The Romanian Orthodox Churches in Italy: The Construction of Romanian-Italian Transnational Orthodox Space

Religious institutions as transnational actors play a very important role within the context of transnational migration. Religious transnational space is formed and shaped with the involvement of different actors, particularly through the agency, commitment and religious practices of migrants that reproduce or reconstruct their religions in a new setting. Religious institutions, which are actively involved in all stages of migration or are pulled into the transnational space by migrants, gain a new area of agency within the transnational space. However, the extent of the involvement and agency of the religious institutions within the transnational migration space differ and to what extent religious institutions cope with this new area of agency requires a closer examination. The primary interest for this research initiative is, therefore; the role religious institutions play in the articulation of transnational ties as well as the processes through which transnational migration trigger structural and cultural changes in the way religious life is organized and experienced. In particular, this research project analyzes the way in which the Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC) acts, organizes and positions itself within the religious landscape of Italy following the mass migration of Romanians into Italy, its adaptive practices and socio-religious role within the receiving context and implications of this experience within the sending context as well as the extent of the ROC's agency within the Romanian-Italian transnational migration space.