In the Zlatari Church, or Church of Saint Cyprian, of Bucharest, Romania is a
wonderworking relic that faithful Christians flock to in order to be delivered
from curses and spells - the right arm of Saint Cyprian of Antioch, a former
magician of the third century who converted to Christianity and became a
Christian Bishop.
The church itself, a Romanian historic monument known as “a church of
miracles” due to the alleged powers of Saint Cyprian’s arm, got its name from
the goldsmiths, or “zlătari,” who lived in the neighborhood and built the
original wooden church in the 17th century. It was rebuilt in 1850, after
nearly being destroyed by earthquakes earlier in the 1800s, and is known for
the beautiful frescoes by Gheorghe Tattarescu that decorate the walls and the
door.
The domes of the Zlatari Church were damaged by an earthquake in 1940 and
repaired in the ’70s. Development of the area in the 20th century has been the
biggest contributor to changes in the appearance of the church, which used to
include an inn and a bell tower, and was surrounded by a garden. Today the church is surrounded by flats and a busy city road.
Saint Cyprian is considered a quick helper against witchcraft. The
reliquary with the sacred relic is placed in front of a very beautiful
akathist icon of Saint Cyprian, framed by scenes from his life and by his
companions Saint Justina and Saint Theoktistos. Every Wednesday, between
5:00-7:00PM, Vespers is celebrated and the Akathist to Saint Cyprian is
read, water is sanctified and Prayers of Exorcism are read. Also, every
Friday between 5:00-7:00PM Vespers is celebrated with
the Akathist to the Mother of God and the Prayers of Exorcism of Saint Basil
the Great are read.
According to the parish priest, he has encountered some of the most shocking cases, but he avoids talking
in detail about them, about the way charms and spells are made and spread.
What interests him most and seems most useful to people is that they know
how terrible a curse can be, usually passed on from one person to another
out of anger through thoughts and words.
The priest recalls that in the country, a woman quarreled with her son,
and in her anger she cursed him to die alone, to see how hard it is not
to have anyone near you. It didn't take long and the boy went to the
forest, overturning with the tractor. No matter how hard he struggled,
he could not get out from under the weight of the tractor. They found
him dead a few days later. He had no fractures, not the slightest blow.
He had died of hunger and fear. He had died alone, constantly screaming
desperately for help. The parental curse is so strong that it happens
that not even seven priests can unbind it the first time. The remedy is
also in the word - in prayer, in the utterance of the psalms, in
repentance and confession. In vain do you say to the clergyman, "I have
committed all known and unknown sins. Unbind me, Father." For
forgiveness to be complete, you must pronounce every sin, and
acknowledge by word what you have done wrong.
In the Zlatari Church, people enter and leave late into the night,
until the lock is placed on the door. Some are silent in the silence of
the strange place, others are silently waiting in line for confession.
They all have a problem and hope for the help of the Saint. A woman is
not shy to tell how she got to Zlatari. She was in the "Darvari" Church,
and at one point noticed that the icon of the Savior was staring at her,
and there was a twinkle in his eye. It seemed to her a figment of the
imagination, she changed her place, but the icon followed her throughout
the church. Disturbed, she sat down to pray to the wonderworking icon of
the Mother of God, when, without awareness, something struck her so
loudly that the priest came out of the altar scared to see what was
happening. Eventually, she went home. She still hoped that everything
had been a delusion, an opinion of a tired woman, when a car driving
madly went up the sidewalk, almost missing to crush her against a pole.
Leaving the place of the accident in horror, she took a few more steps
and, immediately, she felt an unseen hand stop her. In the next second,
a huge dove came off the roof and fell at her feet. At night, in her
sleep, she dreamed of the altar of a church, while a voice repeated the
name of Saint Cyprian. Now she can say it was a sign from above. A sign
of reinforcement. Praying before the Saint's relic, peace came in her
life and her family. All her troubles have been solved.
At the entrance to the church, an old woman in sifted clothes stands like a humble guard, without moving. She doesn't beg, she doesn't reach out, but people give her some money, a bag of food. She accepts any alms, and then, from the gifts received, she helps a sick woman who she has been taking care of for many years. Her name is Maria and her humility comes from the gratitude for all the corrections in her life received from Saint Cyprian. It all started a few years ago, when her husband, who loved her and was a good man, suddenly started beating her wildly and kicking her out of the house. Maria realized that something unclean was happening, when the doors in the room were always open, haunted by ghosts, and in front of the apartment she found all sorts of ugly things: bloody handkerchiefs, chicken claws ... She didn't lose her temper . Praying and fasting, she did the Akathist to Saint Cyprian for forty days in a row and, calling the priest, he sanctified the house several times. Suddenly, things calmed down. The hauntings ceased, peace has returned to the house even stronger than before, and her daughter has fulfilled her big dream - to get married and emigrate to Canada.
Sister Eugenia is always next to the spot in the church where you get a
candle. You find her every day, with the book of prayers in her hand,
always repeating the Saint's akathist and the prayers of
thanksgiving. She is not too afraid of charms, but she knows their evil
power well. Thirty years ago, the daughter of a neighboring witch fell
in love with her brother, wanting to get married as soon as possible. As
Sister Eugenia's brother and parents did not agree, the witch wanted
revenge. From that moment on, things started to get worse. At first, all
the animals in the yard died. Her father followed, touched by devilish
charms and rituals, with voodoo dolls pierced in his heart. He simply died,
dying on his feet and without the doctors realizing what was happening.
Upset, her mother was bound to her bed. Then followed the uncle's severe
illness, his brother's terrible troubles, that in the end he lost a
house and was damaged for years, until Father Argatu's prayer and Saint
Cyprian brought him peace of mind and family reconciliation, so tried
over the years.
There is a lot of pain in the Zlatari Church. Everyone has their story
and troubles. It isn't easy to listen to them without being disturbed.
For almost twenty years, the parish priest of the church, Father
Diaconescu, has been trying to hold on, but he also admits how
difficult it is, how on some days he returns home devastated, wounded
in the soul, and at night he happens to have bad dreams. He rejoices
when he sees the healing power of Saint Cyprian, when people come to
thank him at the altar, but the battle with the enemy is terrible and
endless. Unwillingly, he is fully immersed into the abominations
experienced by others, with stories of unimaginable revenge and storms
of unrest.
From what he has seen and heard, the heaviest spells are related to the dead: ties, nails, hair, pieces torn from clothes, earth from the grave. Then follow the spells with the sacred particles: fragments of icons, relics, priestly robes. With a shadow of sadness in his eyes, he shows the reliquary of the Saint, locked with two rows of locks. He then shows the gaps in the iconostasis and the broken ornaments on the edge, people breaking them secretly, either to insert notes, or to use the perforated wood chips in charms or other filth.
In the Church of Saint Cyprian, the struggle with the unclean spirits is fierce.
Many ask the priest for his prayers and to do them special favors, like
leave all kinds of handkerchiefs under the reliquary of the Saint, or at the
entrance or near the altar. He refuses them if they ask for improper things,
but, as much as possible, he teaches them the right faith, advising them to
turn their imaginations away from the darkness and to draw near to God,
confident in His unwavering help and protection. It is important not to lose
hope, says the priest. Let's not fool ourselves that we will get rid of
spells through other spells. People run around the country and look for a
cure, attracted by the fame of a hermitage, an old clergyman, a
wonderworking icon, but it happens that the miracle and the treasure
of healing are just a few steps away from them - at Zlatari, for example.
Too little known, Saint Cyprian could not choose a more suitable house - in
the middle of a noisy, hurried Bucharest, full of worries and bad
thoughts.
