Patriarch Teoctist Commemorated at the Romanian Patriarchate
On Wednesday, 30 July 2014, the Romanian Patriarchate commemorated seven years since the passing away of the worthy remembering Patriarch Teoctist (+ 30 July 2007).
Hierarchic Divine Liturgy
On this occasion, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania. The celebrating group consisted of: His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina, Metropolitan Irineu, Metropolitan of Oltenia, His Eminence Teodosie, Archbishop of Tomis, His Eminence Pimen, Archbishop of Suceava and Radauti, His Eminence Irineu, Archbishop of Alba Iulia, His Eminence Varsanufie, Archbishop of Ramnic, His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Arges and Muscel, His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, His Eminence Timotei, Archbishop of Arad, His Grace Sofronie, Bishop or Oradea, His Grace Galaction, Bishop of Alexandria and Teleorman, His Grace Ambrozie, Bishop of Giurgiu, His Grace Gurie, Bishop of Deva and Hunedoara, His Grace Ieronim Sinaitul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Ioachim Bacauanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacau, His Grace Iustin Sigheteanul, Assistant Hierarch to the Diocese of Maramures and Satmar, priests and deacons. Remembrance prayers were said for the worthy remembering Patriarch Teoctist since whose passing away it is 7 seven years.
Memorial service for Patriarch Teoctist
After the Divine Liturgy, at 11.30 hours, the memorial service for the worthy remembering Patriarch Teoctist took place. The religious service was celebrated by the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Daniel together with several hierarchs members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church: His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina, His Eminence Irineu, Metropolitan of Oltenia, His Eminence Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Targoviste and Patriarchal exarch, His Eminence Teodosie, Archbishop of Tomis, His Eminence Pimen, Archbishop of Suceava and Radauti, His Eminence Irineu, Archbishop of Alba Iulia, His Eminence Varsanufie, Archbishop of Ramnic, His Eminence Ciprian, Archbishop of Buzau and Vrancea, His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Arges and Muscel, His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, His Eminence Timtei, Archbishop of Arad, His Grace Sofronie, Bishop of Oradea, His Grace Vincentiu, Bishop of Sloboziei and Calarasilor, His Grace Galaction, Bishop of Alexandriei and Teleorman, His Grace Ambrozie, Bishop of Giurgiu, His Grace Gurie, Bishop of Deva and Hunedoara, His Grace Ieronim Sinaitul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Ioachim Bacauanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacau, His Grace Iustin Sigheteanul, Assistant Hierarch to the Diocese of Maramures and Satmar. After the memorial service, a Trisaghion was celebrated at the grave of Patriarch Teoctist.
Patriarch Teoctist. In memoriam, 2007 – 2014
To end with the religious service, the book entitled “Patriarch Teoctist. In memoriam, 2007 – 2014” was launched. The book was presented by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. “This book is an illustration of the bright, spiritual and gentle person of His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist. Several of the articles or texts prepared show, on one hand the solemnity of his service as Patriarch, and on the other hand the hardships of the time he served in, hardships faced during the communist regime, and some hardships appeared just during the chaotic freedom manifested sometimes after the revolution of 1989. Here we have both solemn statements and personal ones, which complete and show us the bright image, meek speech and warm soul of the late Patriarch Teoctist. Those who contributed here as an answer to the many letters addressed asking for a written presentation were the members of the Hoy Synod who better knew our worth remembering Patriarch Teoctist: archimandrites, abbots of monasteries, reverend professors, parish priests, as well as intellectuals, laic faithful who admired and appreciated him and evoked his image with much affection, and especially his work unfolded in times of confusion”, His Beatitude said. The book was coordinated by rev Archimandrite Timotei Aioanei, representative of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Holy Places and Superior of the Romanian Settlements in Jerusalem, Jericho and Jordan and by Rev Mihai Hau, Patriarchal Counsellor.
We feel him close to us through the many churches he consecrated
To end with the religious service, the Patriarch of Romania eulogized the life and activity of Patriarch Teoctist: “It is seven years since our Patriarch Teoctist passed away. Time passed rather quickly but yet, we have always felt him near. We felt him near through his grave here in this Patriarchal Cathedral where a resurrection icon lamp always burns and through the many flowers often brought here by the faithful who loved, appreciated and felt him as a prayerful servant and fighter, and very tolerant too. We feel him close in the Patriarchal Residence too through all the renewals and additions made, especially in the hall we call Teoctist hall, as well as in some other parts of the Patriarchal Residence which he consolidated and extended, His Beatitude calling all these works smoothing. This smoothing is done with so much gentleness and respect for what the Patriarchs before him done, that everything is very harmonious. (…) The same gentleness is seen everywhere, trying to organically add to what he inherited from his predecessors as architectural legacy with the feeling of elegance, measure and continuity in time, as a renewal in continuity. We feel him close through his churches dear to us, from Victoria, near Botosani till the Monastery of the Romanian Saints’ Sunday from Popesti Leordeni. This one was built a few years before his passing away and it is a gem of great beauty. Here we see a combination of the purest Romanian style because the entire church is dedicated to the Romanian saints. (…) We also feel him close through the many churches he consecrated during his pastoral service at Arad, Craiova, Iasi, and then as Patriarch in Bucharest. We feel him close through the many priests he ordained, as well as through the new hierarchs whom he elected, together with the Holy Synod, to increase, as His Beatitude used to say, the crown of hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church. We also feel him close through the new Eparchies he created in the country and abroad together with the Holy Synod. We feel him close through the large number of priests of charity in hospitals, in the military units and prisons and we also feel him close through the many religion teachers (men and women), because he intervened, together with the Holy Synod, to reintroduce religion in the state education according to the Romanian tradition before the communist atheist regime came to power”.
He was a man of peace
His Beatitude emphasised the fact that he was a man of equilibrium, a man of peace who spread light everywhere. “He was a man of consensus, as Mr Victor Opaschi, state secretary nicely writes in this book, showing that in all difficult situations, especially after the changes of 1989, he was a man of equilibrium, of consensus, avoiding the extreme radical positions. He was a man of peace in regard to other religions too because the Gospel of love of the merciful Christ urges every Christian to show the truth of faith through the working love and faith, and through love, as Saint Paul the Apostle says. Thus, he spread light everywhere, and this is why we tried to sum up in the Foreword of this book, in a few lines, the spiritual image of Patriarch Teoctist saying: all evocations show a bright image and a great soul, a man patient in trials and lover of good deeds, a man of peace and dialogue, a diligent arch-shepherd and wise fighter, a tireless missionary, a monk loving tradition, fond of reading and a talented speaker and writer, a great national and ecclesiastic conscience, shortly: a light for clergy and people!”, the Patriarch of Romania said. “We thank all those who contributed to the publication of this book of over 300 pages to be distributed today to the guests. (…) We thank all the hierarchs present, and all those who came from far away, monks, nuns, persons with whom the worthy remembering Patriarch Teoctist collaborated in the eparchy of Arad, in the Eparchy of Craiova, in the Eparchy of Iasi and here, in Bucharest”, His Beatitude also said. Also present in the Patriarchal Cathedral were officials who have met Patriarch Teoctist, abbot and abbesses of the Archdioceses of Bucharest, Iasi, Craiova and Arad, eparchies where hierarch Teoctist Arapasu served for almost six decades, members of the standing meetings of the Church National Council and of the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, Patriarchal and Eparchial Counsellors who collaborated with Patriarch Teoctist, members of the family, priests and hundreds of faithful of Bucharest.
