Post Mortem Greatest Order Distinction of Romania for Patriarch Teoctist

Traian Basescu the President of Romania honored Patriarch Teoctist [post-mortem] with Star of Romania In Rank of Collar, the highest distinction of the Romanian state.

It is the first time a Romanian citizen is honored with this decoration.

3rd of August 2007, National Funeral Day

The Government of Romania will declare Friday, the day of the burial of Patriarch Teoctist, National Mourning Funeral Day in respect for the one who devoted his life to the Romanian People and the Orthodox Church serving both since he was 14th years of age.

The Last Will of the Patriarch

For the moment it seems there is no written Last Will of the Patriarch but all commentators are envisaging and all people know that the Patriarch had a project and for that he struggled 17 years since the 1989 Revolution: The Nation Cathedral – this is considered to be The Last Will of Patriarch Teoctist.

A Delegation from Vatican will participate in the Funerals of Patriarch Teoctist

The Apostolic Nuntiature in Bucharest announces a delegation representing Vatican will participate in the funerals of His Beatitude Teoctist. Indeed this is recognition and a tribute paid to the memory of the Romanian Patriarch that during his rule succeeded to build good and fraternal relations with Rome.

Burial of Patriarch Teoctist, Friday 11:00 PM

The burial will be held in Bucharest and the tomb of the fifth Patriarch of Romania will be placed in the Patriarchal Cathedral, the Cathedral that was saved by His Beatitude Teoctist from demolishing when Ceausescu ordered it to be removed from the center of Bucharest.

First Message came from Vatican

“We are beside the Romanian Orthodox Church and the faithful people, remembering this great Patriarch involved in ecumenical dialogue above all recalling the historical invitation towards Pope John Paul the Second”

Prominent Politicians came to pay tribute and homage

Nicolae Vacaroiu, President of the Romanian Senate, and the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament came and express their deep sorrow and homage to the Patriarch. They were meeting by Bishop Vincentiu Ploiesteanu, the Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Permanent Holy Synod Session Held

After the Liturgy members of the Permanent Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church [all Archbishops/Metropolitans] began the first decision session. Among them Metropolitan Teofan of Craiova, Metropolitan Daniel of Moldova, Metropolitan Serafim of Germany, Archbishop Nifon of Targoviste and the Secretary of the Holy Synod, Bishop Vincentiu Ploiesteanul participated in. Metropolitan Bartolomeu of Cluj, Metropolitan Laurentiu of Ardeal, and Metropolitan Nicolae of Banat did not participated in this first session that took mostly decisions regarding the administration and the organization of the funeral. Those missing are expected to arrive in Bucharest this afternoon.

Special Holy Liturgy

This morning, 31st of August the first Liturgy held by His Highness Serafim of Germania and Western Europe took place while thousands of belivers pay their tribute passing at the coffin with the earthly remainings of the Patriarch Teoctist.

His Beatitude Teoctist, The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church Passed To the Lord

Few minutes before 17:00 PM 30 of August 2007 His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist passed away.

Patriarch Teoctist one of the greatest Patriarchs of Romania died in Fundeni Hospital afer surgery intervention.

After elected Patriarch of Romania in 1986 he continued the policy of Patriarch Justinian and strenghten the Romanian Church during the hard policy years of atheistic Communiste Dictature.

During His Patriarchate the Theological Studies and the development of ecumenical relations flourished. Early in His Patriarchate he developed good ecumeical relations with the Protestant Churches, World Council of Churches and the Conference of the EUropean Churhces also with the Anglicans in his attempt to keep the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian people connected with the Western world and the values of democracy. Late in His Patriarchate He build harmonious relationships with Pope John Paul II and the Roman Catholic Church in order to begin the rebuilding the Church Unity.

During his rule thousands of students and Ph. D. Candidates received scholarships in Germany, Great Britan, USA, Canada, Greece and other democratic countries as the intention of the Patriarch Teoctis was to keep the Romanian theologians and the Romanian Theology up to date and connected with the values of societies were Chuches have freedom to act and relate with the society.

Born in 1915, 7 February in Tocileni village, Botosani County, from parents Dumitru si Marghioala Arapasu, he was the tenth from eleven brothers.

In 1928 Teoctist become brother in Vorona Skete.

In 1931, enters in the monastic Seminary at Neamtu Monsastery.

Between 1932-1940 is follwing the Cernica Monastery.

1935, 6 august – At Bistrita-Neamt Monastery, he become monk by deposing the monastic woves.

1937, 4 January – Ordained hierodicon.

1940-1944 – Followed and graduated Magna cum Laude the Faculty of Theology in Bucharest.

1945, 25 March – Ordained hieromonk.

Betwee 1946-1947 – Followed the classes of Letters and Philosopy Faculty of Iasi University.

1950, 28 February – Elected vicar Bishop of Patriarch Justinian.

1950, 5 martie – Ordained bishop.

1950-1954 – Rector of the Theological Institute in Bucharest. Secretary of the Holy Sinod of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

1962, 28 July - Elected Bishop of Arad and Vicar of Gyula.

1969-1970 – Proxy Bishop of Oradea.

1973, 28 January- Elected Archbishop of Craiova and Metropolitan of Oltenia.

1977, 25 September – Elected Archbishop of Iasi and Metropolitan of Moldova and Suceava.

1980 July – 1882 January – Proxy Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transylvania.

1986, 31 July – 9 January – Proxy Archbishop of Bucharest, Mtetropolitan of Moldova and Dobrogea, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

1986, 9 November – Elected Patriarh of Romania.

1999, decembrie – Member of the Romanian Academy.

Church in Bekescsaba, Hungary burned

The electronic publication beol.hu quoted by BBC, said that unidentified individuals put in fire the altar of the Church of the Romanian community in Bekescsaba, Hungary, on the evening of 23 of July.

According to the firemen the target of the fire was the altar and the liturgical objects. They said that upon their estimations the fire was set intentionally. The Hungarian authorities and the church community are offering about 1200 Euro prize for any information leading to the crime authors.

No stolen objects or money were noticed after an administrative evaluation.

Bishop László Tökés, again in the political arena

Cotidianul, one of the prominent daily journals in Romania is picturing the crisis between the Reformed Bishop László Tökés and the Democratic Hungarian Union from Romania. The Hero from Timisoara 1989 December Revolution, Bishop László Tökés felt isolated after.
Asked by the reporter what is his political offer for the euro parliamentary elections Bishop László Tökés underlined that the Democratic Hungarian Union from Romania is indifferent to the real needs of Hungarians in Romania since 1996 when they took part in every Government and accepted to give up the issue of autonomy of the Hungarians in Romania in exchange of participating in governance. Thus, his political offer will be the autonomy of Hungarians in Romania.

The second offer is related to representation in foreign affaires. Bishop László Tökés said that at the beginning it was established in the Democratic Hungarian Union that they will perform a foreign representation of their own having a primary partner Hungary. But after a while the DHU forbid him to continue the policy he begun. Now he will state in his euro parliamentary elections the domination of Markó Bela political barter and reinforce the political interests and the foreign policy of the Hungarians in Romania.

Bishop László Tökés also stated that with the Integration of Romania into EU the Hungarians from Romania lost the last train and all chances for asking their rights.

Asked by the reporter what he would do if he would be the Prime Minister of Hungary Bishop László Tökés said that the borders of the Hungarian nation do not coincide with the borders of the Hungarian state, so he would do the integration policy of the Hungarian Nation not the policy of the Hungarian state.

An Example to be Followed and Multiplied in all European Countries

In Bruxelles, The National Day of Belgium begun with Te Deum lithurgical service in Saints Michel and Gudule Cathedral.

In spite of the some moments of bizare behaviour of few politicians, much criticized by the media, thousands of citizens participated in the service, many standing outside the Cathedral.

This could be a good beginning event for more reflection regarding the Christian fundations of Europe and a point of reflection for all European politicians and citizens in reconsidering the Christian values and the participation of it in the public sphere.

What About Criminalizing Blasphemy?

Mr. Thomas Hammarberg, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe is stating in his article in New Europe, July 17, 2007, that “Criminalizing blasphemy would be wrong”. Myself, I agree with him very much that outlawing blasphemy could not express a border line in cases of hate speech.

Yet, I am tempted to make a huge distinction between blasphemy as a state o mind of someone that hates a certain divinity or considers that the divinity could be subject to hate and mocking and the blasphemy as an instrument to express the hate towards a culture, community or a certain person.

The blasphemy as a state of mind, indeed, should be considered by the Courts of Law, legislators or any kind of authority as freedom of expression and I see no alternative to it.
If the divinity, as subjet to the hate, does not react or punish the blasphemiator no human justice sould do otherwise.

But, the blasphemy as an instrument for infringing, leading, targeting the hate towards or as an instrument of labeling and sitgmatizing cultures, communities or persons has definitely to be considered by legislators, either as violence facilitation or public offence with all circumstances downloading from the situation. Or, why not as instrument-weapon for generating and inciting a criminal environment similar to or assimilated with fascist doctrines. In fact, blasphemy is already an intrument in the neo-fascist and anarchist speeches in Europe and the Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg knows it very well.

When blasphemy becomes and is acting as a mean or a platform for expressing a hate speech or is indeed an instrument of it, that should be definitely criminalized.

His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist of Romania hopes that the Vatican will diplomatically revise and decode position on the "unique and the true Church"

His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist of Romania hopes that the Roman Catholic Church would revise the recent affirmations according to which the Roman Chatolicism is the “unique and the the only true Church of Christ” The hope of the Patriarch was in view of not imperiling the relationships between Orthodox and Roman – Catholic. The Patriarch leaves the door open by saying: we hope that the original document – now we only know from the press and the media – when it will be published and commented by the respective Congregation of Vatican can envisage other ways and other communication means so that an activity of many decades of theological dialogue will not be spoilled in this brutal way.

Patriarch Teoctist also expressed his surprise for this turn around and the new position of the Roman Catholic Church. He expressed frankly that the hope of the Orthodox Hirerchy was that the successor of John Paul the Second would continue the work that has been done in the prevoious Pontificate. Thus Patriarch Teoctist was convinced that the Vatican would find a way to introduce the document in such a way that the curent tensioned situation will be saved.“We have been astonished by such a declaration that is quarreling all Christianity. Tihs is not a thing bringing joy to God, who is the Father of all. Maybe rays of reason in the writings of the other Churches would come in order to find solutions and not fall into chaos. For the moment it is hard to find a way for continuing the dialogue with the Roman Catholc Church as they do not recognize the others as Church but as something private order. All the world, especially the Western side Roman-Catholics, Protestant, Anglicans and we the Orthodox engaged long ago with our best and most brightfull theologians to prepare the way for a holy unity. Many Churches will be troubled and those that were not in favor of dialogue and the fractions that were against, now are triumphing. Yet, this is not a happy moment . The Patriarch added that even the secular world is inspired by unity and fraternity.

Healing of Memories. Churches Facing the History

In was a relevant programme initiated by Mr. Dieter Brandes, a German representative of the Evangelical Church. All Churches in Romania and the main Religions participated in. Although mostly research, it is aiming to have an impact on students in theology and change the pastoral the confessional and the media behaviour of the theologians leading to more ecumenical openness. More info upon request.