Assistant Bishop for the Autonomous Metropolitanate of Bessarabia Ordained at the Romanian Patriarchate

May 2014

On 24 May 2014, rev archimandrite Ipopsifu Telembici was ordained Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Chisinau of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia within the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest.

The Divine Liturgy and the ordination were celebrated by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania together with the following members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church: His Eminence Petru, Archbishop of Chisinau, Metropolitan of Bessarabia and Exarch of the territories, His Grace Daniil, Bishop Administrator of Dacia Felix Diocese, His Grace Siluan, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary, His Grace Mihail, Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, and His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Archbishop elect of Ramnic, assisted by a group of priests and deacons.

His Grace Antonie of Orhei was elected Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Chisinau on Thursday, 22 May 2014, during the working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and Friday, 23 May, after the Vesper service the call to this rank of celebration was celebrated.

During today’s ordination service Archimandrite Antonie Telembici answered the questions of His Beatitude and of the present hierarchs through a confession of faith. Then, the candidate was ordained bishop and received the typical vestments: polistavrion, omophorion, engolpion, cross and mitre.

To end with the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, Secretary of the Holy Synod, read the Patriarchal Act by which the new hierarch was recognised as Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Chisinau, with the title of Orhei.

Then, the Patriarch of Romania offered the new Assistant Bishop the cloak and walking staff, insignia of the hierarchic service, and His Grace Antonie of Orhei blessed the faithful in his new dignity.

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel remembered in his speech the importance of the position of assistant bishop in the Eparchy of Chisinau of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia, wishing the hierarch good luck in the mission he has to accomplish: “This decision of the Holy Synod, as said in the Patriarchal Act confirming the election of the Holy Synod, was motivated by the pastoral need to intensify the pastoral-missionary activity in the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia. His Eminence also needs help from time to time, especially when he has to celebrate in two different places. In general, the clergy and faithful want their hierarch to come more often to them. We congratulate His Eminence Metropolitan Petru for this proposal. We wish His Grace Assistant Bishop Antonie of Orhei good health and much help of God in the work he will unfold under the direct guidance of His Eminence Metropolitan Petru.”

The new hierarch was elected by the Holy Synod following the proposal of His Eminence Petru, Metropolitan of Bessarabia and Exarch of the Territories. He thanked the Patriarch of Romania for the support granted in the course of time: “As Your Beatitude know I was ordained on 1 September 1990. Today you celebrated another event, a fulfilment of our Church and of the Metropolitanate of Bessarabnia. Thank you very much for the help given to the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia. We also thank the hierarchs present over here. “I admit I received this mission with some fear, but also with faith, hoping that God will help me be a good servant in the garden of the Lord, and my results will be for the glory of the Church of Jesus Christ. I understand my activity will be to support as much as I can His Eminence Metropolitan Petru, as I have already did so far. I kindly ask His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel to pray for the Romanians from the Republic of Moldova, for our peace, good understanding and for more love”, His Grace Antonie of Orhei, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Chisinau said.

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