Memorial events dedicated to Archimandrite Andrei Scrima and members of the Orthodox spiritual movement “Burning Bush” were held at Cernica Monastery near Bucharest.

This year marks 26 years since the death of Scrima, who is regarded as one of the prominent figures in 20th-century Romanian Orthodox thought.

A memorial service for Scrima and other members of the movement was held at the monastery’s Church of Saint Nicholas. The service was led by Archimandrite Vasile Pîrjol, abbot of Cernica Monastery. Following the liturgy, theologians, researchers, and cultural figures discussed Scrima’s life and spiritual legacy before praying at his grave.

The events formed part of the “Time of the Burning Bush” symposium, which began on August 18. The program includes lectures and discussions on Orthodox spirituality and the history of the movement.

Andrei Scrima was born in 1925 in the Romanian city of Gheorgheni. He studied philosophy, mathematics, and theology before becoming a novice at Antim Monastery in Bucharest in 1946. There, he joined members of the “Burning Bush,” a circle of monks and intellectuals seeking to deepen spiritual life and the practice of prayer.

Scrima took monastic vows in 1956 and soon left Romania. He studied in Geneva, Paris, Mount Athos, and India, where he focused on Indian philosophy. He later lived and worked in the Middle East, teaching philosophy and religious studies at universities in Beirut and participating in ecumenical dialogue.

Between 1963 and 1965, Scrima served as the personal representative of Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras at the Second Vatican Council.

He authored works on hesychasm, Orthodox anthropology, theology, and inter-Christian dialogue. Among his best-known books are *The Time of the Burning Bush*, *A Commentary on the Gospel of John*, and *On Hesychasm*.

The archimandrite died in Bucharest on August 19, 2000, and was buried at Cernica Monastery.

The “Burning Bush” was an Orthodox spiritual movement that emerged in Bucharest during the postwar period. In the 1940s, monks, theologians, writers, and other intellectuals gathered at Antim Monastery to discuss Christian philosophy, Scripture, and Orthodox tradition. They placed particular emphasis on inner prayer and hesychasm, a spiritual practice centered on concentrated prayer.

Those associated with the movement included priest and writer Daniil Sandu Tudor, theologian Benedict Ghiuș, theologian Dumitru Stăniloae, the monk Sofian of Antim, and Andrei Scrima.

The movement was short-lived. Its activities were halted in the late 1940s following the establishment of Romania’s communist regime. Several of its participants were later subjected to persecution and repression.