Over the past three and a half decades, Europe has undergone profound change. The collapse of communism and subsequent democratization of Eastern Europe after 1989, along with integration into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU), forced former communist countries to adapt rapidly. Romania, which joined NATO in 2004 and EU in 2007, underwent painful but ultimately successful reforms. Among domestic actors shaping this transformation, one of the more influential ones has been the Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC), which claims adherence from about 74% of the country’s population of 19 million, according to the 2021 population census…
