Călin Georgescu has thrown us into the New Age. The Romanian Orthodox Church has no antibodies to defend Christianity

The spouses Călin Georgescu and Cristela Georgescu preach a religion other than Christianity, - it is called New Age - a syncretic spiritual and cultural movement that emerged in the 20th century, which promotes personal and collective transformation through esoteric practices, connection with universal energy and anticipation of a new era of global consciousness, love and harmony (see " Differences between Christianity and New Age - Summary ").

Read Differences between Christianity and New Age - Summary

But, because they do not declare their confession, but claim to be Christians, the differences become difficult to detect in the absence of a clear religious education and without spiritual discernment, although, within the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR), the statements with religious references of the presidential candidate were categorically rejected.

The clergy felt that Georgescu was introducing a foreign body into Orthodoxy, but did not reveal its nature: "He speculates without common sense, without embarrassment, without shame...", stated the former spokesman of the Romanian Orthodox Church Vasile Bănescu, adding: "He uses religion and the church only to gain visibility in the space of believing people."

In the article "Mother, look, a fairy!" (BURSA/November 12), we reported that Georgescu stated that his words are transmitted to him directly by Jesus Christ and that he sees himself as being in contact with supernatural entities: "Do you believe in Jesus Christ as God and Savior?", asks the priest Valentin Berechet, and he answers - "With all my being and conscience and soul, I offer him, I have offered him, and I have given him to be able to understand, to pass through my mind what needs to be said in these times."

Read "Mom, look, a fairy!

This statement is enough to be New Age influence is evident in what Georgescu preaches, because it reveals one of the specific practices - channeling: a spiritual practice through which a person (called a "channel" or "channeler") claims to establish a connection with supernatural entities, such as spirits, ascended masters (New Age considers Jesus an ascended master, not the Son of God), spirit guides, or even extraterrestrial entities.

This communication can occur in two main ways:

- Conscious: The practitioner is fully aware and transmits the entity's messages through his thoughts and words.

- In a trance state: The practitioner enters an altered state of consciousness, allowing the entity to communicate directly through him.

Messages obtained through channeling often include advice about spiritual life, revelations about the nature of the universe, or guidance for personal and collective transformation.

This practice is controversial and criticized for its lack of scientific foundation, being certain circles (we can see this with Călin Georgescu, because he claims "I do history, not politics" and speaks for the history books, although he does politics).

Normally, that should have been enough for the priesthood (I emphasize that the statement was taken from him by a priest) to realize that a kind of "undercover" New Age is penetrating Orthodoxy.

Being also a vulnerable political moment, the Church should have warned its parishioners, so that they would know that they were voting for a confession other than Christianity.

But here is the Romanian Orthodox Church that did not realize this.

And it did not realize it either when both spouses - Călin and Cristela Georgescu - exposed their New Age practices and conceptions without detours.

• Commonalities between Cristela and Călin Georgescu and the connection with New Age:

1. Holistic health and natural therapies (Cristela) vs. trust in natural immunity (Călin):

- New Age promotes the idea that physical health is closely linked to spiritual harmony and that natural therapies and self-healing are essential.

- Cristela explicitly supports natural therapies and detoxification, and Călin speaks about trust in one's own body and the sovereignty of being, concepts that reflect the same holistic philosophy.

2. Connection with nature:

- Both Cristela and Călin emphasize the importance of respecting nature and reconnecting with it, a central theme in New Age spirituality.

- Their messages about harmony with nature and the use of natural resources solutions for modern life are compatible with the spiritualized ecological vision of the New Age.

3. Transformation of consciousness:

- Cristela promotes emotional liberation techniques for personal growth, and Călin talks about "awakening in consciousness" and collective transformation.

- Both approaches reflect the New Age idea that a profound inner change is the key to a better world.

4. Water as a carrier of information (Călin) vs. subtle energy (Cristela):

- The idea that water can retain vibrations and information is a central concept in the New Age, promoted through the experiments of Masaru Emoto, author of a theory that, in the absence of concrete evidence and through the application of subjective methods, led the scientific community to classify the theory as pseudoscience.

- Both Călin's statement about water and the therapies based on "subtle energies" promoted by Cristela align perfectly with this pseudoscientific view

5. Romania's spiritual role (Călin) vs. the integrative perspective (Cristela) :

- Călin's vision that Romania has a unique spiritual mission in the world is linked to the New Age idea of sacred energetic places.

- Cristela supports the integration of spirituality into everyday life, which resonates with the New Age philosophy of alignment between the spiritual and the physical.

Both Călin and Cristela Georgescu promote ideas, practices and messages that have clear influences from the New Age movement, even if they do not directly declare themselves as followers. The New Age philosophy is evident in their emphasis on:

- Personal and collective transformation.

- Connection with nature and subtle energies.

- Holistic healing and spirituality.

- The universal interconnection between man, nature and the divine.

This convergence of ideas indicates that their spiritual perspective and their vision of the world are to a significant extent tributary to New Age principles.

Although none of them explicitly declare themselves followers of this trend, New Age influences are evident in the thinking, practices and messages they promote.

It would have been the duty of the Church to adopt a firm public position, because the vulnerability of Romanian Orthodox to New Age ideas presented as authentically Christian can be significant, for several reasons related to the cultural, educational and religious context of Romanian society.

1. Religious syncretism in popular practice

- Romanian popular traditions often combine elements of Orthodox Christianity with beliefs and practices of pagan or esoteric origin (e.g.: superstitions related to healing, incantations, astrological interpretations).

- This tendency towards syncretism makes New Age ideas, such as universal energy, the role of sacred water or crystals, more easily accepted if they are presented as having "spiritual" or "traditional" roots.

2. Familiarity with spiritual language

- Terms such as "vibrations", "divine energy" or "soul healing" can seem authentic from the perspective of the Orthodox faith, especially if they are accompanied by biblical or God-like references.

- New Age ideas are often formulated in a spiritual language that can be interpreted as compatible with Orthodoxy, although their theological and philosophical foundations are radically different.

3. Lack of deep theological education

- Most Orthodox Romanians have limited knowledge of Christian doctrines and a superficial understanding of the differences between the Orthodox faith and other spiritual currents.

- This educational gap makes them more vulnerable to accepting New Age ideas if they are presented in the form of a modernized or complementary "Christian truth".

4. The popularity of alternative therapies and holistic health

- In Romania, interest in natural therapies and holistic health has increased, and many practices promoted by the New Age (such as bioresonance, yoga, detoxification) are often presented as neutral or compatible with Christian spirituality.

- In the absence of critical education, these can be accepted as forms of "soul healing" or methods of strengthening the connection with the divine.

5. The idea of a "spiritual mission" of Romania

- The idea that Romania has a special role in the global spiritual plan resonates with part of the national consciousness and is often interpreted as being compatible with Orthodoxy.

- This view is promoted by both Orthodox and New Age-influenced spiritual leaders, which can generate confusion.

6. The call for spiritual "authenticity"

- Romanians are sensitive to the idea of preserving or rediscovering the "true faith," and New Age is often presented as a way back to a deeper and more authentic spirituality.

- If New Age ideas are presented as solutions for "improving" or "completing" the Christian faith, they may seem appealing to those seeking spiritual renewal.

• Risks and red flags

1. Confusion between practices:

- Practices such as meditation, energy channeling, or the use of crystals are promoted as compatible with Christian prayer, which can lead to a loss of the authenticity of the faith.

2. Weakening of Orthodox identity:

- By accepting New Age ideas, believers may gradually abandon the dogmatic foundations of Orthodoxy, replacing them with abstract or syncretic concepts.

3. Lack of theological discernment:

- Spiritual leaders or therapists who promote New Age ideas often use apparently authentic Christian language, which makes them difficult to identify as influences foreign to Orthodoxy.

Orthodox Romanians are vulnerable to New Age ideas, especially when they are presented in language that seems compatible with their faith. The combination of a deficient theological education, the popularity of alternative therapies, and cultural syncretism makes these ideas difficult to detect as contrary to Orthodoxy. To prevent these influences, clear religious education and spiritual discernment are crucial.

From a religious point of view, the Church has the duty to clarify the distinction between the millenarian faith of the people and the faith of the one whom the people voted for the most.

From a political point of view, however, it is too late.

As an anonymous reader commented yesterday, crowd psychology has already intersected with artificial intelligence and we are on another spiritual plane.