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His Beatitude Daniel Ciobotea, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, was born on July 22, 1951, in Dobresti-Bara, Timis County, as the third child in the family of the teacher Alexie and Stela Ciobotea. He attended primary school in the native village (1958-1962), Dobresti, secondary school in Lapusnic (1962-1966), Timis County. In 1966, he attended high school in the town of Buzias and then in Lugoj, at the Coriolan Brediceanu High School (1967-1970). After the baccalaureate examination, he enrols at the Institute of Theology in Sibiu (1970-1974), where he graduates with a thesis in New Testament. During 1974-1976, he enrols in the doctorate programme at the Institute of Theology in Bucharest, within the Systematic Theology Department, under the guidance of Rev. Professor Dumitru Staniloae. He continues the studies abroad: two years at the Faculty of Protestant Theology – University of Human Sciences in Strasbourg (France) and two years at the Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg im Breisgau, the Faculty of Catholic Theology (Germany).On June 15, 1979, he presents the doctoral thesis at the University of Strasbourg, called: Réflexion et vie chrétiennes aujourd'hui. Essai sur le rapport entre la théologie et la spiritualité (424 p.). The thesis was prepared under the guidance of two famous French professors: Gerard Ziegwald and André Benoit, receiving the maximum grade. He became Theology Doctor of the University of Strasbourg. An extended version of this thesis was prepared under the guidance of his mentor, Rev. Professor Dumitru Staniloae, and was presented on the October 31, 1980, at the Institute of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest, entitled: Theology and Christian Spirituality. The connection between them and the present situation. After the presentation of the thesis, the Doctorate candidate Dan Ilie Ciobotea was awarded the title of Doctor in Orthodox Theology, also with the maximum grade.Rev. Professor Dumitru Staniloae declared then: The examination of the thesis proved to the Commission that it has before it a well prepared candidate, well informed and, most of all, striving to live a theological life of spiritual deepness. We need this kind of people, persons who live in the teaching of our Church. The true spirituality of the priest of today is this: to live in such a way that he can respond to the questions of the human person of today, but to still remain a true priest. With a clergy without theological culture and without the conscience of the dignity and sublime mission of priesthood, the faithful people will become alienated from the Church .In 1987, he enters the monastic life at the Sihastria Monastery, Neamt County, with the name Daniel, under the spiritual guidance of his monastic godfather, Reverend Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie. He is ordained hierodeacon on August 14, 1987 and hieromonk on August 15, 1987. In 1988 he is blessed protosingel and appointed Patriarchal Counsellor, Director of the Department of Contemporary Theology and Ecumenical Dialogue. The same year he became junior professor within the Department of Christian Mission at the Orthodox Theological Institute of Bucharest.He is chosen auxiliary bishop of the Timisoara Archdiocese, and ordained bishop on March 4, 1990. On June 17, 1990 he is chosen Archbishop of Iasi and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina. The enthronement took place on July 1, 1990. A rich pastoral-missionary, cultural and social-charitable activity ensued, between 1990-2008, in the new office of Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina.On September 12, 2007, the Church Electoral College has elected him Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Wallachia and Dobrudja, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church and locum tenens of the see of Caesarea Cappadocia. The enthronement of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel took place on 30 September 2007, in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest. Due to the activity unfolded so far, Patriarch Daniel distinguished himself as a founder of institutions, publications, organiser of symposiums, colloquia, congresses and exhibitions, as an initiator, supporter and co-ordinator of many social, cultural and educational programmes. He set up and supported many institutions of theological education, faculties and seminaries, several social-charitable associations and cultural-pastoral centres, both in Moldova where he served for 17 years, and in the Archdiocese of Bucharest. He took special care of the monasticism, as the number of the monasteries and sketes increased during His Beatitude’s pastoral rule. While in Bucharest, Patriarch Daniel set up the first Press Centre of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Basilica which includes Trinitas Radio station, Trinitas TV station, 'Lumina Newspaper , Basilica News agency and the Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate. Our Patriarch also holds several functions and honours, such as titular member of the International Academy of Religious Sciences seated in Brussels. He has also been awarded several titles and distinctions. He is Doctor Honoris Causa of several universities of our country, as well as of the ‘Sacred Heart’ Catholic University, Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.A. On 30 September 2007, when he was enthroned as Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, he was awarded the Romanian Star order in Great Degree on behalf of the President of Traian Basescu. The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church set up several publications and participated in over 100 symposiums, congresses, conferences, colloquia or national and international meetings and published several volumes. He is the author of over 1000 articles, studies in Romanian, French, English and German, as ‘Lumina Newspaper’ informs. Several studies and articles have been published in some other languages too.
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