The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church elected, by secret ballot, the Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Ieronim of Sinaia as the new Bishop of Dacia Felix.

The election took place during the Holy Synod’s working session on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Patriarch Daniel at the Aula Magna of the Patriarchal Palace.

His Grace Bishop Ieronim was elected Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop in 2009, with the title “Bishop of Sinaia”, and ordained to the episcopacy on May 29, 2014, at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest.

His Grace Timotei of Prahova, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, was also a candidate for the vacant see of Dacia Felix.

Bishop Ieronim received 29 of the 46 votes cast. The announcement was made by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, Chairman of the Holy Synod.

After his election, Bishop Ieronim thanked the Lord and the members of the Holy Synod for the mission entrusted to him in serving the Romanians in Serbia, Radio Trinitas reports.

The working session of the Holy Synod was preceded by a Te Deum service officiated by His Grace Sofian of Brasov, Assistant Bishop to the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany, Austria and Luxembourg.

The Diocese of Dacia Felix is a diocese of the Romanian Orthodox Church headquartered in Vršac with jurisdiction over the Romanian Orthodox communities in Serbia. It is directly subordinated to the Romanian Patriarchate.

The Diocese of Dacia Felix became vacant on February 17, 2022, with the temporary transfer of His Grace Bishop Daniil Stoenescu as Assistant Bishop to the Diocese of Deva and Hunedoara.

Until the enthronement of the new Bishop, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, will be remembered as locum tenens for the Dacia Felix Diocese.

Biography

His Grace Bishop Ieronim was born on November 21, 1959, in Brădești, Buzău County.

He studied at the Theological Seminary in Bucharest (1976-1981) and the Theological Institute of University Degree in Bucharest (1982-1986), obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in 1986.

In the same year, he entered the monastic life. After a few months as a novice, he was tonsured a monk at Bistrița Monastery – Neamț County, on January 2, 1987.

On April 29, 1988, he was appointed a priest at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, and a librarian at the Patriarchal Palace.

At the recommendation of the former Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, Roman of Ialomița, on March 1, 1990, he was appointed Great Ecclesiarch of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest.

He was elevated to the rank of archimandrite on April 10, 1994, at the suggestion of Patriarch Teoctist. Also, in 1994, he was appointed Representative of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Holy Places and superior of the Romanian Settlements in Jerusalem, Jordan and Jericho.

In 2009 he was elected Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop and ordained to the episcopacy on May 29, 2014, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest.

Photo: Basilica.ro