Between 19 and 20 of October the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Religions and Laicity at the Free University of Brussels organized the conference “Committed but not activist? Engaging in Christian European and colonial social and healthcare charities (1945 – 2000)” examining the forms of Catholic commitment in European social and healthcare charities after the Second World War, whether they were officially Catholic or involved significant numbers of Catholics.Our colleague in the Sovereignty project, Dr. Anca Șincan presented on her recent research findings in the Vatican archives and the Romanian secret police archives. The presentation was titled “The reclassification of nuns in the public hospital services under the communist regime in Romania” and discussed the aftermath of the nationalization of education, health, and social services in communist Romania and the forceful expulsion of the Catholic Church from its charity institutions.
