{"id":437400,"date":"2023-08-01T12:50:37","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T09:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=437400"},"modified":"2023-08-01T12:50:37","modified_gmt":"2023-08-01T09:50:37","slug":"romanias-former-patriarchs-teoctist-and-iustin-who-pastored-the-church-in-challenging-times-prayerfully-remembered-at-patriarchal-cathedral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basilica.ro\/en\/romanias-former-patriarchs-teoctist-and-iustin-who-pastored-the-church-in-challenging-times-prayerfully-remembered-at-patriarchal-cathedral\/","title":{"rendered":"Romania\u2019s former patriarchs Teoctist and Iustin, who \u201cpastored the Church in challenging times\u201d, prayerfully remembered at patriarchal cathedral"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Sunday, the patriarchal auxiliary bishop Paisie of Sinaia officiated a memorial service at the tombs of Romania\u2019s former patriarchs Teoctist Ar\u0103pa\u0219u (\u2020July 30, 2007) and Iustin Moisescu (\u2020July 31, 1986) to mark the anniversaries of their blessed repose.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Preaching by their tombs inside the Patriarchal Cathedral, His Grace Bishop Paisie of Sinaia said that the two patriarchs \u201cpastored the Church of Christ in Romania in challenging times when Romania had to suffer hostility from the atheist communist regime.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His Grace briefed the biographies of the two former Primates of the Romanian Orthodox Church, calling them \u201cburning lights in the ministry of the Church.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPatriarch Iustin served as Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church for nine years (1977-1986) and stood out for his fidelity to the Church\u2019s doctrine, solid academic training, erudition, competence and balance, being a representative figure of Romanian Orthodoxy at the international level,\u201d the patriarchal auxiliary bishop said on July 30.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPatriarch Teoctist had a longer ministry. For 21 years, he pastored the Romanian Orthodox Church in the dignity of Patriarch (1986-2007),\u201d the bishop recalled.<\/span><\/p>\n

His Beatitude said that much has been said and written about the two patriarchs, but Patriarch Daniel is one of the most devoted promoters of his predecessors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a venerable Romanian hierarch with the vocation of a chronicler remarked, the richest and most consistent words of evocation of Patriarch Teoctist and the other patriarchs remain the words of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRemarkably, no Patriarch has written so much, so densely and dynamically, about his predecessor to the patriarchal throne, as His Beatitude has done, that whoever reads these evocations will have in his mind and his heart the luminous face of Patriarch Teoctist of blessed memory, consigned for posterity in the History of the Romanian Orthodox Church,\u201d bishop Paisie said quoting Archbishop Calinic of Arge\u0219 and Muscel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHis Beatitude Patriarch Daniel has devoted himself with great dedication to honouring the memory of all his ancestors,\u201d the bishop stressed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe achievements of Patriarch Iustin and Patriarch Teoctist, whom we commemorate today, remain all the more important and increase in value, knowing that these achievements were accomplished in circumstances that were vital for the faith and life of the Church, during the difficult period of communist rule,\u201d His Grace Bishop Paisie of Sinaia noted.<\/span><\/p>\n