Laurențiu

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

• He was born on October 12, 1947, son of Iulian and Viorica Streza, in Sâmbăta de Sus, Brașov County. He was baptized Liviu.

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 1954-1961 – Attends secondary school in Sâmbăta de Sus, Brașov County;
• 1961-1965 – Pupil at the “Radu Negru” Theoretical High School in Făgăraș, Brașov County;
• 1965-1969 – studies at the University Theological Institute in Sibiu, obtaining a licentiate degree in Theology with the thesis: Mai-Marele Păstorilor, Hristos, modelul păstorilor bisericeşti în lumina evangheliilor canonice (Christ, the Chief-Shepherd, the model of the Church’s shepherds in the light of the canonical Gospels);
• 20 December 1969 – ordained priest in the parish of Lisa, Făgăraș;
• 1976-1981 – spiritual assistant priest at the University Theological Institute of Sibiu;
• 1976-1986 – he prepares students at the seminars of Liturgical Practice, from 1981 as assistant of the department. From 1977-1979 he was a lecturer in Greek language and from 1983-1986 a lecturer in French language;
• 1982-1983 – studies abroad, at the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey (Switzerland), winter semester, and in the summer semester attends the course on the Liturgical Year of the Roman-Catholic Professor of Liturgy, Dr. Jakob Baumgartner, at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Fribourg (Switzerland);
• 1985 – defends his doctoral thesis at the Theological Institute of University Degree in Bucharest, entitled: Botezul în diferite rituri liturgice creştine, (Baptism in different Christian liturgical rites), written under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Ene Braniște;
• 1986 – he is a substitute professor for the discipline of Liturgics and Pastoral Theology with the seminars of Liturgical Practice. In September 1987, through a competitive examination, he was appointed Professor of Liturgy, Pastoral Theology and Christian Art;
• 1992-1996 – Scientific Secretary of the Faculty of Theology, part of the “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu; since his tenure as professor he has been and has remained to date a doctoral supervisor, coordinating 36 doctoral students, another 6 are currently in training;
• 4 July 1996 – following the death of his wife, he is elected by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church as Bishop of Caransebeș;
• 20 July 1996 – he became a monk at the Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus, taking the name Laurențiu, and on 10 and 11 August 1996 he was ordained and installed as Bishop of Caransebeș, in the old Cathedral of Saint George, by His Eminence Antonie Plămădeală, Metropolitan of Transylvania (Ardeal);
• 3 November 3 2005 – he is elected Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transylvania (Ardeal), and on 13 November 2005 he is enthroned in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Sibiu by His Beatitude Teoctist, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.