The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has elected the Very Rev. Archimandrite Teofil Anăstăsoaie, the Romanian Patriarchate’s Representative to the Holy Places, as Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău.
Archimandrite Teofil has served as the Romanian Patriarchate’s liaison to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and as Superior of the Romanian Settlements in Jerusalem, Jordan, and Jericho. He is widely known among Romanian Orthodox faithful for bringing the Holy Light from the Sepulchre of Christ in Jerusalem to Romania each Pascha.
He was appointed to this role in 2015, after serving for one year as Grand Ecclesiarch of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest.
Background and Education
The newly elected bishop comes from a large family and is the eldest of six children born to Fr. Viorel and Presbytera Fivia Anăstăsoaie. He was born on January 16, 1979, in Hunedoara.
He graduated from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest in 2001 and went on to complete a master’s degree in Pastoral Theology and Liturgical Life. In 2011, he earned a Ph.D. in Theology, with a dissertation on Holy Chrism.
Monastic and Pastoral Service
Bishop-elect Teofil entered Radu Vodă Monastery in 2000. He was tonsured a monk in 2001 and ordained as a hieromonk by Archbishop Varsanufie of Râmnic.
Throughout his monastic life, he has fulfilled various obediences, including:
– Professor of Liturgics,
– Clergyman at the Patriarchal Cathedral,
– Exarch of Monasteries in the Archdiocese of Bucharest, and
– Abbot of Darvari Skete.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
