 When the Synod would not rescind, Safirin left the deliberations and, citing in his defense "the fundamental laws of the Christian Orthodox Church", he called anathema ("afurisenie") upon the Synod and Metropolitan Atanasie.The latter, as Safirin himself noted, had been an opponent of secularization during his years as bishop of Râmnic.The Synod voted to cancel the anathema as unlawful—unusually, Atanasie presided upon sessions deciding his own name-clearing—, and asked Safirin to return for discussions or risk forfeiting his bishop's seat.