On the Feast of Prophet Daniel, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel celebrates his name day.
On this occasion, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Tuesday, 17 December 2019, at the Patriarchal Cathedral, followed by a Te Deum service, as a sign of gratitude brought to God for the protection and the support offered to the Patriarch of Romania in his ministry for benefit of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian people.
Patriarch Daniel, the sixth leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church, was born on 22 July 1951, in Dobreşti village, Bara commune, Timiş County, as the third child of teacher Alexie and his wife Stela Ciobotea.
Between 1974 and 1976 he attended PhD courses at the Orthodox Theological Institute in Bucharest, under the guidance of Rev. Prof. Dumitru Stăniloae. He continued his studies abroad at the Faculty of Protestant Theology, University of Human Sciences in Strasbourg, France, and at Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
On 15 June 1979. He defended his doctoral thesis at the University of Strasbourg, entitled: Réflexion et vie chrétiennes aujourd’hui. Essai sur le rapport entre la théologie et la spiritualité. The thesis was prepared under the guidance of two famous French Professors: Gerard Ziegwald and André Benoît.
In 1987, he entered the monastic life at the Sihăstria Monastery, Neamţ County, receiving the name of Daniel, under the mantle of Elder Cleopas Ilie. He was ordained into the deaconate on 14 August 1987, and into priesthood the next day.
In 1988, he was ordained a protosyncellus and appointed patriarchal adviser and Director of the Contemporary Theology and Ecumenical Dialogue Department of the Patriarchal Administration. The same year, he became Associate Professor at the University Institute of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest.
On 4 March 1990, he was consecrated Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Timişoara, with the title of Lugoj. On 7 June 1990, he was elected Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina. His enthronement ceremony was held the next month.
On 12 September 2007, the Church Electoral College elected Metropolitan Daniel as Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudja, Locum Tenens of the Throne of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. His Beatitude’s enthronement ceremony took place Sunday, 30 September 2007, on the feast of Hieromartyr Saint Gregory the Enlightener of Greater Armenia, at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel received on Thursday, Dec. 12, Bucharest’s Honorary Citizenship for his contribution to the spirituality and education of the Romanian people.
The full biography of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel is available here.
Photo courtesy: Basilica.ro
