12 years as Romania’s Patriarch

On Monday, Patriarch Daniel celebrates his 12th anniversary at the helm of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

This is the official celebration of Patriarch Daniel or the Patriarch of the National Cathedral as many could call him maybe superficially. However, there are many other “cathedrals” built under the Patriarch’s guidance, even though they are not publicized to the same extent.

It is obvious that the construction of the Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral, the national ideal His Beatitude received from his predecessors, is a landmark among Patriarch Daniel’s achievements.

The new Orthodox Cathedral is actually the crown of tens of other major projects including the canonization of 33 Romanian Saints, the establishment of four dioceses for Romanians abroad, investing over 200 million euros in social and philanthropic activities, the establishment of the Basilica Media Centre and many more.

Beyond his national contribution, Patriarch Daniel’s outstanding theological and ecclesiastical views were made manifest during the Holy and Great Council of Crete where he supported the principle of conciliarity as a canonical norm at a pan-Orthodox level.

He was born on 22 July 1951, to parents Alexe and Stela Ciobotea, in Dobreşti village, Bara commune, county of Timiş. He was baptised Dan-Ilie.

Education and professional experience

1958 – 1962 – he attends the primary school in his native village Dobreşti, county of Timiş
1962 – 1966 – he attends the secondary school in Lăpuşnic locality, county of Timiş;
1966 – he begins the high school studies in Buziaş city, which he continues in Lugoj city, at “Coriolan Brediceanu” High School (1967 – 1970);
1970 – 1974 – he studies at the Orthodox University Theological Institute of Sibiu;
1974 – 1976 – he attends the doctorate courses at the Orthodox University Theological Institute of Bucharest, systematic section, under the supervision of Rev. Prof. Dr. Dumitru Stăniloae;
1976 – 1978 – he studies at the Faculty of Protestant Theology of the University of Humanistic Sciences of Strasbourg (France);
1978 – 1980 – he studies at the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the “Albert Ludwig” University of Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany);
15 June 1979 – maintains the doctorate thesis at the University of Strasbourg, entitled: Réflexion et vie chrétiennes aujourd’hui. Essai sur le rapport entre la théologie et la spiritualité (424 p).
31 October 1980 – an extended version of this thesis, prepared under the supervision of Rev. Prof. Dr. Dumitru Stăniloae, is maintained at the Orthodox University Theological Institute of Bucharest, with the title: Christian Theology and Spirituality. Relation between them and the present situation;
1980 – 1988 – lecturer at the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, Switzerland;
6 August 1987 – he joins the monastic life at Sihăstria Monastery, county of Neamţ, with the name of Daniel, Rev. Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie as monastic god father;
14 August 1987 – he is ordained hierodeacon, and hieromonk on 15 August 1987;
1988 – he is awarded protosingel and appointed patriarchal counsellor, director of the Department for “Contemporary Theology and Ecumenical Dialogue”;
1988 – he becomes Christian Mission senior lecturer at the Orthodox University Theology Institute of Bucharest;
12 February 1990 – elected Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Timişoara, with the title of Lugojanul, and on 4 March 1990 he is ordained hierarch at the Metropolitan Cathedral;
7 June 1990 – elected Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina;
1 July 1990 – enthroned Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina;
1992 – 2007 –Dogmatic and Pastoral Theology professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of “Dumitru Stăniloae” of Iaşi;
12 September 2007 – elected as Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudgea and Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church;
30 September 2007 – enthroned as Patriarch in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest;From 2007 he has been Pastoral Theology professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of “Patriarch Justinian” of Bucharest.