Understanding Latent Religious Conflict: The Case of Frictions between the Greek Catholic and Orthodox Churches in Romania

The friction between the Greek Catholic and Orthodox Churches in Romania presents a unique opportunity to research the dynamics of conflicting majority and minority religions. Dictatorship and democratization have had major roles in the last sixty years in shaping the relationship between these two faiths. Greek Catholic churches taken away in 1948 resulted in increased property for the predominant Orthodox Church. With the fall of Communism, ongoing governmental proceedings have sought equitable restitutions. During these two distinct phases, spirituality has been marginalized while power struggles and conflict have reined. Through archival research and interviews with clerics, lay personnel, and parishioners of both denominations, this project will provide a case study in majority-minority religious discord, with the goals of proposing specific solutions and of providing a better understanding of sectarian conflict more generally.