Excerpt:
Washington D.C., Aug 16, 2013 / 04:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A group of 20 U.S. lawmakers is pushing the State department to encourage Romania's government to return property confiscated from minority religious groups under the former communist regime.
After World War II, the Romanian Catholic Church “wasn’t allowed their buildings – religious objects were seized: it’s about time to make things right,” U.S. Congressman Andy Harris (R-Md.) told CNA on Aug. 15.
“That’s our hope, that the Romanian government does reparations for what’s been seized, and makes things right.”
Harris authored a letter, signed by a bi-partisan group of 12 Republicans and seven Democrats, asking the U.S. Department of State to “vigorously engage the Romanian government to end the travesty of justice which it has perpetuated by failing to fully restitute properties illegally confiscated from religious denominations after 1945.”
Romania was behind the Iron Curtain following World War II, and in 1948 the country's communist government forcibly dissolved the Romanian Catholic Church, which is a Byzantine – or Greek – rite Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. It is headed by the Major Archbishop of Fagaras and Alba Iulia, Cardinal Lucian Muresan.
When the Church was dissolved, its properties were given to the Romanian Orthodox Church.
The communist party’s practice of confiscating church properties in Romania primarily affected Romanian Catholics, but properties of the Hungarian Reform, Lutherans and Unitarians were also seized. Jewish properties were also confiscated.
To read the full article please see: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/lawmakers-call-for-return-of-property-to-romanian-catholics/