Patriarch Teoctist Arăpașu

He was born on 7 February 1915, in Tocileni, Botoșani County, into a pious family, being the tenth of eleven children. At baptism, he received the name Teodor. After finishing primary school in his native village, he entered monastic life as a brother at Vorona Monastery (1928) and later at Neamț Monastery (1931). From 1932 to 1940, he studied at the Cernica Monastery Seminary. In 1935, he was tonsured a monk at Bistrița Monastery, Neamț County, receiving the name Teoctist, and two years later, he was ordained a hierodeacon. Between 1940 and 1945, he attended the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest. After completing his undergraduate studies, he was ordained a hieromonk in Iași (March 1, 1945), and a year later, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. Between 1945 and 1947, he also attended courses at the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy in Iași. Over time, he served as the great ecclesiarch of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași, exarch of the monasteries in the Archdiocese of Iași (1946–1948), and administrative vicar of the same diocese (1948–1950). In 1950, he was elected Patriarchal Vicar Bishop with the title “Botoșăneanul.” During this period, he served as Secretary of the Holy Synod and Rector of the Theological Institute in Bucharest (1950–1954). On July 28, 1962, he was elected Bishop of Arad, and ten years later, on January 28, 1973, he became Archbishop of Craiova and Metropolitan of Oltenia. On September 25, 1977, he was elected Archbishop of Iași and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina. On November 9, 1986, he was elected Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He passed away on July 30, 2007, after 57 years of service as a hierarch.

During his patriarchal ministry, he participated in the meetings of the World Council of Churches and the Second Pan-Orthodox Pre-Synodal Conference. He reorganized social assistance in the Romanian Patriarchate and supported the creation of new Christian-Orthodox associations (ASCOR, LTCOR). With his blessing, several Romanian saints were canonized. He promoted the reintroduction of religious education in public schools. He supported the establishment of new dioceses abroad (the Metropolis of Germany, the Diocese of Hungary, the Diocese of Dacia Felix – Serbia, the Diocese of Italy) and made pastoral visits to Romanian Orthodox communities in Austria, Hungary, the USA, and Canada.

He completed the new Church Objects Workshops at Popești-Leordeni, where he also founded the “Duminica Sfinților Români” Monastery. He welcomed Pope John Paul II to the Romanian Patriarchate (May 7–9, 1999), the first visit of a pope to a majority-Orthodox country. He was also received by the same pope at the Vatican in October 2002. In recognition of his remarkable merits, the Romanian Academy awarded him the title of Honorary Member on December 17, 1990. He revived the idea of building the People’s Salvation Cathedral, managing to secure the necessary land—11 hectares—on Arsenal Hill in Bucharest (O.U.G. 19/2005 and Law 261/2005).