![IICCR LA502 Ceaușescu and Justin Moisescu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/IICCR_LA502_Ceau%C8%99escu_and_Justin_Moisescu.jpg)
Iustin Moisescu (; March 5, 1910 – July 31, 1986) was
Patriarch
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...
of the
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of ...
from 1977 to 1986.
Biography
Theological preparation
Moisescu was born in
Cândești,
Argeș County
Argeș County () is a county ('' județ'') of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Pitești.
Demographics
On 20 October 2011, it had a population of 612,431 and the population density was 89/km2.
* Romanians – 97%
* Roma (Gypsi ...
. He studied at the war orphans’ seminary in
Câmpulung-Muscel from 1922 to 1930, finishing with top honours. Patriarch
Miron Cristea
Miron Cristea (; monastic name of Elie Cristea ; 20 July 1868 – 6 March 1939) was a Romanian cleric and politician.
A bishop in Hungarian-ruled Transylvania, Cristea was elected Metropolitan-Primate of the Orthodox Church of the newly unifie ...
selected him alone, of all 1930 seminary graduates, to receive a scholarship and take his licentiate in theology at the
University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; el, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ''Ethnikó ke Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the Univers ...
. In 1934, he returned to Romania, having received a degree “arista” (magna cum laude).
Cristea, following Moisescu's progress, sent him (upon the recommendation of the University of Athens and of the Romanian Embassy in Greece) to continue his advanced studies at the Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology at the
Université des Sciences Humaines in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
. After two years in France (1934–36), having obtained material for his doctoral thesis, he returned to Athens in 1936. The following year he obtained his doctorate with the
Greek-language
Greek ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy (Calabria and Salento), southern Al ...
thesis “Evagrius Ponticus. Life, writings and teachings”, which received an award from the Athens Academy of Sciences. He then took equivalence examinations at the
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest ( ro, Universitatea din București), commonly known after its abbreviation UB in Romania, is a public university founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princel ...
’s Faculty of Theology.
There followed a quick succession of professorates, with rapid promotion: Professor of
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
at Bucharest’s Nifon Seminary (1937–38); New Testament Professor at the
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...
’s Faculty of Orthodox Theology (1938–39), where he replaced the celebrated professor Nicolae Arseniev. In
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
, he established the following
Polish-language
Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic languages, West Slavic language of the Lechitic languages, Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as t ...
courses: “General and specific introduction to the holy books of the New Testament”; “Exegesis of
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
’s
Epistle to the Galatians
The Epistle to the Galatians is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul the Apostle to a number of Early Christian communities in Galatia. Scholars have suggested that this is either the Roman province of Galatia in sou ...
”; and “Exegesis of the prologue to the
Gospel of John
The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
”. These courses were examined by professors Milan Șesan and Vladimir Prelipceanu, who “determined their scientific and didactic value, as well as their full harmony with the teachings of the Orthodox Church”. During this time, he was also a member of the
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard ( ro, Garda de Fier) was a Romanian militant revolutionary fascist movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel Michael () or the Legionnaire Movement (). It was strongly ...
.
In 1940, he was named associate professor. In 1942, after an examination, he was named Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the
Cernăuţi
Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...
-
Suceava
Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central and Eastern E ...
Faculty of Theology. At Cernăuți and Suceava he created three more courses: “Introduction to the holy books of the New Testament”, “Exegesis” and “
Biblical hermeneutics
Biblical hermeneutics is the study of the principles of interpretation concerning the books of the Bible. It is part of the broader field of hermeneutics, which involves the study of principles of interpretation, both theory and methodology, for ...
”. About his
Romanian-language
Romanian (obsolete spellings: Rumanian or Roumanian; autonym: ''limba română'' , or ''românește'', ) is the official and main language of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. As a minority language it is spoken by stable communities in t ...
writings, the same report notes that “The author’s form of expression in Romanian is distinguished by conciseness and clarity”. In 1946 he was transferred as professor to the same department at the Faculty of Theology in Bucharest; in 1948, he began teaching at the Bucharest Theological Institute. During his time as a theology professor, he published a number of specialised works.
Metropolitan of Transylvania
Another series of promotions followed after a turn unforeseen by many at the time, but in the best tradition of precedents not only Byzantine, but also Eastern European and even Romanian, especially
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
n: witness
Photius
Photios I ( el, Φώτιος, ''Phōtios''; c. 810/820 – 6 February 893), also spelled PhotiusFr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materia ...
’ elevation to
Patriarch of Constantinople
The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...
from general,
Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...
becoming Bishop of
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
from civil administrator, professor
Nicolae Bălan
Nicolae Bălan (; April 27, 1882 – August 6, 1955) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian cleric, a metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The son of a priest, he graduated from Czernowitz University and taught theology at Sibiu fro ...
becoming Metropolitan of Transylvania, etc. On February 23, 1956, Vicar Bishop
Teoctist Arăpașu
Teoctist (, born Toader Arăpașu, 7 February 1915 – 30 July 2007) was the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church from 1986 to 2007.
Teoctist served his first years as patriarch under the Romanian Communist regime, and was accused by som ...
ordained him deacon; the next day, the other Patriarchal Vicar Bishop, Antim Nica, ordained him priest, and on February 26, the National Church Council, gathered in electoral college according to its statute’s provisions, elected him Archbishop of
Sibiu
Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
and Metropolitan of Transylvania. He replaced the eminent and recently deceased Nicolae Bălan.
He then spent ten days in meditation before asking God to receive him into the ranks of the monks at
Cernica Monastery
Cernica is a commune in the southeast part of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania, with a population of 9,425 as of 2002. It is composed of five villages: Bălăceanca, Căldăraru, Cernica, Poșta and Tânganu.
The commune lent its name to the Cern ...
on March 8, 1956. Already elected metropolitan, on March 15, 1956
Patriarch Justinian, Metropolitan Firmilian of
Oltenia
Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...
and Bishop
Nicolae Colan
Nicolae Colan (; November 28, 1893 – April 15, 1967) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian cleric, a metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church. From a peasant background, Colan completed high school in Brașov, followed by a period ...
of
Cluj
; hu, kincses város)
, official_name=Cluj-Napoca
, native_name=
, image_skyline=
, subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County
, subdivision_name1 = Cluj County
, subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status
, subdivision_name2 ...
ordained him into the episcopate. Three days later, in the
Sibiu Metropolitan Cathedral, he was given
Andrei Șaguna
Andrei Șaguna (; 20 January 1808, Miskolc, Hungary – 28 June 1873, Nagyszeben, Hungary) was a Metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Transylvania, and one of the Romanian community political leaders in the Habsburg monarchy, ...
’s
crozier
A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholi ...
. During his short stay in Sibiu, among other activities, he founded the theological magazine ''Mitropolia Ardealului'' (nr. 1–2, Sep–Oct 1956) in place of the defunct ''Revista Teologică''.
Before Moisescu’s election as Metropolitan of Transylvania, Patriarch Justinian, in a long, meaningful and well-considered speech before the electoral college, described thus the candidate who should be elected: “There we will have to send the best of today’s clerics from our Church, a vigorously well-rounded personality, with a distinguished theological preparation, thoroughly aware of all the problems that our contemporary world presents”, for “new times require new people”.
Metropolitan of Moldavia and Suceava
Metropolitan Iustin spent only a short time at Sibiu. On January 10, 1957, he was elected Metropolitan of
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
and Suceava, and three days later he was installed in the seat once held by
Dosoftei
Dimitrie Barilă (), better known under his monastical name Dosoftei (; October 26, 1624—December 13, 1693), was a Moldavian Metropolitan, scholar, poet and translator.
Born in Suceava, he attended the school of the "Trei Ierarhi" Monast ...
,
Varlaam,
Veniamin Costache Veniamin is the Russian version of the name Benjamin, and may refer to:
*Veniamin Alexandrov (1937–1991), Soviet professional ice hockey player
*Veniamin Belkin (1884–1951), Russian artist and painter
*Veniamin Fleishman, (1913–1941), Russian ...
, to name only the most prominent of his predecessors at
Iași
Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
.
Upon his election as
Metropolitan of Moldavia and Suceava, he described his programme thus: “With all my efforts I will undertake with steadfast resolve to protect and keep the Holy places: churches, monasteries and sketes – glorious works of art – that form the diadem of the Metropolitanate of Moldavia; and for those who need these treasures of our ancient faith, I will strive to produce priests who are hard-working and devoted to the Church, the Fatherland and the good of the people. Unceasingly I shall keep watch over the direction my Diocese’s priests are taking, for the complete fulfillment of its duties toward the Church and the Fatherland. I will ensure as far as possible that the fruits of priestly work will be seen in the good administration of our places of worship, in the preaching of love among all the sons of the Fatherland and in the charitable giving for the popular good”.
On February 3, 1957, Metropolitan Iustin was first elected deputy to the
Great National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
, representing
Hârlău
Hârlău (also spelled ''Hîrlău'', ; he, חרלאו; hu, Harló) is a town in Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It was one of the princely court cities of Moldavia, in the 15th century. One village, Pârcovaci, is administered by the to ...
. He would be elected six more times, sitting until his death.
As Metropolitan of Moldavia, he undertook numerous activities. New buildings – veritable architectural monuments – were erected on the grounds of the Iași diocesan centre, while his
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
and residence were redone. Numerous monasteries and churches, the diocese's historic monuments, were also restored. Museums or museum collections associated with these monuments were started for many of them. New buildings were raised at the
Neamț Monastery
The Neamț Monastery ( ro, Mănăstirea Neamț) is a Romanian Orthodox religious settlement, one of the oldest and most important of its kind in Romania. It was built in the 15th century, and it is an example of medieval Moldavian architecture. ...
Theological Seminary, and the old ones were modernised.
In Moldavia, along with his numerous travels and external cares, he initiated, with the talent of a born architect, the radical transformation of the Metropolitan Centre from a random assortment of run-down buildings into a modern centre fit for his time. Also endowed with an unexpected practical spirit, he had constructed, under conditions of full-blown
Communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
, three large buildings in the diocesan centre (two administrative buildings and a dormitory for priests), over 70 new churches and chapels, 52 parish houses and five archpriests’ residences. He founded ten museums of ecclesiastical art, having obtained funds from the state and from parishioners’ donations. He restored, in full or in part, over twenty monasteries and sketes:
Putna,
Sucevița
Sucevița (german: Suczawitza or Kloster Suczawita) is a commune in Suceava County, in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of two villages, namely Sucevița and Voievodeasa (german: Fürstenthal). Sucevița Mon ...
,
Moldovița
Moldovița ( uk, Молдовіца; german: Russ Moldawitza) is a commune located in Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of four villages: namely Argel, Demăcușa, Moldovița, and Rașca.
A Latin-rite Catholic Dio ...
,
Voroneț,
Arbore
Arbore is a commune located in Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of three villages: namely Arbore, Bodnăreni, and Clit.
Church of Arbore
Arbore is best known for its church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist ...
,
Humor
Humour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humorism, humoral medicine of the ancient Gre ...
,
Slatina,
Dobrovăț
Dobrovăț is a commune in Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hu ...
,
Cetățuia,
Râșca,
Neamț,
Sihăstria,
Secu
Secu is a commune in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the wes ...
,
Bistrița
(; german: link=no, Bistritz, archaic , Transylvanian Saxon: , hu, Beszterce) is the capital city of Bistrița-Năsăud County, in northern Transylvania, Romania. It is situated on the Bistrița River. The city has a population of approxima ...
,
Văratec.
He led several Romanian Orthodox delegations visiting other churches and countries: the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
(1958), the
Malabar Syriac Church (1961), the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
(1970), the
Danish National Church
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...
(1971) and the
Ecumenical Patriarchate
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
(1974). He took part in several synodal delegations led by Patriarch Justinian and received numerous foreign delegations at Iaşi or within the Iaşi Archdiocese. As a member of the Central Committee of the
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most juri ...
(1961–77), he participated in general congresses at
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
(1961),
Uppsala
Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...
(1969) and
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
(1975) as well as at the annual sessions of the Central Committee at
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
(1962),
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
(1966, 1973 and 1976),
Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...
(1967),
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
(1969),
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
(1971),
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
(1972),
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
(1974), etc.
He was part of the Presidium of the
Conference of European Churches
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) was founded in 1959 to promote reconciliation, dialogue and friendship between the churches of Europe at a time of growing Cold War political tensions and divisions.
In its commitment to Europe as a who ...
and of its Consultative Committee, participating in the Nyborg IV (1964), Nyborg V (1966), Nyborg VI (1971) and Engelberg (1974) General Assemblies, as well as at sessions of the Presidium and the Consultative Committee. He led delegations of the Romanian Orthodox Church to pan-Orthodox conferences at
Rhodes
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...
(1961, 1963, 1964) and
Chambesy (1968), and to the first preparatory conference of the Holy and Great Pan-Orthodox Synod (Chambesy, 1971).
As metropolitan, he published numerous articles, pastoral letters, speeches and editorials, especially in the magazine ''Mitropolia Moldovei și Sucevei'', which appeared for twenty years under his direct supervision. In addition, the Iaşi Metropolitan Centre edited other works, among them ''Monumente istorice-bisericești din Mitropolia Moldovei și Sucevei'' (1974) and ''Psaltirea în versuri a lui Dosoftei, ediție critică'' (1975); the monographs ''Catedrala Mitropolitană din Iașui'' and ''Mănăstirea Cetățuia'' (both 1977); brochure-albums to popularise the monasteries of Moldavia, prayer books, etc.
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Patriarch Justinian died in March 1977. On June 12, 1977, Metropolitan Iustin was elected Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Ungro-Vlachia, Patriarch of All Romania. He was enthroned at the
Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral
The Romanian Orthodox Patriarchal Cathedral (also known as the Metropolitan Church) is a functioning religious and civic landmark, on Dealul Mitropoliei, in Bucharest, Romania. It is located near the Palace of the Chamber of Deputies of the Patria ...
, Bucharest, on June 19, 1977. Iustin remained in office until he died in Bucharest on July 31, 1986, and was buried in the Patriarchal Cathedral.
As patriarch, he led several synodal delegations to other churches: the Ecumenical Patriarchate (1978), the
Orthodox Church in America Romanian Episcopate
The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America ( ro, Episcopia Ortodoxă Română din America) is one of three ethnic dioceses of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and a former diocese of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The diocesan center is loca ...
(1979), the
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
(1980), the
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches.
The majori ...
(1981), the
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...
(1981), the Geneva headquarters of the World Council of Churches (1981), the
Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church ( bg, Българска православна църква, translit=Balgarska pravoslavna tsarkva), legally the Patriarchate of Bulgaria ( bg, Българска патриаршия, links=no, translit=Balgarsk ...
(1982), the
Reformed Church in Hungary
The Reformed Church in Hungary ( hu, Magyarországi Református Egyház, MRE) is the largest Protestant church in Hungary, with parishes among the Hungarian diaspora abroad. Today, it is made up of 1,249 congregations in 27 presbyteries and four ...
(1982) and the
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος, Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos, ), part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its ...
(1984). In return, he was visited by a number of church leaders, as well as by numerous representatives of other churches and Christian denominations from all over the world.
Patriarch Iustin paid special attention to publishing activity. He began the great collection ''Părinți și scriitori bisericești'' (projected to span 90 volumes), as well as the six-volume set ''Arta creștină în România''. A new synod-approved edition of the Bible appeared in 1982, a new New Testament in 1979, as well as textbooks for higher theological education and for theological seminaries, doctoral theses and devotional books. The Patriarchate's magazines continued to be published, as well as those of the metropolitanates and bulletins for Romanian Orthodox communities abroad.
He helped restore some of Romania's most important churches and monasteries, continuing the work he had begun at Iași. Among the monasteries in question are
Curtea de Argeș
Curtea de Argeș () is a municipality in Romania on the left bank of the river Argeș, where it flows through a valley of the Southern Carpathians (the Făgăraș Mountains), on the railway from Pitești to the Turnu Roșu Pass. It is part of ...
,
Cheia
Cheia is a mountain resort, north of Ploiești in Prahova County, Romania. Situated in the Teleajen Valley, it is surrounded by the Ciucaș Mountains. Administratively, Cheia is a village, part of Măneciu commune. Cheia Monastery
Cheia Mo ...
, Zamfira, Viforâta, Dealu,
Cernica
Cernica is a commune in the southeast part of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania, with a population of 9,425 as of 2002. It is composed of five villages: Bălăceanca, Căldăraru, Cernica, Poșta and Tânganu.
The commune lent its name to the Cern ...
, Pasărea, Țigănești,
Căldărușani, Sfântul Spiridon Nou and Sfântul Gheorghe. Moreover, he put work into his own Patriarchal Cathedral, as well as others.
Offices held
*Professor at the Nifon Seminary, Bucharest (1937–1938)
*Professor at the University of Warsaw (1938–1939)
*Professor at the Cernăuți-Suceava Faculty of Theology (1940–1946)
*Professor at the University of Bucharest (1946–1948)
*Professor at the Bucharest Theological Institute (1948–1956)
*Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transylvania (elected 26 February 1956, ordained bishop 15 March 1956, enthroned 18 March 1956)
*Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldova and Suceava (elected 10 January 1957, enthroned 13 January 1957)
*Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Ungro-Vlachia, Patriarch of All Romania (elected 12 June 1977, enthroned 19 June 1977)
Selected works
*''Sfânta Scriptură și interpretarea ei în opera Sf. Ioan Hrisostom'' (1939–1941)
*''Originalitatea parabolelor Mântuitorului'' (1944–1945)
*''Activitatea Sfântului Apostol Pavel în Atena'' (1946)
*''Ierarhia bisericească în epoca apostolică. Anexă: Texte biblice si patristice despre pace și muncă'' (Craiova, 1955)
*''Simbolica lui Hristu Andrutsos, traducere din greceşte'' (Craiova, 1955)
*''Sfântul Pavel și viața celor mai de seamă comunități creștine din epoca apostolică'' (1951)
*''Temeiurile lucrării Bisericii pentru apărarea păcii'' (1953)
Bibliography
Justin Moisescu in ''Dicționarul Teologilor Români'', Mircea Păcurariu, Ed. Univers Enciclopedic, Bucharest, 1996.
* Dr.
Antonie Plămădeală Antonie Plămădeală (; 17 November 1926 in Stolniceni, Lăpușna County, Bessarabia, Kingdom of Romania – 29 August 2005 in Sibiu) was a high-level hierarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Metropolitan of Transylvania (1982 ...
"Patru trepte în cei 60 de ani de patriarhat ortodox român" in ''Alte file de calendar de inimă românească'', Sibiu, 1988, p. 44-69 (speech given in the Synodal Hall of the Bucharest Patriarchal Palace, 29 September 1985).
* Fr. Prof. Dr. Ioan Rămureanu. "La 70 de ani de viață ai Prea Fericitului Patriarh Iustin", in ''BOR'', yr. XCVIII, 1980, nr. 3–4, p. 339-363.
* Fr. Prof. Dumitru Radu. "Prea Fericitul Patriarh Iustin în teologia românească", in ''BOR'', yr. XCVIII, 1980, nr. 3–4, p. 364-383.
* Fr. Scarlat Porcescu. "Coordonate ale arhipăstoriei Prea Fericitului Patriarh Iustin în scaunul Mitropoliei Moldovei și Sucevei", in ''BOR'', yr. XCVIII, 1980, nr. 3–4, p. 384-403.
* Fr. Dumitru Soare. "Contribuția Prea Fericitului Patriarh Iustin la dezvoltarea relațiilor ecumenice ale Bisericii Ortodoxe Române", in ''BOR'', yr. XCVIII, 1980, nr. 3–4, p. 404-432.
* Fr. Armand Munteanu. "Bibliografia Prea Fericitului Părinte Patriarh Justin", in ''Mitropolia Olteniei'', yr. XXXII, 1980, nr. 3–6, p. 389-401 (other articles in the same edition, p. 265-388).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iustin, Patriarch
1910 births
1986 deaths
People from Argeș County
Patriarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church
20th-century Romanian clergy
Romanian academics
Members of the Great National Assembly
Members of the Iron Guard
Christian Peace Conference members
University of Strasbourg alumni
Chernivtsi University academic personnel
Burials at the Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral
Alexandru Ioan Cuza University faculty