anointed a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
on 2 August 1937, taking the name "Cleopa" (i.e. "guide") at his baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
. In June 1942, he was appointed to hegumen
Hegumen
Hegumen, hegumenos, igumen, or ihumen is the title for the head of a monastery of the Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the one of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called hegumenia or ihumenia . The term means "the one who is in charge", "the leader" in...
deputy because of abbot Ioanichie Moroi's poor health.
On 27 December 1944, he was ordained a hierodeacon
Hierodeacon
A Hierodeacon , sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a monk who has been ordained a deacon...
(deacon-monk) and on 23 January 1945 a hieromonk
Hieromonk
Hieromonk , also called a Priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism....
(priest-monk) by the archbishop Galaction Cordun, abbot of the Neamţ Monastery
Neamt Monastery
The Neamţ Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox religious settlement, one of the oldest and most important of its kind in Romania. It was built in 14th century, and it is an example of medieval Moldavian architecture...
at the time. Afterwards he was officially appointed hegumen of the Sihastria Hermitage.
In 1947, the hermitage became a monastery and vice-archimandrite
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
Cleopa Ilie became archimandrite on approval of Patriarch Nicodim
Nicodim Munteanu
Nicodim Munteanu also known as Patriarch Nicodim was the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church between 1939 and 1948.-Biography:...
. Because the Communist secret service
Secret service
A secret service describes a government agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For instance, a country may establish a secret service which has some...
was looking for him in 1948, he disappeared into the woods surrounding the monastery, staying there for six months. On 30 August 1949, he was appointed abbot of the Slatina Monastery in Suceava
Suceava
Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
county, where he joined 30 other monks from the Sihastria Monastery community as a result of Patriarch Justinian
Justinian Marina
Justinian Marina was a Romanian Orthodox prelate...
’s decision.
There he founded a community of monks with over 80 people. Between 1952 and 1954 he was being chased again by the Securitate
Securitate
The Securitate was the secret police agency of Communist Romania. Previously, the Romanian secret police was called Siguranţa Statului. Founded on August 30, 1948, with help from the Soviet NKVD, the Securitate was abolished in December 1989, shortly after President Nicolae Ceaușescu was...
and, together with hieromonk Arsenie Papacioc, escaped to the Stanisoara Mountains. He was brought back to the monastery after two years upon Patriarch Justinian’s order.
In 1956 he returned to Sihastria monastery, where he had been anointed, and in the spring of 1959 he retired for the third time to the Neamţ
Neamt County
Neamț is a county of Romania, in the historic region of Moldavia, with the county seat at Piatra Neamț. It has three communes, Bicaz-Chei, Bicazu Ardelean and Dămuc in Transylvania.-Demographics:...
Mountains, spending the next five years there. He returned to Sihastria in the fall of 1964, as confessor
Confessor
-Confessor of the Faith:Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith, but not to the point of death. The term is still used in this way in the East. In Latin Christianity it has come to signify any saint, as well as those who have been declared...
for the entire community and continued to give spiritual advice to both monks and lay people for the next 34 years. He died on 2 December 1998 at Sihăstria Monastery.
Published work
- Despre credinţa ortodoxă ("About Orthodox Faith", Bucuresti, 1981, 280 pages, republished in 1985, then in Galaţi under the title: Călăuza în credinţa ortodoxă, "Guide to the Orthodox Faith", 1991, 276 pages);
- Predici la praznice împărăteşti şi sfinti de peste an ("Sermons on Religious Feasts Over the Year", Ed. Episcopiei Romanului, 1986, 440 pages);
- Predici la Duminicile de peste an (Sermons on Sundays Over the Year, Ed. Episcopiei Romanului, 1990, 560 pages);
- Valoarea sufletului (Value of the Soul, Galaţi, 1991, 176 pages, republished in Bacău, 1994, 238 pages);
- Urcuş spre înviere (predici duhovniceşti) ("Ascent Towards Resurrection (Spiritual Sermons)", Mănăstirea Neamţ, 1992, 416 pages);
- Despre vise şi vedenii ("About Dreams and Visions", Bucureşti, 1993, 270 pages);
- Numerous articles in different magazines and newspapers, sermons in manuscript
Studies
- Balan, I., Archim. Elder Cleopa of Sihastria: In the Tradition of Saint Paisius Velichkovsky. Lake George (CO), 2001.
- Stebbing, N. Bearers of the Spirit: Spiritual Fatherhood in Romanian Orthodoxy. Collegeville, MN, 2003 (Cistercian Studies Series).