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His Beatitude Teoctist (Arapaşu) is the fifth and current [[Patriarch]] of Bucharest and all Romania. He was born in the village of Tocileni, Botoşani county, Moldova to Dumitru and Marghioala Arapaşu on [[February 7]] 1915. He was baptised with the name Toader.
In 1928 he became a novice at Sihastria Voronei hermitage and later at Vorona Monastery, both in Botoşani county. In 1930 he entered the monastic seminary at [[Neamt Monastery (Moldova, Romania)|Neamţ Monastery]] and in 1935 took monastic vows at Bistriţa-Neamţ Monastery receiving the name Teoctist. In 1937 he was ordained as [[Deacon|hierodeacon]] and in 1945 as [[Presbyter|hieromonk]]. On [[March 5]] 1950, he was ordained [[bishop]] by Patriarch [[Justinian]].
On [[September 25]] 1977 he was elected [[Archbishop]] of Iaşi and [[Archbishop|Metropolitan]] of Moldova and Bucovina, and on [[November 19]] 1986 he was enthroned as Patriarch of Bucharest and all Romania.
After the December Revolution of 1989, Patriarch Teoctist offered his resignation to the Holy Synod in penitance for the Church compliance with some of the abuses of the previous communist regime. The Holy Synod chose to ask him to return to the position to which he had been elected in 1986 after receiving requests that he do so from faithful across Romania.
