The faithful and priests of the Archdiocese of Ramnic and Bacau bid farewell to Archbishop Eftimie Luca. In the morning, the liturgical programme began at the Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Roman with the Matins service and continued with the Divine Liturgy celebrated by His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina, together with several hierarchs members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The group of hierarchs consisted of: His Eminence Teodosie, Archbishop of Tomis, His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Arges and Muscel, His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, His Grace Corneliu, Bishop of Husi, His Grace Visarion, Bishop of Tulcea, His Grace Ieronim Sinaitul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Calinic Botosaneanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Iasi, His Grace Ioachim Bacauanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacau, priests and deacons.
Then, around 11.00 hours, the funeral service of His Eminence Archbishop Eftimie began. The religious service was celebrated by His Eminence Teofan, Archbishop of Iasi, Archbishop locum tenens of Roman and Bacau, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina, together with several hierarchs of our Church: His Eminence Teodosie, Archbishop of Tomis, His Eminence Pimen, Archbishop of Suceava and Radauti, His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Arges and Muscel, His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of Lower Danube, His Grace Corneliu, Bishop of Husi, His Grace Visarion, Bishop of Tulcea, His Grace Ieronim Sinaitul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Calinic Botosaneanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Iasi, His Grace Ioachim Bacauanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacau.
The message of condolences of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel entitled “A wise diligent and generous hierarch” was read by His Grace Ieronim Sinaitul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch. We render a fragment below: “Father Archbishop Eftimie remains in our memory as an even tempered man, lover of peace and communion, as a wise and merciful shepherd, through his love for the faith and tradition of the Church, through his fatherly kindness and generosity, both for the clergy and for the faithful. This is why he was also called “Eftimie the Kind”. At this time of mourning for the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacau and for the entire Romanian Orthodox Church, we address, in the name of the hierarchs of the Holy Synod, and of ours, personal, the grieved family, clergy, inhabitants of the monasteries and faithful of this eparchy, fatherly condolences, and pray Jesus Christ, our Lord, the Everlasting High Priest, to put the soul of the worthy remembering Archbishop Eftimie, in the light, peace and love of the Most Holy Trinity, in the host of His servant saints, who announced the Gospel of salvation and eternal life”.
To end with the funeral service, His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina spoke about the personality of Archbishop Eftimie.
“On the eve of his 100th anniversary, father Archbishop Eftimie of Roman and Bacau was called to heaven by Christ, our Lord, to take the reward of his many efforts. Thus, one century life is ended for this arch-shepherd who waged a permanent fight against the hostilities of this world, especially in time of grief and sorrow, but always with the hope in the victory that God certainly gives to His chosen ones”, His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina said, according to Trinitas Television.
His Grace Assistant Bishop Ioachim Bacauanul has also spoken about the life and activity of Archbishop Eftimie in the Eparchy of Roman and Bacau.
“He had a long exemplary service for all his contemporaries, and this is why the time of his passing away is an event not only of the Eparchy he had served with dignity till this venerable age, but also of the Romanian Orthodox Church, our distinguished hierarch having been an example for all the members of the Holy Synod”, His Grace Ioachim Bacauanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Roman and Bacau said.
“After the funeral service celebrated in the church, the coffin of the body of His Eminence Archbishop Eftimie was taken in procession around the Archiepiscopal Cathedral of Roman. They stopped in front of the cathedral where the guard of honour saluted, and then the coffin was laid in the grave arranged in the precincts of the Eparchial Centre. There were lots of priests who participated in this event, counsellors and inspectors of the Eparchial Centre, priests from all over the Eparchy, as well as from other parts of the country, abbots and abbesses, as well as students of the Seminary of Saint Great Martyr George of Roman. A lot of faithful from all over the Eparchy of Roman and Bacau have also attended the funeral service”, Lucian Ducan, reporter of Trinitas Radio station present at the event related.
Archbishop Eftimie Luca passed away on 4 November 2014. Sunday he would have been 100 years old.
