PAULA BULGARU TRIAL
The courtroom was packed yesterday. Forgiveness or punishment? Today we will have the answer to the most resounding trial of the year.
There was an earthquake yesterday at the III panel of judges. Not a real earthquake with shaking of windows and furniture or panic and exaltation of the survival instinct. It was an earthquake of the conscience, caught between compassion and punishment. A fight for an answer. “Must Paula Bulgaru be punished or not for yelling against Patriarch Daniel and Bishop Casian?” was the question in the most resounding trial that took place in Iași in 2001. The scandal which started on occasion of Saint Parascheva day had an unexpected ending. What was thought to be initially a reprimand for those that dare to disturb the religious service turned into an intensely publicized dispute between Criminal Code and Bible. Where does the boundaries of one ends and the other starts?
Patriarch Daniel and Bishop Casian were summoned as witnesses in search of the more convincing answer. The public divided in two sides. Some asked for punishment, according to the Criminal code, others invoked compassion according to the Bible. Which law is more powerful? The last word in front of the people belongs to the judge. But he is also caught between man’s law and God’s law. He distributes sentences according to the Criminal Code. But he cannot fulfill his job in the courtroom if he does not have the Bible in front of him. Forgiveness or punishment for Paula Bulgaru? The judge answer will be out today.
The case was judges in the extraordinary panel of judges
Paula Bulgaru arrived early in the morning in Court. She traveled by car as the train connections from Brăila were bad and she did not wanted to be late one second to her own trial. She came accompanied by two friends who share her views. For three hours, the young woman stood up, on the Court halls, waiting for her turn. She was assigned the 41 place on the panel of judges list and near her name it was written in red “error”. Initially it was thought that a judge or a registrar made the statement to discourage the public attracted by her trial. Subsequently things cleared and Paula Bulgaru was to be judged by a special panel in the III courtroom and her name was mistakenly put on that list. Her trial was about to start separately at 12 o’clock.
„Defendant Paula Bulgaru”
The afternoon hours saw the courtroom III packed. Sitting on benches, tens of people awaited the trial. Their majority are from the countryside. In the defendant box, five accused people guarded by two policemen and waited their turn. Paula Bulgaru sat somewhere in the middle of the room with her friends. The lawyers took their places in front preparing their strategies. “I am excited and please tell me at the end, if it showed”, confessed lawyer Gianina Geantău. The last dilemma, concerning the presence of Patriarch Daniel in the courtroom, was solved by lawyer Mariana Bazdara. “Look what is written here, he refuses to receive the subpoena as the Patriarch is away”, read the lawyer the message from Patriarchate regarding Bulgaru case. The discussions in the courtroom ended suddenly once the judge Diana Micu entered. On the table the Bible and Cross were placed. The prosecutor Radu Moisescu, a tall young man seated in his armchair. “Defendant Paula Bulgaru” said the judge and started the trial. A “present” was immediately heard and Paula Bulgaru, dressed as a noun, came to the stand. Her head was lower than the microphone that transmitted every word.
The words that started the scandal: “They are not worthy”
In the first part of the trial, the lawyers asked for an additional interrogatory of the girl. The judge agreed and Paula Bulgaru described what she did on Sunday, 14th October. “I arrived at the Metropolitan headquarter at 8 o’clock and waited for the sermon to begin. I prayed and listened until 10.30 o’clock”, started Paula to shuffle through the memories. In the courtroom people whispered, sharing the troubles that brought them to Iași. Uttering the words “God, saint, Metropolitan, patriarch, bishop”, attracted people as a magnet. Slowly, everyone’s attention focused to the thin silhouette who tried to make space between the prosecutor’s boredom and the lawyer intentions to make themselves heard. “When the priest asked if they are worthy I said – down with Daniel and down with Casian, confessed Paula and she asked to be judged according to the “God’s law”. After she signed the declaration, one of her friend was summoned as a witness. “Only the words were heard – Are they worthy? Then some people took her out from the Metropolitan headquarter”, confessed Maria Stanciu, the wife of a teacher. While Maria Stanciu told how faithful Paula is, the prosecutor made a fixation for one of the room’s windows. We don’t know if the crow’s flight captivated him or if he liked the spiders in the windows corner. It is certain that he was not interested in what the witness was saying. The public instead was fascinated by every word said in front of the judge.
Prosecutor Radu Moisescu: Suspended prison sentence”
The story told before the judge managed to enforce the silence. The habitual to and fro through the door was absent yesterday. Nobody exited the courtroom, people only entered. At a certain point, the room was crammed. The people’s heads were placed in such a manner that they could see directly the triangle judge-prosecutor-lawyer and Paula Bulgaru with Maria Stanciu in the middle. Those that stood up bent their bodies one after another creating a fan with many heads. The policemen took off their caps and the detainees forgot their handcuffs. No warnings were necessary from the judge to order silence. After the witness signed the declaration, the “war” between the defense and accusation started. The prosecutor insisted the young woman act to shout during the church service greatly disturbed the solemnity of the moment. “There were over a million people who attended and were deeply disturbed by her shouts”, said Radu Moisescu, repeating the word “serious”. Mentioning her confession of the act, the accusation asked a suspended prison sentence for her.
Dispute between prosecutor and defense lawyers
The lawyers complained they were not allowed to bring evidences in defense of the defendant. “The accusation was made based on declarations made by three witnesses, sisters and the prosecutors failed to explain what was the insulting and defamatory content of the expressions. Mrs. President, you don’t know what you are judging here because the accusation failed to mention the insulting words. And since when confessing is an evidence if not supported by evidences? Should we just believe the prosecutors?” asked lawyer Gianina Geantău, insisting on summoning the Patriarch Daniel. The prosecutor tried to discourage the lawyer saying he has nothing to declare as a witness, because he did not hear what Paula Bulgaru shouted. “If he doesn’t hear or see, he should not be a priest, according to the church regulations”, “bit” lawyer Mariana Bazdara. To settle the conflict between the defense and accusation, the judge warned the prosecutor and lawyer they will be fined and escorted out of the room. “I will pay the fine, but I’m not getting out”, said firmly Mariana Bazdara, getting also a few laughs in the courtroom.
The monumental blunder of Radu Moisescu
The second part of the trial consisted of the pleadings of the two sides. The accusation use the Criminal Code, namely the human law and the defense emphasized the Bible, God’s law. The prosecutor presented his speech first. Leaving aside for a while the window contemplations, with a miniature sized Criminal Code in hand, the prosecutor started his pleading with a monumental blunder. “Regarding the Bishop Casian and aaaa…. what’s the other name” he stuttered when he wanted to talk about the Patriarch Daniel. After the correct name was whispered to him and the audience laughed, he tried to explain, using the human law, what was the girl’s fault. “According to the documents, Paula Bulgaru shouted when it was total silence during the mass. She shouted the two prelates are not worthy, which is defamation. According to the law, defamation is forbidden as is incitement to acts of disturbance and destabilization. She acted in the spirit of religious intolerance and violated the right of over one million pilgrims to pray. She intended to disrupt a solemn moment and succeeded. The pilgrimage of Saint Parascheva is fourth in the world as importance. She showed crass disrespect towards people, high prelates, authorities” resumed the prosecutors not before making another blunder. “We are social animals”, he inadvertently said at one point.
„Don’t sell the Bible over a text from the Criminal Code”
The defense started its pleading using the Bible and its teachings. “The girl shouted for truth. In the Bible is specified that you are compelled to shout for the truth, to bring it to light. Paula Bulgaru tried to enter in audience to the higher prelates, wrote documents but she was ignored. What she said is her personal conviction and she answered a question. It cannot be considered as an destabilizing element, as long as she prayed and only spoke when she was addressed”, said Gianina Geantău. Then she asked the judge to prevent a sale. “Adam sold the Paradise for an apple. Don’t sell the Bible over a text from the Criminal Code”, concluded the lawyer.
Mariana Bazdara began her pleading by presenting her id card in order to show she “is not an animal”, poking fun at the prosecutor. Then, she invoked the Bible in defense of the girl. She asked that human law shouldn’t be imposed over an act that took place on God’s realm. She stressed the universal right to personal opinion and conviction. She insisted there is no penal act. “God permits this trial for us to find the truth”, almost shouted Mariana Bazdara. During the pleadings, the courtroom resembled a painting. Everyone was motionless and many were left open-mouthed. The eyes widened and an internal battle raged inside. “Should Paula Bulgaru be punished?” was the question pondered by many. The detainees moved their heads resembling a tennis audience – their glance did not follow the ball, but the words spoken by the lawyers and prosecutor.
„Condemn me for saying the truth”
The last word belonged to Paula Bulgaru. When asked if she considers herself guilty, she refused to give a simple “yes” or “no”. “Am I guilty for speaking the truth?”, started her. “Then condemn me for speaking the truth” and her voice shook. „But you are condemning Jesus Christ I carry in my heart”, suppressing her tears, “You are condemning the martyrs and those who suffered” and the first tears began to flow. „You are condemning the society” said Paula Bulgaru crying. She wasn’t crying alone. Most of the people also cried. Two sensitive women wiped their tears from the chin. The judge seemed like a stone. The prosecutor covered his face for reasons known only to him. The lawyers sit motionless, moved by the girl’s reaction.
„The pronouncement will be given tomorrow”, said the judge before leaving the courtroom. The Bible, unseen and unheard, silent witness, always mentioned, used and presented seemed to have had an effect. (Adriana PLECAN)