▁He ▁was ▁an ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox ▁mon k ▁who ▁advoc ated ▁for ▁the ▁freedom ▁of ▁worship ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁population ▁in ▁Trans ylvan ia . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Sof ron ie ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁village ▁of ▁C io ara , ▁now ▁S ă li ște a , ▁Trans ylvan ia , ▁which ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁H abs burg ▁Empire . ▁His ▁Christian ▁given ▁name ▁was ▁Stan ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁name ▁was ▁Pop a ▁( or ▁Pop ov ici , ▁according ▁to ▁other ▁sources ). ▁His ▁family ▁name ▁suggests ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁ancest ors ▁was ▁a ▁priest , ▁as ▁in ▁Roman ian ▁pop ǎ ▁means ▁priest . ▁Sof ron ie ▁also ▁became ▁an ▁Orth odox ▁priest ▁and ▁he ▁remained ▁in ▁C io ara ▁until ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁wife , ▁when ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁a ▁monaster y ▁in ▁Wal la chia ▁( poss ibly ▁the ▁C oz ia ▁Mon aster y ) ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁mon k . ▁ ▁After ▁becoming ▁a ▁mon k , ▁Sof ron ie ▁returned ▁to ▁C io ara ▁and ▁built ▁a ▁small ▁wooden ▁Orth odox ▁monaster y ▁in ▁the ▁forest ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁village . ▁He ▁devoted ▁his ▁life ▁to ▁mon astic ism ▁until ▁ 1 7 5 7 , ▁when ▁he ▁started ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁peace ful ▁u pr ising ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁Orth odox ▁population ▁in ▁Trans ylvan ia ▁against ▁the ▁H abs