in 1933, retired from active priesthood and finally defrocked, cecan veered toward nazism. he served for as regional president of the romanian national socialist party, and put out its russian-language newspaper, "telegraf". when the party fell apart, cecan attempted to resume his political career with the iron guard and the national renaissance front. increasingly isolated during the final stages of his life, he was captured by the soviets during the 1940 occupation of bessarabia, then sentenced to death. he was ultimately shot in tiraspol during the 1941 retreat.