Although the some voices from Civil Society in Hungary protested much against establisment of this paramilitary organization the Churches paied no attention to it. Church representatives were present, held prayers and blessed the gathering and sanctified the flag of the Magyar Garda. The main purpose of Magyar Garda is the revisitation of Trianon Treaty.
The presence of the clergy at the gathering is the very sign that although their Churches are in states with EU membership church people are still looking behind to the Trianon Treaty.
"Church and the Paramilitary" is not a new fashion in Europe. We have no space here to revisit the issue but there is a lot of documentation on it.
A project targeting Trianon memories was run in the last three years in Romania by Diter Brandes involving Churches, Theological Faculties and researchers. Called Healing of Memories the project is in fact a recovery memento of Trianon Treaty for the new generation, theology students and clegy.
We are going to follow the reaction of Church Institutions to this phenomenon and also see the reation of Jewish Communities in both Hungary and Romania.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Magyar Garda established and 56 founders deposed the waws
Hungarian Reformed Church Leader Predicts Dissolution of Main Hungarian Political Organization in Romania
Reformed bishop Laszlo Tokes predicts during an interview for HotNews.ro that the main political organization but not party representing the Hungarian minority in Romania the country will dissolute as its leadership are "corrupt", "opportunistic" and "demagogues".
Tokes, founded a new organization, the Hungarian Civic Coalition and made hard attacks on the Hungarian Democrat Coalition in Romania (HDCR) who was and is part of the many governments along the post Ceausescu history.Bishop Tokes says HDCR is a totalitarian party and the "last bastion of communism in Romania".Tokes mourns the fact that "after 17 years, an ethnic Hungarian has no alternative and possibility to choose between many Hungarian political groups as HDCR is envisage itself as the only one Hungarian political organization in Romania.
Tokes is sure that the Hungarian Civic Coalition would manage to become a real political party and an alternative to HDCR.
The reformed Church in Romania, along with other protestant and new-protestant churches, is much involved into politics in Romania. Differently, the Romanian Orthodox Church ban all priests and bishops to get involved into politics. In the Orthodox Church clergy who would like to do politics, at any level, and be elected even in the local council has to give up priesthood.
Religion classes: compulsory with choices
Religion classes would become obligatory for grades 1-9 in Romanian. After negociations this was the decision concluded by the Education Ministry and other actors partaking into negotiations. There will be also positive exceptions: constitutionally, those who do not want to study it, may be receiving a derogation.Education Ministry spokewoman, A. Stefanescu says that even though religion classes are compulsory, each pupil has the right to choose his/her religion. Thus, if one wishes to study another religion than his colleagues the school has to guarantee the chance of learning it.Moreover, those who do not wish to study religion at all can do so and their grades will discount these classes. Thus, religion becomes an offer and not an obligation.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Does the Endoscopic Surgery of Patriarch Teoctist Has Been Recorded?
As declared by officials in Fundeni Hospital the surgery of His Beatitude Teoctist was done endoscopically. Media has doubts about it as Bishop Varsanufie declared that he has seen a cut about 10 to 15 cm while ritually prepared the body.
Well, this controversy did not end and now investigation journalists said that if done endoscopic there has to be a digital recording of the surgery. Up to now there is no official answer regarding it on behalf of Hospital officials.
Religion in Schools
Religion classes is discussed and has chance to become compulsory in Romanian schools. Ministry of Education has to discuss the proposal to introduce religion as a compulsory class from 1 to 10 grade. It is the request of all Churches in Romania. According to officials form Ministry of Education until 25 of August there will be a decison on whether religion will be compulsory in school curricula or stay optional.
There are more than 10 500 religion teachers as the curricula up to now records relgion as optional and only from 1 to 8 grade. Rising it up to the 10 grade and making it compulsory will solve the problem of about 3000 graduates that are qualified in the field of religion, now unemployed or temporary, part time employed.
Employing about 3000 qualified teachers in religion especially in rural areas will diminish the around 70 % rate of non-qualifed teachers that the Ministry of Education is confronted with since about three years.
Secular Protest Against Our Father Prayer at the Beginning of National Radio Broadcasting
Association for Freedom of Counsciousness recently issued a protest against broadcasting the Our Father prayer at the beginning and the end of National Radio dayly broadcasts.
Without having the necesary documentation, that Our Father is accepted as prayer by all confessions, the officals of the above named association said that broadcasting the prayer is discriminating other "Confessions" ...?! ... than the Orthodox. Follwing the bolgs and commentaries we can notice that all comentators are in favour of broadcasting the prayer... some answers stating that also in Islam and in Baha'i religion Our Father is accepted as prayer and that Our Father is from a theological point of view an ecumenical foundation.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The Ziua Daily Newpaper Came Out With New Findings: The Surgery On Patriarch Teoctist Was Not Laparoscopic As Declared Before
Although in the press conference and other interviews regarding the death of the Patriarch the Medical Doctors said that the intervention was laparoscopic, urethral and with laser, and there have been a lot of talks on the embalmment with or without organs, and there were precise statements form Patriarchate that the embalmment of the Patriarch was done intravenous, keeping in all organs in with no surgical incise, now after two weeks two people declared to Journalist Victor Roncea from Ziua that, when doing the ritual washing and anointing they have seen a surgical incise of about 10 – 15 centimeters. It means that the surgery intervention contrary to declarations and the documentation of the hospital was done in a classical way. First, Abbot Nectarie from Radu Voda Monastery declared it and then Varsanufie, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Patriarch, confirmed it to Ziua in a by phone interview.
This new findings might complicate the all inquiries made by the Public Prosecutor, the Ministry of Health and the National College of Medical Doctors.
If you understand Romanian here is the audio link of Ziua, where Jurnalist Victor Roncea posted the recording with live declaration of Bishop Varsanufie.
http://www.ziua.net/display.php?data=2007-08-14&id=225198
If you believe this 1' 20'' interview quaifies for the best and highest mass-media prize in Romania please make your comments.
The Office Of The Public Prosecutor Is Acting In Case Of Patriarch Teoctist Surgery
Not only the media is digging day by day regarding the situation of emergency or not emergency surgery case of Patriarch Teoctist . Now after the Ministry of Health begun a inquiry on procedures, documentation and other issues related to legislation, inform consent, hospital exit and autopsy, the General Prosecutors Office begun to search on the case.
The Mass Media Found That The Bucharest College For Medical Doctors Declared No Malpractice And Closed The Case Of Surgery Intervention Of Patriarch Teoctist Without Interviewing The Doctor Who Made Anesthesia.
It is to be noticed that the MD who made the anesthesia, MD Tulbure, cannot be found since the Patriarch was declared death.
Thus, the Media in Romania keeps asking why the Bucharest College of Medical Doctors after judging the case said there was no malpractice at all, and how come they gave this verdict without interviewing the one accountable for anesthesia, MD Tulbure.
The National Council For Research Of Securitate Archives [NCRSA] Asked From Romanian Information and from Foreign Information Services The Files
At the request of Romanian Civic Forum, the NCRSA asked the files of all Hierarch of the Orthodox Church and lay electors, members of the Church National Assembly, so to be studied before election of a new Patriarch of Romania.
Until now three Orthodox hierarchs declared that they had past relations with former Securitate: Metropolitan Nicolae of Banat, Archbishop Teodosie of Tomis [no evidence of any report towards Securitate has ever shown] and Bishop Andrei Andreicut [same as for Teodosie no evidence of reporting was given].
The only clear evidence of cooperation with former Securitate is that of Abbot of Stavropoleos Monastery, Iustin Marchis, who was reporting to the Communist Secret Police on the wife of a former Ambassador of Switzerland who visited him while Iustin was young abbot in Cheia Monastery.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Possible New Tendency Regarding the Policy of the Romanian Orthodox Church Towards the Russian Orthodox Church.
Could it be the sign of a new policy of the interim of the Romanian Orthodox Church towards Russian Patriarchate or just the willing and the perception of the lay people in Romania?
It is well known that after Patriarch Teoctist revived [in 1992] the Metropolitanate of Basarabia and brought it back under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Patriarchate after 51 year of Socialist Soviet rule. Ancient Metropolitanate of Basarabia was dissolved by the Soviet power in 1941, one year after this Romanian territory was occupied by the Red Army in 28 June 1940. In 1941, the Russian Orthodox Church established in Basarabia a new bishopric, called Metropolitanate of Moldova, under the jurisdiction of Moscow Patriarchate that still functions.
The re-activation of ancient Metropolitanate of Basarabia under the jurisdiction of Romanian Patriarchate created much tensions and fracture in bilateral brotherly relations between the two Churches. It created also State tensions as Republic of Moldova recognized the Metropolitanate of Basarabia only after a European Court of Human Rights sentence.
Patriarch Teoctist tried many times to relax the situation in Republic of Moldova [Basarabia] and in 2000 he responded to invitation consecrating together with Patriarch Alexey II the Cathedral Christ the Savior and in 2006, meet Alexey again at the World Encounter of Religious Leaders.
As you may read in this blog, in an article from March 29, 2007, Patriarch Teoctist was ready to make a pastoral visit in Metropolitanate of Basarabia.
Taking into consideration that at the funerals of Patriarch Teoctist, Patriarch Alexey did not participated, but sent a message and a delegation, also considering the past not yet alleviated tensions, the extensive article in Lumina and especially the heading “Moscow the Third Rome” could mean a new pitch for remaking of policy relations between the two Churches, especially after last month declaration of Pope Benedict XVI.
As written in Lumina’s heading: “the publication is an initiative of Orthodox lay sustained by Metropolitanate of Moldova and Bucovina”, thus, under the leadership and the blessing of Metropolitan Daniel, now Locum Tenens of Patriarch of Romania.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Bartolomeu of Cluj Said He will Not Candidate
In an interview given to Mediafax and than published by many commentators Bartolomeu said he will not candidate: "it is obvious that a man in his 80s is not apropriate for Patriarchal positin. I do not wish to be Patriarch for few years only, to be buried with national funerals, post mortem decoration, trumpets, drums and 21 gun-salute , said metropolitan of Cluj being hironical to the funerals of Patriarch Teoctist.
Differently from Nicolae of Banat who stands for Daniel of Moldova, Bartolomeu did not express any opinion on the possible successor of Teoctist.
An inside-Church Attempt to Limiting Chances of Daniel of Moldova
In context of media scandal regarding hierarchy cooperation with Securitate the declaration of Nicolae, Metropolitan of Banat, stating that the most merituous to candidate for Patriarchal position is Danel of Moldova seems to be a hiden attempt to limiting the real chances of Metropolitan Daniel.
Nicolae of Banat is the oldest in bishophood from among Romanian Orthodox Hierarchs. He recognized in 1990 that he cooperated with the Secret Police of the Communiste regime and gave tham information even regarding the priests under his authority.
Although he never retired Metropolitan Nicolae said to that a Law on Lustration is necessary in Romania as well as improvement of lustration procedures.
Warn by Patriarchate to Published the Documents on former Metropolitan Antonie Cooperation with the Secret Police of Communist Regime Dinescu said:
My statement regarding Archbishop Antonie of Transylvania was based from a story I know from a friend who heard it from his relatives, not from Securitate Archives.
Later on Dinescu came back and said the Patriarchate is full of undercovered inteligence officers. Again he came with no evidence on this matter and the Patriarchate si determined to clarify the statements of Dinescu in court.
Fr. Constatnin Stoica, the Official Spoksman of the Partiarchate said Dinescu Could be Subject to a Conviction from Three Months to Three Years
As Memeber of the National College for Studying the Securitate Archives Dinsecu violeted the law on handeling and administrating the information by issuing false information on former Archbishop of Sibiu, Anthony.
Finally a Hierarch Stands Openly Against Dinescu
Archbishop of Sibiu, Laurentiu Streza came publicly after Mirecea Dinescu said in a TV interview that there are evidences his predecessor Archbishop Antonie asked Ceausescu to rise him from Colonel to General Rank.
Archbishop Laurentiu warn Dinescu in public and asked him to show evidences.
Also the Father Costantin Stoica from Patriarchate Communication Department said to the media that Dinescu in his position as memeber of National College for Studying the Securitate Archives, can not come with statements without evidences.
In order to make the stituation cristal clear the Romanian Patrirachate said it will make a penal complaint to the prosecutor.
Archbishop Laurentiu came into the hierarchy of the Romanian Orthodox Church after a succesful career as Professor in Liturgical Theology. Becoming widow, he took the monastic wowes and was elected forst bishop fof Caransebes. Archbishop Laurentiu has four childeren. He knows the complexity of life church from parish up to metropolitanate as he was close to Metropolitan Antony. In defending him he reminded that Antony was a political convict and the communists emprisoned him.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
By Evening Time on 12 September 2007 Romania Will Have a New Patriarch
Yestarday The Permanence of Holy Synod meet and decided that the election day for a new Patriarch will be 12 September 2007.
After the Holy Liturgy, at 10:00 The Holy Synod Session will begin to designate the candidates that will be submited to the voting procedure of the Church National Electoral College that is formed by representatives of all dioceses, Theological Faculties and Seminaries in a percentage of 1/3 clergy and 2/3 lay people.
17 Years of Mediatic Bombs on Clergy - Securitate Collaboration, But Only One Palpable Document
Yet, Dinescu keeps talking. Yestarday he said that the former Metropolitan of Sibiu, Archbishop Antonie asked Ceausescu to rise him to the rank of General of Securitate. Asked preciselly Dinescu said there is a letter ... but he is not able to show it. Dinescu also declared that the Securitate Academy used to select graduates and sent them to the Theological Institute in Sibiu to penetrate the Church structures. Again he came with no evidence.
After launching these media bombs he said that the files of all Hierarch of the Orthodox Church will be checked before elections of a new Patriarch.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Member of Health Commission of Chamber of Deputies said: Either Ministry of Health Should Complain to the General Prosecutor [GP] or the GP Should Act
The law is clear. It can not be claimed that the Patriarch was informed and gave his consent unless there is a document signed by him, and that is according to the law. In short, any medical intervention without IFORMED CONSENT is illegal, no mater how old was the pacient or how many are claiming that the Patriarch was was informed verbally.
On the same line, the corp handeling after death was done also with many infringements of the legislation, subject to one to three years conviction in prison. There is no hospital exit documentation, no family member or legally entrusted person was called to sign the exit procedure, no trace and documentation on embalming procedure or information regarding the place where the embalming was done, if it was done in the hospital or at the Patriarchate [given the fact that after three hours of death acertain (17:00) the Patriarch corp exit the hospital and at 9:00 was brought to the Patriarchal Cathedral]. According to this timing, it means that the legal regulations on time between death and embalment was not respected at all if it was done in the hospital. If it was done after the hospital it was done also without documentation procedure, there is no identity on the embalment service provider and if it was authorized or not for embalming procedure. The embalming substance is not known also if it was done with or without presevation of organs.
Shortly speaking MP Sorin Paveliu, who is a Medical Doctor by profession, stress to BBC that the Prosecutors should act.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Yet, No Malpractice or Procedures Violations in Case of Patriarch Teoctist's Surgery
The conclusion of the Bucharest MD College will go either for ratifiaction or rejection to the National Medicine Doctors College.
Yet, many medicine doctors including the personal doctor of the Patriarch keep saying that the surgery was not necessary, it was not an emergency case, it maybe needed hospitalization for one or two weeks, and a careful evaluation of the pacient. They state firmly that from 6:00PM Sunday, hospital enter, until 8:30 AM Monday, surgery begin, there was no time to make and have the results for minimal blood pack analysis. Mass-media is also stressing this point of view.
Potential Candidates for Patriarchal Chair of Romania under the attention of the National College for Studying the Securitate Archives
The National College for Studying the Securitate Archives stated today to mass-media that all potential candidates for the position of Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church will be invited for interview and their files will be checked.
It means that about twenty five Bishops, Archbishops and Metropolitanes will have soon given to public all information either they had or had not cooperation with Foreign Inteligence Department or the Securitate Service of former Communiste Regime and were involved or made political police activities.
Small Political Party Attempts to Gain Political Capital using New Patriarch’s Pre- Elections Circumstances
Cosmin Guse, President of National Initiative Party reacted very quick and tough to statement of Sorin Frunzaverde regarding Daniel of Moldova as future Patriarch, asking Frunzaverde to abstain from putting into effect any influence. Guse also said that it is not the first time when Frunzaverde used his twofold influencing power as he was strongly and succesfully involved also in the very tide elections for Metropolitanate of Ardeal, taking side with Bishop Laurentiu, now Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Ardeal.
National Initiative Party address also to the National Grand Lodge of Romania regarding Patriarchal Elections.
Given the fact that Sorin Frunzaverde is [or was according to his late sttement] a freeemason the National Initiative Party addressed to Grand Master, Eugen Ovidiu Chirovici to apart the National Grand Lodge of Romania from any statement made by freemasons in case of Patriarchal elections in Romania.
Trying get the attention of the Romanian electorate, National Intitiative Party [NIP], as a small, non-parlamentarian party [also attempting to participate in Euro-Parlamentarian elections] is trying to use the circumstances after Patriarch Teoctist death and become important “protector” of Church values. Thus, the President Cosmin Guse stated with much stanchness that “ the vote for the new Patriarch has not to be traced outside but stay inside the Church National Electoral College and the vot has to be given according to the values, traditions and the by-laws the are governing the Church".
The worries of NIP are not real, as out of 170 electors ony eight to ten are also politicians. NIP is mostly trying to use as political platform the circumstances and attract electorate as according to statistisc the most trustable institution in Romania is the Orthodox Church.
Vice President of Demorcatic Party, Sorin Frunzaverde Declared his Favourite Candidate as New Patriarch of Romania: Daniel of Moldova and Bucovina
Sorin Frunzaverde is member of the Romanian Church National Electoral College, the one that will finaly elect the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church at the proposal of the Holy Synod which will come with one up to three candidates.
In spite the fact that the mass media, early before his statement, already launched a debate on how much the elections will be influenced by the political parties, and published the list of the about eight politicians that are members in the Church National Electoral College, Sorin Frunzaverde state his opinion declaring that “personally I will involve myself for Matropolitan Daniel of Moldova”.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Post – Mortem Decoration of Partiarch Teoctist Creates Political Controversy
Dan Voiculecu said: “Basescu has to explain when was he laying: when assumed the Tismaneanu report in spite of all criticism on the accuracy and misdocumentation of it or when he post-mortem decoarated Patriarch Teoctist”. He accused Basescu of cynism and hypocrisy and ask for “clarification and a public statement retracting the accusations of the Tismaneanu report”.
The mass-media comments were in favour to Dan Vasilescu, stating that, comparing to Basescu decree of decoration, the Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania decorated Patriarch Teoctist with the Star of Romania in Rank of Grand Cross [the second rank of Star of Romania] for his merites, efforts and contribution to the Church Unity and Peace right after the historical visit of Pope John Paul II. The media commented that for Basescu Patriarch Teoctist was not good alive but is excelent while death.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
More than Malpractice in Case of Patriarch Teoctist Surgery and Death
1. First, Dr. Sinescu took a sugery decision without even making the main elementary set of blood, lungs, heart, and extra urine analysis.
2. Second, he did not anounced MD. Prof. Dr. Ursea, the personal doctor of the Patriarch about hospital enter. MD. Prof. Dr. Ursea said that the Patriarch received three weeks before a treatment for a urinary infection.
3. Dr. Sinescu was brought to the Patriarch by parish priest Gheorghe Pop, not a staff member of the Patriarchal Administratin. Father Pop refused to give any comentary about himself acting like a middleman between Dr. Sinescu and the Patriarch. He said: I would not make any comment without approval from Bishop Vincentiu Ploiesteanu, the Secretary of the Holy Sinod. 4. Although Dr. Sinescu said that the intervention was urgently necessay the public aparances of Teoctist prove the contrary. At the Eastern Lithurgy this spring he served without missing not even a minute hours and hours until 3:00 AM, yet some younger clegy left the Liturgy for few minutes than came back. At other public events that took hours and hours, as most of the Orthodox Services, was the same, the Patriarch did not lleft the service for restroom.
5. Dr. Udrea already recommended to Teoctist treatment for the infection and if necessary afterall a clinic in Germany.
6. The Patriarch was not informed about general anestezia but something similar with dentistry anestezia, said his personal driver who was with him all the time before surgery.
7. The necessary tretment for pacient stabilization before surgery was not at alll considered although Teoctist was 92 old.
8. Cardiological check-up was not done and no cardiologist was part of the surgery team.
9. When at 12:30 Monday morning M.D. Prof Dr. Ursea heard that the Patriarch is in the hospital he called Dr. Sinescu and asked what is the situation of the Patriarch and if Sinescu performed the surgery already, Sinescu said to Ursea that he did not yet begun the surgery. Ursea asked Sinescu to call him also in case after evaluation would decide to make surgery intervention and Sinescu promise he will do so. In fact the surgery begun at 8: 30 and ended at 10:00 when the Patriarch was moved to the intensive therapy hall.
10. Around 11:00 – 11:30, Costel Calapod the personal driver of the Patriarch after being informed that the intervention was succesful, he have seen general agitation, doctors and nurses whitening faces and he tried to enter to see in the intensive therapy room to see what is happening with the Patriarch. He was stoped and held by the doctors and few minutes later a bodygurad was posted at the door to restrict the drivers acces.
11. There was no INFORMED CONSENT procedure and sign up, Dr. Sinescu said that he did not want “to psichologically influence that pacient before surgery” or “offend the Patriarch”.
12. Dr. Sinescu also offically declared that the surgery took place from 8:30 to 10:30. Other specialist declared to investigation jurnalist that this tipe of intervention coul not take more than one hour.
13. Asked by Jurnalists Dr. Sinescu recognized that there could have been other more simple, without risk solution: medicatio for the prostate and and a citostome or a sonda. Ten of thousand people in Romania are living with this adaptable sysetms.
14. Although Dr. Sinescu said to Dr. Ursea at the phone that at 12:00 he did not even begun the surgery in the offical death communique Dr. Sinescu said that at 12:00 the Patriarch begun to heve heart problems, coughing and expectoration with blood, and the team started resuscitation work.
15. This above communique is against a previous one from 2007-07-30 given to the MediaFax Press agency by a staff of Dr. Sinescu team at 15:30 and spread in the news flux by Stefan Pricop at 16:03:45”.
16. Other sources from the hospital, kept for the moment anonimous by the journalist, declared that the Patriarch never awake from anestezia and than coma.
17. At 16:16:54” the Romanian Patriarchate sent to the media agencies a communique stating that they heve been informed form the hospital that at that very moment the Patriarch is in good standing.
18. At 17:17 Hour in press conference Dr. Constantin Popa, Fundeni Hospital Director [he was not informed about hospitalization of Teoctist, but only at 14:00 hours] declared that according to the Medical Commission Sinescu – Tulbure after heart complications the death was declared and documented at 17:00.
19. Thus from 17:00 to 17:17 the
a. doctors established the death of the pacient
b. leave the medical tools
c. wash hands and sanitize
d. take of the surgery wear
e. go to director office
f. held meeting and decide how and what to write in the communique
g. give to secretary to write, write and print it
h. verify and sign
i. walk to the elevator
j. call the elevator
k. go down to floor 0
After time measuring the experts said "this is not
possible".
about 8 km from Bucharest downtown
21. Prof. Dr. Ursea declared that it seems to him that Sinescu-Tulbure held him intentionaly aside and did not consult with him but even lie to him and misinformed. He also said the this urgency and the intentional misinformation are inexplicable as the case of Patriarch Teoctist was not an emergency and there was enough time for a professional medical evaluation.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Personal Medicine Doctor of Patriarch Teoctist Accuses Surgeon Sinescu of Malpractice
11:00 AM 3 of August, Funeral Service for Patriarch Teoctist
From now on all who would like to pay tribute to Patriarch Teoctist will find his tomb in the right side of the Cathedral.
From 9;00 AM to 11:00 AM Funeral Speaches and Messages Form all Over the World
The ceremony begun with message from the President of Romania, Prime Minister and the Royal House of Romania.
Than it continued with messages from all Orthodox Churches from European, Balkan, Caucasus, Middle East, African and Asian Countries.
The Special envoy of the Anglican Church representing the Archbishopric of Canterburry addressed a message underlineing the personality of Patriarch Teoctist and his contribution to the development of Anglican - Orthodox Dialogue.
Cardinal Wlater Kaspar, the special envoy of Vatican, underlined Patriarch Teoctist contribution to the Dialogue for promoting the Christian Unity.
Archbisop Anastasios of Tirana, presented homage on behalf of the World Council of Churches.
Venerable William Collin came with message from the 123 memeber churches of the Conference of European Churches envisaging the contribution of Patriarch Teoctist to the development of the ecumenical life in Europe.
7:00 AM The Holy Liturgy Aheading the Funeral Services
The pilgrimage for Paying Tribute to Patriarch Teoctist
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeu Ist Arrived in Bucharest
The Ecumencial Patriarch Bartholomeu I will lead tomorow the Funeral Liturgical Service for Patriarch Teoctist.
Traian Basescu President of Romania Brought Himself the Highest Order Of Romania
Patriarch Teoctist is the first Romanian citizen receiving the highest Rank of the Order of Romania's Star.
Reading the Decree the Secretary of the Order said: it is confered for his eminent contribution to the promotion of peace and dialogue among Christian confessions.
According to the Law and the regulations of the Order of Star of Romania the Rank of Collar can not be confered to more than 10 Romanians.
Prior to this former President Emil Constantinescu, after the visit of Pope John Paul II, confered to Patriarch Teoctist the Order of Star of Romania in Rank of Great Cross, an order also limited to only 80 members.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
On 9th of September, Elections for a New Patriarch
Metropolitan Daniel of Moldova Oficially Locum Tenens for Patriarchal Chair
The Romanian Permanent Synod oficillay anounced that until election of a new Patriarch Metropolitan Daniel of Moldova will be the loccum tenens in the Patriarchal Chair.
