Patriarchs Iustin Moisescu and Teoctist Arapaşu Commemorated at the Patriarchal Cathedral
Gheorghe Anghel – Basilica News Agency – July – Augsut 2016
Saturday, 30 July 2016, the worth of remembering Patriarchs Iustin Moisescu and Teoctist Arapaşu were commemorated at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest: at 30 and 9 years, respectively, since their passing away.
The solemn service was celebrated after the Divine Liturgy by His Grace Timotei Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
His Grace appreciated, in the speech delivered, the activity of the two leaders of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
The end of the month of July reminds us that the efforts and work of the two great Patriarchs of our Church were not in vain: Iustin Moisescu, who headed the Church from 1977 to 1986, and Teoctist Arapaşu, from 1986 to 2007. The Church honours them in quite a special way, reminding all people that they fought a lot. Their fight was against the dark powers of this century, as Saint Paul the Apostle says in the Epistle to the Ephesians. They fought against the darkness that was trying to dominate, but they spoke about light and were the sons of light through their work, the hierarch said.
Patriarch Teoctist was also commemorated in his native commune in Botoşani county. In the morning, the Divine Liturgy and a commemoration service were celebrated in Victoria parish church founded by the former Primate. A commemoration service was also celebrated at the memorial house of the Patriarch, in Tocileni village, Botoşani county.
*Patriarch Teoctist passed away on 30 July 2007, aged 92, after heading the Church for 21 years.
The enthronement of Patriarch Iustin took place on 19 June 1977. The hierarch passed away on 31 July 1986.
Photo: Lumina newspaper
