His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, marked his 72nd birthday on Saturday, July 22.

Patriarch Daniel was born in 1951 in Dobrești, Bara commune, Timiș county, as the third child of teacher Alexie and Stela Ciobotea.

Dan-Ilie Ciobotea entered monasticism with the name of Daniel at the age of 36 after completing his doctoral studies in theology under the supervision of Father Dumitru Stăniloae in Bucharest and then under the guidance of two renowned French professors in Strasbourg.
He was tonsured a monk in 1987 at Sihăstria Monastery, having Elder Cleopas Ilie as his monastic godfather.

After three years, he was ordained to the episcopate and served several months as Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Timisoara. On June 7, 1990, he was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina.

From his activity as Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina, successful initiatives on the pastoral, administrative and academic levels can be highlighted.

He took the necessary steps for the consolidation and restoration of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iasi and founded the Diagnostic and Treatment Centre “Providenta”, which became the first hospital of the Church with a structure approved by the Ministry of Health with 102 beds.

Also, Metropolitan Daniel established Trinitas Radio in Iasi on April 17, 1998.

Patriarch of Romania

On September 12, 2007, he was elected Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobruja and Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. His enthronement took place on September 30.

Since the beginning of his mission, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel ensured the continuation of the projects underway at that time and the initiation of new projects without separating Liturgy from philanthropy and philanthropy from Liturgy or social work from spiritual life.

The most famous achievement of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel is the construction of the National Cathedral, whose altar was consecrated a century after Romania’s Great Union of 1918.

Patriarch Daniel paid particular attention to Romanian predecessors, martyrs and saints. During his patriarchal ministry, more than 30 Romanian saints were canonised.

The Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral is dedicated to all the national heroes, having the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the Protector of Romania, as its patron saint.

Out of concern for Romanians who have gone to work abroad, His Beatitude proposed in 2009 to the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church the establishment of a day dedicated to Romanian migrants.

Among the first initiatives in Bucharest was establishing the Basilica Media Centre in 2007.

Patriarch Daniel particularly encouraged social activity in these years, with the Romanian Orthodox Church becoming the most prominent philanthropist and having over 800 institutions with a philanthropic profile under its control.

Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene