Teoctist Arăpașu

His Beatitude Teoctist I. Arăpaşu ( born February 7, 1915 in Tocileni, county Botosani, Romania, † July 30, 2007 in Bucharest ) was from 1986 until his death in the fifth Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, acting head of Kaisarala in Cappadocia Metropolitan of Wallachia and Ungro - Archbishop of Bucharest.

Life

Teoctist I was born as the tenth child of a family in the north- east of Romania and christened Toader. In 1928 he entered as a novice in the monastery Mănăstirea Vorona. In 1932 he went to a theological school in Bucharest. On 6 August 1935, he passed his monastic vows in Bistrita - Neamt monastery and was named Teoctist. On January 4, 1937, the consecration was followed by a deacon. In 1940 he finished high school and began his studies at the Theological Faculty of the University of Bucharest. He graduated in 1945 and was ordained on 25 March of the same year for priests. He then went to the Cathedral in Iasi, where he was from 1946 to 1950 Vicar. From 1946 to 1947 he studied at the same time at the University Alexandru Ioan Cuza Iasi literature and philosophy.

On February 28, 1950, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church elected him on March 5, auxiliary bishop and he received the title of Botosani ( Botoşăneanul ). Until 1954 he was also rector of the Higher Theological Institute of Bucharest. On 28 July 1962 he was elected Diocesan Bishop of Arad and received at the same time responsibility for the Vicariate of Gyula. A year later the Congress of Orthodox Diocese in the USA elected him Bishop of Detroit. The Holy Synod accepted the election and appointed him archbishop. Because of the Cold War, he could not fully perceive his leadership. In the short term he held from 1969 to 1970 the leadership of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Oradea. On 28 January 1973 he was appointed Archbishop of Craiova and thus also Metropolitan of the Lesser Wallachia. On September 25, 1977, he was appointed Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina regions. 1980 to 1982 he was also deputy Archbishop of Sibiu ( Hermannstadt) and Metropolitan of Transylvania (as administrator during the period of vacancy ).

Teoctist I was a member of the Christian Peace Conference (CFRP ), at the VI. Allchristlichen Peace Convocation in 1985 he took part in Prague.

To the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, he was elected on November 9, 1986, officially set up ten days later. Present were representatives of all Orthodox, Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, the patriarch of Jerusalem and of Bulgaria and representatives of the Romanian state.

After Nicolae Ceauşescu the end of 1989 the Holy Synod gave birth Teoctist I. Due to its controversial role in the past, first from his office, but she put him in April 1990 again.

In May 1999, Pope John Paul II traveled to Romania and was received by Teoctist I.. This can be evaluated as an important step to ecumenism, since Romania is a strong Orthodox country. On 4 October 2002, the return visit Teoctists took place in the Vatican.

He died in 2007 of a heart attack and was buried in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest.

Awards and honors

  • Honorary doctorate from the University of Bucharest (1995 )
  • Honorary doctorate from the University of Oradea (1995 )
  • Honorary member of the Romanian Academy of Science and Culture ( 1999)
  • Grand Cross of the Star of Romania ( 1999)
  • Honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Lublin (2000)
  • Honorary Doctorate of Dunărea -de- Jos University Galati (2000)
  • Honorary doctorate from the University of Petrosani (2001)
  • Honorary doctorate from the " Dimitrie Cantemir " University of Bucharest (2003)
  • Honorary doctorate from the University of Craiova (2003)
  • Honorary Doctorate of the " Ovidius " University of Constanta (2004)
  • Honorary doctorate of the "Al. I. Cuza " University of Iaşi (2005)
  • Collar of the Star of Romania ( 2007) posthumously
765312
de