Father and Academic Professor Niculae M. Popescu - Contributions to the Research of the History of the Romanian Orthodox Church and Byzantine Music

The great priest and academic professor Niculae M. Popescu was one of the most emblematic figures within the Romanian Orthodox Church and within the Theological section of the University of Bucharest in the first half of the XX century. Raised in the Orthodox spirit, Niculae M. Popescu studied in the Theological School “Nifon Mitropolitul” and in the Faculty of Theology in Bucharest, while his PhD studies were completed in Vienna. Because of his critical and rigorous spirit, but also due to his high level theological qualifications, he became distinguishable to the clerical authorities in Bucharest who gave him the title of main editor of a few magazines of the Church. He was highly appreciated for his historical and documentative nature reflected in his studies and researches. For this reason, the teaching body of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest named him University Professor of the History Section. He was praised and appreciated by scholar Nicolae Iorga and thus, became a member of the Romanian Academy and vice-president of the highest academic forum in Romania. Alongside his pastoral and universitary vocations, he was also an accomplished musician. Niculae M. Popescu elaborated his first creations of Romanian musicology dedicated to the Romanian precentor, Macarie Ieromonahul. Due to his bass vocal tone, composer D. G. Kiriac recruited him as a member of the well-known Romanian choir, “Carmen”, which he also conducted for a long time, as the head of the choral association. His historical and musicological published creations, as well as his ecclesiastical and academic stance, made father professor Niculae M. Popescu one of the most enlightening figures within the history of the Romanian Orthodox Church and of the Romanian people.