Patriarch Daniel of Romania celebrates 36 years of episcopal ministry

The Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated a significant anniversary — 36 years since the ordination of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. Over the years, his ministry has been marked by a significant development in church life, including major pastoral and administrative projects, as well as the large-scale construction of the National Cathedral in Bucharest.

According to the Orthodox Times, this important date fell on a Wednesday, recalling March 4, 1990. It was then that the future patriarch was ordained vicar bishop of the Archdiocese of Timisoara, receiving the title «Lugozhanul». Patriarch Daniel, born Sorin Dan Chobotia, was born on July 22, 1951, in the village of Dobnesti, Timisoara County. He received his theological education at the Orthodox Theological Institute of Sibiu in 1974, after which he continued his doctoral studies under the guidance of the renowned theologian Dumitru Staniloae, and also studied in Strasbourg (France) and Freiburg (Germany).

in 1987, the future patriarch took monastic vows at the monastery of Sikestria in the county of Nyamts, where his confessor was St. Cleopas of Sikestria. In the same year he was ordained a hierodeacon and then a hieromonk. A year later, he was elevated to the rank of protosyncellus and appointed patriarchal advisor, serving as director of the Department of Modern Theology and Ecumenical Dialogue, while teaching at the Theological Institute in Bucharest.

on June 7, 1990, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel was elected Metropolitan of Moldova and Bukovyna. In this position, he initiated numerous pastoral, administrative, and cultural projects. Among them were the restoration of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași, the creation of the Providets Medical Center, and the founding of the Lumina newspaper and Radio Trinitas radio station.

His church career culminated in his election as Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church on September 12, 2007, and his enthronement on September 30 of the same year. During his years as patriarch, he continued to strengthen the mission of the Church both in Romania and among Romanian communities in the diaspora. One of the most significant achievements of his reign is the construction of the National Cathedral in Bucharest, which is considered a symbolic project for the Romanian Orthodox Church.

In his greeting message on Orthodoxy Sunday, the Patriarch’s vicar, Bishop Varlaam Ploisteanul, emphasized the indelible impact of Patriarch Daniel’s ministry, stating: «These 36 years of the episcopal ministry of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel have given our Church a special rhythm and ethos.» He also recalled the words of Metropolitan Bartholomew Ananias, who once called the activities of the Metropolis a «hive of the Holy Spirit.» According to Bishop Varlaam, after the enthronement of the Patriarch in 2007, this «hive of the Holy Spirit» expanded to the entire Romanian Patriarchate, making the work of the Church more and more visible in society.

As we reported earlier, on October 27, 2025, during a joint service of the heads of the Constantinople and Romanian Patriarchates, Patriarch Bartholomew commemorated the name of the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko. Dumenko’s name was solemnly commemorated in the Diptych , but during its proclamation, someone from the crowd participating in the service shouted «Anathema!»