8/31/05

Metropolitan ANTONIE (Plămădeală) Fallen Asleep in the Lord

Sibiu, Romania [ROEA Chancery]  –  The Chancery of The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America has been officially notified by the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Sibiu that His Eminence Dr. ANTONIE (Plămădeală), Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transylvania (pictured here during a visit to St George Cathedral, Southfield/Detroit, in the mid-1990's), fell asleep in the Lord on Monday night, 29 August 2005, at the age of 78.  His Eminence has been in failing health for several years.

Archbishop NATHANIEL, upon learning of the news, stated “On behalf of the clergy and faithful of The Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, we offer our condolences to the Church of Romania, and especially the clergy and faithful of the Metropolitanate of Transylvania, on the loss of a hierarch who spent his entire life serving the Church as a clergyman, hierarch and scholar who wrote extensively and represented the Church of Romania at numerous conferences around the world.  We pray that the Lord will grant Metropolitan ANTONIE eternal rest in paradise and comfort his spiritual children in this time of mourning.”

The funeral service, presided over by His Beatitude, Patriarch TEOCTIST along with members of the Holy Synod of Romania, will take place in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Sibiu on Thursday, 1 September, at 12 noon.  Burial will follow the next day at the Brancoveanu Monastery in Sambătă de Sus, beginning also at 12 noon.

More information is available on the website of the Romanian Patriarchate at www.patriarhia.ro.