Patriarch Teoctist of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church has passed away

Bucharest, July 30 /Rompres/ - Patriarch Teoctist of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church (BOR) died on July 30, at the age of 92.

The Patriarch will be commemorated in special daily services in all the metropolitan and episcopal cathedrals in Romania and abroad until His Beatitude is interred. The Standing Synod of BOR will convene on Tuesday to discuss the details of the burial service. The day he will be buried will be declared national mourning day.

Patriarch Teoctist was born on February 7, 1915 at Tocileni, county of Botosani (north-eastern Romania).

He attended the courses of a monk seminary at the Cernica Monastery (1932-1940). In 1935, he became a monk at the Bistrita Monastery, being baptised Teoctist.

In 1940, he began his studies at the Theology School of the Bucharest University, which he graduated in 1945, magna cum laude.

On March 1, 1945, he was dispatched in Iasi, where he was ordained hiero-monk on March 25, 1945 and archimandrite in 1946. He was a Bishop of Arad, Ienopola and Halmagiu (1962-1973); Archbishop of Craiova and Metropolitan Bishiop of Oltenia (1973-1977); Archbishop of Iasi and Metropolitan Bishop of Moldavia and Suceava (1977-1986); Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan Bishop of Muntenia and Dobrogea and Patriarch of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church (BOR), since November 9, 1986.

In 1991 he was awarded the Timotei Cipariu Prize of the Romanian Academy in recognition of his endeavours to the reprinting of the 'Bucharest Bible.' Teoctist was also the recipient of honorary doctorates from the Bucharest University, the Lower Danube University, and of the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland.

On December 17, 1999, he became an honorary member of the Romanian Academy.

He wrote many prefaces to religious book, monographs and studies, having written a 10-volume book called 'Pe treptele slujirii crestine' (On Christian Service) (1980-1995).

Teoctist was also chairman of cultural associations and foundations and of charities.

He initiated and carried out the refurbishment and building of new monasteries and churches in the Bucharest Archbishopric, in Arad, Oltenia and Moldavia. He was a recipient of many church awards granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchy of Constantinople, the Patriarchies of Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch.

Teoctist became the first Romanian Orthodox Patriarch to welcome in Romania, May 7-9, 1999, Pontiff John Paul II. He joined other Christian Orthodox patriarchs of the world in the 2000th anniversary of the Lord Jesus Christ Nativity in Jerusalem.

The Patriarch Teoctist was the most enduring head on the patriarchal throne (21 years) out of the 5 patriarchs Romania had since 1925 till now. In the history of the national Church, he is a record possessor too: 57 years of ceaseless episcopate. He was the fifth patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

The first patriarch of the Orthodox Church was Miron Cristea, born in July 1868 in Toplita, the central county of Hunedoara. He died on March 6, 1939, in Cannes, France, and was buried in the patriarchal cathedral in Bucharest.

Nicodim Munteanu was the second patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He was born on December 6, 1864 in Pipirig, eastern Neamt county and died on February 27 1948 in Bucharest.

Justinian Marina was the third patriarch, born in Suesti, southern county of Valcea. He passed away on March 26, 1977 in Bucharest.

Iustin Moisescu was the fourth patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He was born in March 1910 in Candesti, southern county of Arges and died in July 1986 in Bucharest.

Patriarch Teoctist died further to a heart condition triggered by a surgery that he underwent at Fundeni Hospital. According to a press release of the hospital, in the post-surgery period, a series of heart complications were reported, against the backdrop of a chronic condition, which entailed a heart failure that did not respond to emergency resuscitation procedures.