Teoctist Arăpașu

Romanian Orthodox Religious Leader. He is remembered as the longtime head of the Romanian Orthodox Church who shepherded his flock during the transition from Communism to a democratic government. Born Toader Arapasu in Tocileni he was initially educated in local schools, in 1928 entered the Sihastria Voroni Hermitage as a novice, became a monk in 1935, then in 1940 commenced his theological studies at the University of Bucharest. Ordained a hieromonk (priest) on March 25, 1945, he was named an archmandrite, a high-level abbot, in 1946 but in 1947 was to see the latter designation revoked due to the first of several accusations of collaboration with the Communists that he was to face over the years. In 1950 he became bishop-vicar and secretary to Patriarch Justinian and between 1950 and 1954 served as rector of the Theological Institute of Bucharest. Appointed Bishop of Arad in 1962 he was named to head the Romanian Orthodox Church in the United States in 1963 but was denied an entranc